Get Informed on Ways to Go Green

How to Make Your Home Energy Efficient this Spring

Spring is the time of year we like to change, and try to save money. After months of cold weather, the influx of chirping birds, blossoming trees, and longer days are a welcome change outside the home.

However, spring can also be a time of change inside the home. It is the perfect time to make your plumbing more efficient.

Here are some helpful suggestions:

Replace Shower-heads and Faucets

Changing old shower-heads to performance shower-heads is an easy way to save energy and money. Standard shower-heads use 30 percent more water than their eco-friendly counterparts.

Think replacing shower-heads means sacrificing the quality of your shower? Chances are you won’t notice because performance shower-heads are designed to effectively use water.

Similarly, water-saving faucets keep strong water pressure while using fewer gallons of water each minute. Switching faucets saves just under one gallon per minute.

Have Plumber Install Pressure-Reducing Valves

The water blasting out of your shower-heads and faucets actually has more pressure than necessary. Most homes have water pressure over 70 psi, but home will work fine with pressure at 35 psi. Having a local plumber install a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) will improve efficiency in your home.

Upgrade Water Heater

Heating the water in your home accounts for roughly a quarter of your home’s annual energy use. So, it makes sense to upgrade your water heater. There are a variety of choices.

High-efficiency on-demand water heaters fire only when you need hot water. Another option is a re-circulating hot water system, which allows the tank to deliver warm water faster.

A third option is a tankless water heater, which heats water as it flows through the device rather than storing it in a tank. Tankless water heaters are becoming increasingly popular with homeowners.

Because there are so many options, your best bet is to talk to a plumber to help determine what best suits your needs.

Change to High-Efficiency Toilets

One of the main culprits in wasting water is the toilet. Nearly 40 percent of American homes still have toilets that use 3.5 gallons of water per flush.

According to federal regulations, newly installed toilets cannot use more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Better still are high-efficiency toilets (HET), which only use 1.28 gallons per flush.

With the help of a plumber, these steps will save you time, money, and energy.

Interested in going green? Call Latta Plumbing at 205-631-6445 to make your Birmingham home more energy efficient today.