Plumbing Resolutions For The New Year

Happy New Year! It's that time of year when we resolve to be better people in the coming year. As you make your resolutions, keeping your home safe and efficient may be on your list of priorities. If so, the following are plumbing resolutions to help save you money or prevent plumbing emergencies.

Stop Wasting Water. According to the EPA, leaks account for an average of 10,000 gallons of water wasted in the home every year. That's enough to fill a backyard swimming pool. EPA studies have also found that 10% of homes have leaks that waste more than 90 gallons per day, almost 33,000 gallons a year.

I will check all of my faucets and showerheads for leaks and call my favorite plumbing company to get things fixed. One drip per second can waste more than 2,000 gallons per year, enough to flush a toilet 1,300 times! If my faucets and/or showerheads are very old, I will replace them with low-flow models.

I will call my plumber to fix any toilets that run constantly. This could be waste up to 200 gallons of water every day! I will also replace any ancient toilets in my home with low-flow models using no more than 1.6 gallons per flush.

Inefficient Water Heating. Since water heating can absorb as much as 25% of my home's energy budget, I resolve to stop wasting energy with inefficient water heating equipment. I will ask my plumber to calculate whether my water heating equipment is the right size for my household and lifestyle. I might even consider whether one or more "on-demand" tankless water heaters are a reasonable option for my home.

Low Water Pressure. I will stop putting up with lousy water pressure in my showers. I will ask my plumber to investigate the cause and tell me what needs to be done to turn the trickles into cleansing flows.

Service Agreements. I will stop reacting to plumbing emergencies and take a preventive approach by signing up for a plumbing service agreement that assures annual inspection and maintenance of all my plumbing systems.