How to Lower Your Water Bill with Water-Efficient Plumbing Fixtures

Ready to lower your water bill? If you switch to water-efficient plumbing, it’s not as impossible as it sounds, regardless of how many people are in your family or how many showers they take daily. It is possible to save money on your water bill by following these tips about installing water-efficient plumbing.

Tip #1: Switch to WaterSense

WaterSense is a partnership program of The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to decrease water usage in the U.S. by promoting water efficiency. All brands of plumbing fixtures are eligible to qualify for this label but they must meet certain standards. Any time you see the WaterSense label on products you can be sure that the product:

• Performs as well or better than current models

• Is 20 percent more efficient

• Saves water

Tip #2: Use Water-Efficient Toilets

What uses the most water in your home? Your toilet. You can save almost 13,000 gallons of water by installing a new toilet that has the WaterSense label. If every home in the U.S. used these water-efficient toilets, water usage in the U.S. would decrease greatly.

Tip #3: Use Water-Efficient Bathroom Faucets

In 1992, bathroom faucets used three to seven gallons per minute (gpm). Now, new WaterSense faucets use an average of 2.2 gpm. Combine that average amount with an estimated 17 million bathroom faucets sold, and that’s a lot of water being saved. This is not only good for your budget, but good for the environment too.

Tip #4: Use Water-Efficient Showerheads

You want to save on your water bill, but nobody wants to take a shower with just a trickle of water. That won't happen with water-efficient showerheads. You're guaranteed to have an equal or better shower experience with a WaterSense labeled product. So, you can save gallons of water each year and still have a great shower.

Get Started Lowering Your Water Bill

If you would like to get started lowering your water bill, call Air Assurance. We’ll show you the best water efficient plumbing products that can save you the most money.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “milo827/Shutterstock”

Lower Your Water Heating Bills With These Tips This Summer

With summer temperatures reaching more than 90 degrees, Broken Arrow summers cost so much in air conditioning. That means any other area where we can save energy is worth investigating, and water heating is one of those areas. Take steps to lower water heating bills now and you'll save all year.

Cut Back Your Hot Water Use

Showers are one of the biggest sources of hot water use in most households, so having low-flow shower heads installed is an effective way to save. Look for WaterSense labeled models. They've been tested to use around 20 percent less water than standard shower heads and perform as well as or betters. For optimal performance, have your shower heads professionally installed.

Switching to WaterSense faucets in your kitchen and bath will also help you trim hot water use and lower water heating bills. These faucets use around 30 percent less water than standard faucets.

Use cold water rinses for your all your laundry needs. You'll save energy and protect your clothes from damage.

Boost Your Water Heater's Efficiency

If your water heater feels warm when you touch it, it's losing energy and should be insulated with a water heater insulation blanket. Also install pipe wrap insulation on the first 6 feet of both water pipes that connect to your water heater.

Every three months, flush the sediment from your water heater's tank to maintain the system's efficiency and protect it from damage. Water heaters last around 10 to 15 years, but they drop in efficiency after about seven years. If yours is this old, it may be time to upgrade to a new water heater. Today's water heaters are more efficient than those made just 10 years ago.

When you're ready to upgrade, consider a tankless on-demand system rather than a conventional storage tank system. If you use 41 gallons of water a day or less, a tankless system could save you up to 34 percent over a conventional system.

For more ideas on how to lower water heating bills, contact us at Air Assurance in the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Mile Atanasov/Shutterstock”

Tips for Selecting the Best Showerhead for Your Broken Arrow Home

A refreshing shower is probably an important part of your morning routine. If your shower isn’t performing the way you’d like, you can end up starting every day on a sour note. If it’s time for an upgrade, it’s worth doing your research to make sure you’re selecting the best showerhead for your needs.

Check Your Existing Hardware

Check the finish on your existing bathroom hardware before selecting a replacement. Your product won’t look natural if it has a different finish from the shower arm. Opt for something that matches what’s already there unless you plan to upgrade all fixtures in your bathroom. If you want to add other upgrades, like a handy anti-scald valve on your faucet, this is a great time.

Choose Pressure Over Volume

It’s tempting to select an oversized showerhead, imagining a luxurious experience under the broad spray. However, customers often find that they don’t feel a noticeable difference with different sizes. What’s more noticeable is the water pressure. You’ll enjoy more pressure with a smaller showerhead. When you’re selecting the best showerhead for your Broken Arrow home, go for something that’s 8-inches or smaller.

Look for the WaterSense Label

Showerheads with the WaterSense label must use 2 gallons of water per minute (gpm) or less. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gpm, so this is a noticeable difference. A WaterSense showerhead will help you save money on your water bill. The average family can save up to 2,900 gallons of water a year with this upgrade. A WaterSense showerhead can literally pay for itself.

Know When to Hire a Professional

Most homeowners can replace a showerhead themselves, but you should hire a professional if you’re making a major bathroom upgrade. Don’t attempt to replace the shower arm or any additional plumbing on your own. Done improperly, these upgrades could leave you with a hazardous leak that can lead to wall damage, mold growth and other serious problems.

For more information on selecting the best showerhead for your home, contact us at Air Assurance. We’ve proudly served the Broken Arrow area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Mikhail hoboton Popov/Shutterstock”