While a bathroom renovation is primarily a chance to update the look of the space, it’s also a chance to make improvements that will make your bathroom more environmentally friendly. Among these improvements are changes made to reduce water waste.
Since water is a finite resource, anything you can do to reduce how much you use is a great way to help the planet. Plus, by using less water, you will save money on your water bill. To provide some inspiration for your upcoming project, here are four ways to renovate your bathroom to reduce water waste.
Install an Under-Sink Water Heater
If you enjoy washing your hands with warm water, you know how frustrating it can be to wait while the hot water makes its way to the faucet. In addition to being time-wasting, this process is water-wasting, as well. By installing an under-sink water heater, though, you can fix both problems quickly and easily.
An under-sink water heater is a small water heater that is located in your vanity. Since there’s very little piping between the water heater and the faucet, hot water arrives at the sink almost instantly. This saves the water that would otherwise be wasted while waiting for the water to change temperatures.
Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
As part of your bathroom renovation, you’ll likely want a remodeling company to install a new showerhead. This new bathroom fixture can help save water in two ways. First, by upgrading to a new model, you avoid the problems that often accompany old showerheads, including leaks, rust, and blockages.
Additionally, you can purchase a low-flow showerhead that uses less water per minute than a standard showerhead. Thus, over the course of a shower, you save several gallons of water. Talk to a remodeling company like Bath Company to learn more about your bathroom remodel options.
Install a Towel Rack
Another simple way to reduce water waste by renovating your bathroom is to install one or more towel racks. Towel racks provide a convenient place to efficiently dry towels between baths or showers, meaning that your towels won’t need to be washed after every use. By reducing the number of times that you wash your bath towels in a year, you will be in for some major water savings.
Install a Low-Flow Toilet
When it comes to water users in your bathroom, there’s no fixture that uses water more frequently than your toilet. Therefore, if you can reduce the amount of water that your toilet uses, you’ll be well on your way to saving a serious amount of water.
Newer toilets are designed to use 1.25 gallons of water-per-flush or less, which is quite a reduction compared to the old 1.6-gallon standard. Especially if you have a large family, these savings can add up to hundreds or even thousands of gallons of water a year.
Consider Your Materials
As you renovate your bathroom, it’s important to consider not just the immediate water use in your bathroom, but the water use represented by the entire production process of each of the materials you use, as well.
It’s a good idea, then, to try and purchase materials that are eco-friendly and whose production is rated to use a minimal amount of water. By seeing the big picture, you’ll be able to have a truly water-saving renovation.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
