Low-flow plumbing might not seem like an important enhancement. However, considering that homeowners use showers, toilets, and faucets several times every day, upgrading makes sense.
Now, the question is, what makes these low-flow plumbing faucets and bathroom fixtures so worthy? Well, they will lower your water bill, and at the same time, help you conserve water to save Mother Earth.
According to some estimations, it takes about a year or less to pay off the cost of installing low-flow faucets and showerheads.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if every American changed to low-flow bathroom fixtures, the country would save $8 billion on the cost of water per year. Those who are considering a change to low-flow models must also consider the cost of heating water. As hot water needs electricity or even natural gas, this adds to the energy bill. The low-flow equipment, primarily the showerheads, can help in decreasing the extra cost of energy because they make use of less hot water.
You might think of bathroom fixtures as something you select from an aesthetic point of view rather than an economic one. The price might be important for most people, but water conservation (Why Water Conservation Is Important) is not their first concern.
Low-flow faucets or fixtures are the latest toilets, showerheads, or faucets that use less water compared to their old-fashioned equivalents. When you switch to a low-flow fixture, it helps you save water, money, and energy. Remember that water is one of the essential elements, and water volume is going down day by day. The next world war is said to be fought on water.
Low-flow faucets and fixtures are now available in several colors as well as styles. Here is the reason you should opt for low-flow plumbing equipment from toilets to showerheads.
The Benefits You Get When You Install Low-Flow Fixtures
- Reduced water waste: Low-flow bathroom fixtures are specially designed to cut down water waste. An average low-flow fixture ejects around half a gallon less water per minute than the standard fixture. And with time, you can save more than 1000 gallons of water every year.
- Energy-saving: The less water you use, the less energy you need to heat it. For example, if you are keen on hot showers, then electricity must heat the water. But if your water use is less than the electricity required to heat it, less water is also less. Not only that, but the use of water heater is also less which in turn enhances its life span.
- Decreases your utility bills: As you might know by now, low-flow fixtures allow you to make use of less electricity as well as less water, thereby decreasing your utility bills. So, doesn’t it save your money also?
How Much Water Do Low-Flow Bathroom Fixtures Save?
- Low-flow faucets: A standard flow faucet makes use of about 2.2 gallons of water per minute. When you switch to a low-flow tap, you only use 1.5 gallons of water every minute. It also decreases the sink water flow by about 30% or more.
- Low-flow toilets: While standard toilets use 1.6 gallons of water per flush, low-flow toilet fixtures use only 1.28 gallons per flush.
- Low-flow showerheads: A standard showerhead uses 2.5 gallons of water in a minute, but low-flow showerheads use no more than 2.0 gallons of water per minute.
If you have checked out your tap and fixture aisle in your home improvement store recently, you might have seen some showerheads, sink taps, and bogs labeled low-flow, along with an added claim of lower water consumption.
Low-flow mainly refers to fixtures that make use of less water to perform regular functions, such as showering, washing your palms, and flushing the bathroom.
In some cases, the low-flow bathroom fixtures can also cut back water use by as much as 60% compared to the regular fixtures.
This is why many states have now strictly enacted low-flow fixture laws, and if you are living in any of these states, you do not have any option other than a low-flow fixture. It is because the retailers are banned from making and promoting traditional fixtures.
Here Are Five Important Things You Should Know About the Low-Flow Faucets and Fixtures
1) Less water does not always mean less stress: Indeed, low-flow sink taps do not have any major problems, but some believe that this type of showerhead has poor water pressure and thus results in an unsatisfying shower.
A reduction in water use is inevitable, which is the aim of low-flow plumbing equipment, but in any case, you will most likely be pleased to find out that most low-flow showerheads can offer a revitalizing blast. There are mainly two types of water-saving showerheads: aerating and laminar, which produce very satisfying showers, thereby reducing wastewater.
- Aerating: An aerating showerhead functions by forcing the water through small holes in the display that offers air to the water and yields a beneficial and vigorous spray. But it decreases the total quantity of water that a showerhead emits. It enhances the pressure of the water stream.
An aerating showerhead emits a revitalizing spray compared to needles of water and generates a steamy bath pattern. Because of this, the air is mixed with the water, which lowers the water temperature, and you might end up using some extra sizzling water to take care of the temperature change.
- Laminar: Often called a consistent stream of non-turbulent water, laminar technology does not mix the air into the stream of water. Because of this, you will not get the sharp needles of an aerating shower head. Rather, a laminar showerhead and faucet dispense the water into an individual stream. Most of the time, they come up with adjustable features that help the user select a gentle spray or a strong massaging action.
Laminar technology is also used in rain-type showerheads for a mild soaking that most people find soothing. This kind of showerhead will never produce the amount of steam that the aerating mode does, which is a benefit for poorly ventilated bathrooms. It is because excess steam can cause damage to the paint, cabinet, and wallboard.
2) Low-flow fixtures save a lot of water: A standard toilet often wastes a lot of water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, old toilets can waste up to 2 gallons of water per flush. Low-flow models use less than 1.5 gallons per flush.
Early models of low-flow toilets, which, as crafted on the same gravity flow principle, hold less water, could not offer enough water pressure to flush out the contents from the content bowl. In these toilets, clogs were very common, and people had to plunge the toilets very frequently.
But present-day low-flow fixtures and faucets have been greatly improved. Two kinds are available. One that has a streamlined gravity flow design that reduces clogging, and another with a jet-like flush that has pressure assistance technology to produce a free of clogs.
- Gravity flow models: They function by introducing a large amount of water into the toilet bowl until the water pressure is sufficient for pushing the bowl contents downward through a curve trap below the bowl. This functions well but needs a lot of water.
Recent gravity flow toilets feature a revised trap design that does not need as much water pressure before the bowl contents get drained. This new kind of design generates a siphoning effect which means that when the water starts draining through the trap, it will carry on without requiring extra water.
- Pressure assisted models: If you have ever used a restroom in public places such as a mall, then you might have seen a pressure-assisted toilet. When the handle is pressed, water rushes out with force into the toilet bowl, and the bowl contents flush away rapidly. A pressurized water tank creates the water force, and this kind of toilet is usually marketed as a jet flush toilet. In the beginning, it was mainly used in public bathrooms, but now residential models are also available.
3) Standard faucets and fixtures are very rigorous: The EPA has set some high standards for defining what qualifies as a low-flow fixture or faucet. If the product meets the water reduction standards at the time of testing, it can only earn the WaterSense label. Products that claim to decrease water usage but have not acquired the WaterSense label may not be that water-efficient. To obtain the WaterSense designation, the individual models must meet the following criteria:
- A low-flowing showerhead should not exceed a maximum of 2.5 gallons of water per minute.
- A low-flow sink faucet should not exceed a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute.
- A low-flow faucet and fixture should not use more than 1.5 gallons per flush.
4) The conservation of water is higher and so are your savings: Based on your water-using habits and your family size, you can save a lot of water as well as money by installing low-flow faucets and fixtures. When you switch to low-flow plumbing equipment, it will rapidly pay off, but the best reason to replace them is for the environment. That is, it will help conserve a lot of water. About 71 % of the planet is water, but only 3% is freshwater, and only 0.5% is suitable for drinking. Thus, we must lessen the amount of wasteful water consumption.
When you replace your old faucets and fixtures with low-flow ones, you will conserve:
- About 4 gallons of water or more based on the length of your shower. This means you will save about 1460 gallons of water every year per family member.
- Seven hundred gallons of water every year just by changing to low-flow faucets.
- Up to 13,000 gallons of water every year by replacing a standard toilet with a low-flow toilet model.
5) Low-flow plumbing manufacturers consistently enhance their products: The manufacturers of low-flow faucets and bathroom fixtures are constantly working on developing models to decrease the common issues in association with the decreased usage of water. When you are researching the low-flow fixtures for your house, try to take into consideration the following factors:
- Avoid flushing twice by choosing a dual-flush toilet that has two flush buttons. While one button releases 1.5 gallons of water that is best for flushing out solid waste, the second button flushes 0.9 gallons of water, used for flushing out liquids.
- To obtain maximum pressure from a low-flow showerhead (What Is a Low-Flow Showerhead), please consider one that can be easily positioned in the holder for all-around showering and can be handheld to lead to a stronger spray right when you need it. A low-flow showerhead that is easily adjustable uses just 1.5 gallons of water per minute and can easily be set to a revitalizing spray or even a vigorous massaging action.
- If you are not ready to replace your existing sink faucets, but you want to save more water, you can add an aerator to the already existing faucet. Such devices, which are screwed to the end of the faucet, can help decrease the water flow of the faucet, which is the same as installing a new low-flowing faucet.
- The add-on aerators help reduce the water flow of the sink up to 1.5 gallons per minute, thereby offering some low-flow benefits.
Thus, with so many benefits of low-flow faucets and fixtures, you should not delay replacing your old ones with a new low-flow system.