Bet you never thought of making your bathroom into a more efficient room. However, making the bathroom more energy efficient is a good way to reduce your energy and water bills. The average bathroom uses a lot of different resources in your home. Below we look at five of the resource hogs in your bathroom and how to fix them.
· The Toilet - Many toilets are currently using almost two times as much water than is necessary every single time they’re flushed. Ask for low-flush toilets when replacing your toilet as these use much less water per flush. When you have an efficient toilet, you not only save water, you save money.
· The Shower and Tub - The first thing to do is to check whether you have a low-flow showerhead. The rate of flow should be around 2.5 gallons every minute according to federal regulations. Since people have different taste and requirements, an even slower flow rate may work well.
· The Sink - Do you have a tap or faucet that you can adjust to allow you to control the flow rate? If not, it is time to think about replacing your current faucets in your kitchen and bathroom with a more water-efficient one. Your plumber or building contractor can help you find the right type based on your needs. The best types not only help you to save water but also energy – all this means money in your pocket. Best of all, you will be playing a part in protecting the environment.
· Heating - With all the changes taking place in the industry, water heaters are becoming efficient every day. On demand water heaters that only heat the water when it is being used are good, but the location of the heater from the pipe is also important. The closer to the water supply the better. Solar water heaters are also worth exploring. Talk to your plumber to help you find the most efficient type of water heaters based on your family size.
· The Type of Devices - Battery or electrically powered devices that we use in the bathroom can be timesavers, but when not used properly can be inefficient. So don’t leave these devices such as toothbrushes, blow-dryers and shears plugged in when not in use. Also, fully charge what needs to be charged and use rechargeable batteries as much as possible.
There are other things that you can do to improve the efficiency of your bathroom such as using energy efficient bulbs. The placement of the bulbs is also important as this can reduce the number of lighting fixtures you need. @Design Remodel specializes in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, but we also enjoy whole home remodeling projects involving historic homes and other projects as well. Give us a call at 508-684-5644 if you are in the Cape Cod area and would like to schedule an appointment for a design consultation for your upcoming bathroom remodeling project.