New Appliances Means More Water Savings

Appliances in Your Home that Waste Water

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the average American home uses over 100,000 gallons of water every year. However, many homes use much more than this due to inefficient appliances. Below introduces the three appliances in your San Jose home that waste the most water.

Washing Machine

Depending on usage, washing machines use between 20 to 30 gallons of water per day. In addition to this, the average American family of four will run between 300 to 400 loads of wash per year.

Older washing machines use between 35 to 45 gallons of water per load. Therefore, washing machines consume large amounts of water.

In addition to this, the washing process creates gray water, which is non-toilet water that drains away from a property.

The good news is that newer, efficient models only use between 15 to 25 gallons per wash. Be sure to only run a full load of wash, even if the washing machine has adjustable settings.

Dishwashers Could Be the Culprit

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, newer dishwashers use between three to five gallons, while older models use up to 15 gallons. Even worse, hand washing dishes uses up to eight gallons.

Older dishwashers are not efficient as new models, which rely on hotter water to clean, instead of more water. Newer models also have adjustable wash cycles and temperatures. As with washing machines, be sure to only run full loads.

Showers and Baths

Showers and baths make up roughly 15 to 25 percent of indoor water usage. Pre-1992 shower heads were manufactured with a flow rate of about 5.5 gallons per minute (gpm). However, all newer models have a 2.5 gpm flow rate.

Any pre-1992 shower head model will obviously waste water. While the average shower time is between 10 to 15 minutes, water is often wasted from long showers. Be sure to install a water efficient shower head and avoid taking showers over 10 minutes.

To summarize, the washing machine, dishwasher and shower are the appliances that use the most water. Consider upgrading your San Jose home equipment to new efficient models. Remember that saving water will save you money in the long run. Learn more water saving tips from Energy.gov.

Now more than ever, conservation doesn’t require a lifestyle change! Call the professionals of Genmor Plumbing Inc. at 408-215-4612 to see how easy it is to conserve water in your San Jose, CA home.