Water Saving In A New Pasadena Home

New plumbing strategies in Pasadena offer a plethora of new water saving features, which older homes tend not to offer.  Water saving in a new home can be quite simple, considering all the new technologies which are available to home builders.  Make yourself knowledgeable about these options and when you purchase a new home watch for these.  If you are building a home, it is good to communicate to the builder which of these options you want in water efficiency.

Indoor Water Saving Solutions

Up to 70% of water usage in residences happens indoors.  A number of items that new homes tend to provide save water usage and money in the long-run.

• Bathroom plumbing fixtures such as toilets, bathroom faucets, and showerheads offer low-flow options
• High efficiency and low energy use hot water heaters
• New appliances such as dishwashers and clothes washers
• Install a tankless water heater close to the most used hot water usage areas
• Use of an on-demand style recirculation system in combination with a high efficiency water heater
• Install a solar water heating system to preheat water which enters the tankless water heater
• Check for leaks regularly to ensure there is no waste

Outdoor Water Conservation

Anywhere from 30% to 70% of water usage of homes is used outdoors for yard landscaping and pool upkeep.  When designing an outdoor space, it is important to keep in mind how much water will be used for upkeep, as well as to ensure that water is saved where possible.

Landscaping:

• Properly plan and design the landscaping
• Limit grass and lawn to 40% or less of landscaped areas
• Choose plants and flora which are regionally appropriate
  • Group plants according to similar water usages
  • Use native plants and those which have low water needs
  • Schedule efficient irrigation
    • Use fixed-spray sprinklers on lawn
    • Use drip or micro irrigation on plants, flowers, and bushes
    • Water during cooler times of day to ensure little evaporation due to heat
    • Do not over-water, it can harm plants just as much as not watering enough
    • Use mulch to prevent evaporation of water near plants, and to keep weeds away
    • Keep the yard properly maintained and the soil healthy with fertilizers

Pool:

• Use a pool cover when the pool is not in use; this can save 30% to 50% of water which is wasted through evaporation
• Keep the pool temperature a few degrees lower, the higher the temperature of the water the more evaporation occurs
• Plant a windbreak of tall foliage to prevent wind from whipping water out of the pool
• Check and fix leaks regularly
• Clean pool and pool filters regularly to prevent backwash

Whether indoors or outdoors, water saving in new homes is quite easy, and while some options mean spending some money initially, the long-term savings on water month over month and year over year are quite significant and worthwhile indeed.  If you would like any explanations of these strategies please contact Ace Pelizon Plumbing.