There are many changes you can make to your home's water system to make your home last longer!
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There are so many ways you can make your home greener. The best part about maintaining a greener home and family life is that it often leads to positive results in other areas of your home. By now, you probably know the importance of water and its plumbing in the home. For example a Brita reverse osmosis Filtration system can help get rid of hard water and keep your sink and household members happy. Or that drinking at least eight cups of water is key to having a strong immune system. There are many changes you can make to your household's water-based systems to help your home last longer. Here are five of them:
Home water recycling system
Reverse osmosis water filtration is a process that essentially recycles the water in your home so you can use it again. Many consumers would shy away from using "used" water, but it is a system that is already being used on a larger scale. Most people know this, but the jump this close to the house can be hard to swallow. A whole house reverse osmosis filtration system removes water hardness, salts, chemicals and up to 98% organic and inorganic dissolved material in the water. A reverse osmosis system built directly into the house installation ensures that your house is as pure as possible drinking water.
Unlike buying expensive pitchers and filters to screw on sink taps that need to be replaced every few months, you can build a self-sufficient system right into the plumbing of your own home. Whole house reverse osmosis filtration is a great option if you live in an area with poor water quality, or if your water just tastes bad. Even harmless problems such as the smell of sulfur in the water or hard water can be a nuisance when cooking and bathing.
bidet
While a bidet seems to use more water than a traditional toilet, it actually uses less water than if you still opted for toilet paper. Bidets only use an eighth of a gallon of water to flush your trash out of your home. However, you need hundreds of gallons of water to make a SINGLE roll of toilet paper. You don't really have to do the math to find out that the bidet undoubtedly wins. Bidets are not only environmentally friendly, but also wallet-friendly. The amount of toilet paper you save in the first year is enough to cover the initial installation and purchase costs of your new bidet. Plus, you just feel cleaner.
Environmentally friendly plumbing hardware
Shower heads and faucets can become more environmentally friendly, control the flow of water and avoid waste. The best thing about contemporary eco-friendly plumbing hardware is that the end user doesn't notice any difference in the bathing experience. That's right: you could be using 30% LESS water than you were using before replacing, and if you decide on the right shower head, you may not even notice anything has changed.
These shower heads are known as "Low Flow" shower heads. With around 20% of household water consumption coming from the shower, reducing the amount of water pumped through your shower head can make a big difference in your environmental footprint (as well as your water bill!). You can accomplish the same goal on a smaller scale by opting for eco-friendly faucet heads for the sinks in your home.
Proper insulation
Proper insulation of your home and plumbing will keep your pipes from bursting when temperatures drop in the colder months. While it may seem unfathomable to those fortunate enough to live near the equator, many homeowners in the northern hemisphere can empathize with the fear that our pipes will one day give way to extreme frost. So that you don't have to invest in an emergency plumber down the line, you should make sure that all parts of your house plumbing are home properly insulated. As a bonus, if you find and fix gaps in your insulation, you should also reduce your heating bills by having improved heat storage in your home. Result!
seal
Often times, the only thing that will keep a leak from spiraling out of control is for the homeowner to notice before it gets a chance. However, some flooring and insulation options are better suited to contact with water than others. For example, Laminate flooring is not waterproof. Water can pool between the laminate tiles and swell the material, but this is a slow process that can get very bad before you even realize something is wrong. Cork floors are more environmentally friendly than other options. Although it is also a bit more expensive, cork flooring is also WATERPROOF and super durable. So if you are looking for a quality flooring that can withstand a leak AND a blow, cork flooring is your best bet.
