PLUMBING

Water and energy are intertwined. It takes a lot of energy to purify and move water, and it takes a lot of water, about one-third of the water use in this country, to make electrical energy. Only 1% of the Earth’s water is fresh and potable, and in Michigan, we are sitting right in the center of 20% of the world fresh potable water. We owe it to ourselves to save this precious resource by not wasting water or electrical energy.

A homeowner can use up to 70% less water without sacrificing comfort through better water delivery systems and more efficient water fixtures. A homeowner can also use devices like rain barrels to collect and save rain water for use on landscaping during dryer periods. These methods pay off quickly if the owner pays municipal water bills, and also save money on energy bills.

Water Delivery Systems
Insulating Hot Water Pipes
Recirculating Hot Water
Heat Recovery Drains
Efficient Toilets
Low-Flow Showerheads
Faucet Aerators
Appliances
Water Leaks
Yard Irrigation
Occupant Behavior

Water Delivery Systems

Have you ever notice that water gets warm before it gets hot? That is because the turbulence in pipes makes twice the volume of water in the pipe go down the drain before the water. For many fixtures in our home, that can equate to more than 2 gallons wasted each and every time we turn the hot water on. This can add up to tens of thousands of gallons of water for the average family each year.

Insulating Hot Water Pipes

Since most plumbing systems have uninsulated copper pipes, the hot water in the pipes loses its temperature rapidly. This causes waste to be unnecessarily repeated even when people use bathrooms back-to-back in the morning. Insulating copper lines is a good first line of defense against unnecessary water and energy use for hot water.

Recirculating Hot Water

One of the best ways to save water is to put in a hot-water recirculating loop. That will make hot water recirculate in the pipes continuously, so that when we turn the hot water on, it’s at the fixture within a few seconds.

Recirculating hot water makes your hot water heater work more often however, costing several hundred dollars a year. While this heat ultimately is added to the building, it is inefficient as a heat source and doesn’t go where we want it to. In the summertime, it is also energy we pay to remove if the air conditioning is on. Insulating the pipes is a good first step to mitigating the energy loss in a recirculating system.

The best method for efficient recirculating lines, however, is to install thermal controls and timers or occupancy sensors on the recirculating system. This means that the recirculating system will only go on when the hot water is being used, and therefore energy won’t be wasted when recirculation isn’t needed.

A recirculating hot water system with good controls actually uses less energy than a standard system, and it saves a tremendous amount of water. It takes a while to get used to the idea of stepping right into a shower after turning it on, but it’s a performance feature that is hard to live without once you get used to it.

Heat Recovery Drains

A great feature that also saves energy in a plumbing system is a heat recovery drain. These devices can pre-heat the cold water entering the water heater by as much as 25° simply by recovering the heat in water that is going down the drain. It’s a great example of a small way to wring the most efficiency out of the energy we have already paid for once.

Efficient Toilets

Flushing toilets accounts for about 30% of the total water use in the average home, and is the single biggest user of water. Even with 1.6 gallon per flush toilets, this still adds up to a huge amount of water. We can cut that nearly in half by installing a dual-flush toilet that has two settings. Many models use about 0.8 gallons for button #1, and about 1.2 gallons for button #2. Since the first button is used much more often, the water savings can really add up.

Low-Flow Showerheads

The next biggest point of water consumption in a home is typically the shower. There are several choices in low-flow shower heads that work great and save anywhere from 25% to 60% in total water use. If a shower is used daily, a quality low-flow showerhead can pay for itself in a matter of months. This will not only save water, but energy as well.

Faucet Aerators

Faucet aerators are another area where water savings can be achieved. Costing just a few dollars, aerators can actually make some faucets perform better while saving 25% to 60% of the total water use in that faucet.

Appliances

Appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines can also contribute to a lower water use lifestyle. Newer models are efficient and use just a few gallons to clean dishes and clothes.

Water Leaks

Water leaks are another significant contributor to total water use in our homes. A small leak can add up to a large volume of water over time. In fact, leaks account for nearly 15% of the total water use in homes! Making sure your fixtures are in good shape and not leaking is one of the best ways to waste less water in your home.

Yard Irrigation

Watering your landscaping can be a huge user of highly purified water. Looking into native plants that don’t need watering and installing efficient irrigation equipment can be a great way to save water. Collecting rain water for landscape irrigation can also be an excellent way to reduce the need for irrigating with tap water, and a great way to keep water from overloading storm drains.

Occupant Behavior

One area of water and energy consumption that is not controllable with any device is the behavior of the occupants of a building. Many habits can save a lot of water, such as turning off the water while you brush your teeth, shave or hand-wash dishes. Turning your hot water heater down to 125° can save a lot of energy with no noticeable loss of comfort. Making sure your plumbing system isn’t leaking is an easy way to save water that is otherwise completely wasted. Leaving a running shower unattended to warm up while you perform other tasks is a sure way to waste thousands of gallons of water and a lot of energy over the course of a year. Many bad habits that are difficult to change, but once replaced with better habits, they will seem as normal as any other daily routine.

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