Water Conservation in the Home

Transcription

1 Water Conservation in the Home Janie L. Harris, M.Ed., CRS Extension Housing and Environment Specialist Family and Consumer Sciences phone: fax:

2 Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home A typical family uses gallons of water per person per day. That s gallons for a family of four for one day. As our population increases, increases in the amount of water used has overburdened municipal and private sewage treatment systems in many areas. Show visual: Picture of 300 gallons of water In other areas, water is becoming a scarce commodity. There is actually a limit on the amount of water that is available for our use. In some areas, the cost for water has increased drastically. How much are you willing to pay for your water? To get a better understanding of how do we use water inside the home, let s play a game to see just how much water you need in one day. Let s look at the amount and percentage of water used for different household activities by a typical family. Game: How much water do you use in one day? Show visual: Typical Single Family Home Use The largest water users are the shower, clothes washer and toilets, accounting for about two-thirds of the water used in an average household. Toilets use up to 27% of the household water supply while clothes washers use 20.9% and showers account for 17.3%. Faucets account for about 15.3% and leaks account for 13.8% of a family s water use. Dishwashers, baths, and other account for the remaining water use. As you can see, about 72.5 gallons of water are used by each family member each day. By implementing conservation practices and installing water conserving equipment, a family can reduce their water use per person per day to 49.6 gallons of water or less. Show visual: With Conservation Game 2: optional activity Page 1

3 Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home In order to conserve water in the home, we must THINK conservation, adjust current equipment for maximum efficiency, repair all leaks, install more efficient equipment, and even think of waterless ways to complete some tasks. Show visual: To Conserve Water in the Home 1. Think About It Change Behavior 2. Use equipment to maximize efficiency 3. Repair leaks 4. Install more efficient equipment 5. Use waterless ways to complete tasks Because such a huge percentage of the water we use is in the bathroom, that s where water conservation efforts inside the home might begin. The 1992 Energy Policy and Conservation Act sets limits on water and energy consumed by appliances and fixtures. It requires all shower heads, bathroom and kitchen faucets and replacement bathroom and kitchen aerators made after January 1, 1994 to have flow rates of 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) or lower. Show visual: 1992 Energy Policy and Conservation Act In newer homes, or homes where faucets, toilets, or shower heads have been replaced with water conserving plumbing fixtures, the focus might need to be on attitudes toward water conservation. Showers Older showers may use from 2 10 gallons of water per minute fully opened. Newer shower heads use about 2 3 gallons per minute. The shower heads designed to use less water differ in spray patterns, mounting and functions. Show a comparison of 1 gallon vs. 10 gallons that one would use per minute in shower. Many people step away from the water in the shower when shampooing or soaping. Many water saving shower heads come with a button to shut off the flow without changing the mix of hot and cold water. Simply taking shorter showers will reduce your use of water. Page 2

4 Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Taking short showers rather than a bath will reduce water usage. A four minute shower can use as little as 8 gallons of water, while a full bath requires gallons of water. Most low-flow shower heads offer selections for spray patterns. Others offer settings that provide a very low flow for shampooing. Show samples of various types of shower heads. Spray patterns vary from mist, sharp, wide, to massage or pulsating. Some are available on a flexible hose and can be mounted on a bracket attached to the pipe, allowing the shower head to be hand-held. Cost can range from $4 to $80. The payback depends on the size of your household and the number and length of showers. Toilets Under the new Federal standard for water use, new toilets must meet a 1.6 gallon water limit per flush. Old toilets, especially those more than years old, may use three or more gallons per flush. There are two types of toilets available pressure assisted and wash down or gravity-flush. The pressure-assisted toilets generally perform better than gravity-flush, but they are louder. The noise lasts about 10 seconds. The pressure-assisted toilets generally remove solid waste and limit odor and soil problems better than gravity flow models. Show visual: Show samples of water comparisons. 1.6 gallons vs. 5 gallons Discussion of types of toilets and pros and cons of new vs. old. Get pictures from Lowes, Home Depot, etc. that sell toilets. The most important feature is how the toilet performs in removing solid waste. If you have to flush the toilet two or three times to remove the waste, it is not going to save water. Toilets that have water fully covering most of the inner bowl are more likely to have less odor and soiling problems because they will submerge the waste completely. Gravity flow toilets tend to clean the bowl and wash down the bowl s walls during the flush, but may have poor rim wash-down. One technique to use with the water conserving gravity flow toilets is to hold the lever down for 5 seconds to allow the tank to empty enough water into the bowl. Page 3

5 Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home If your sewer drain system blocks often, have it cleaned out before you install a low-flow toilet. The toilet will function better if it has little resistence in the sewer drain line. If you have an older toilet, it will use three to seven gallons per flush. To reduce the amount of water in the tank, displace some of the water. A plastic bottle filled with water would be one example. Any object placed in the tank should not release or leak particles or materials into the tank. Never use a brick in the tank unless it is contained in a plastic bag. The object placed in the tank should not interfere with any of the mechanisms or tank operations. Other methods that can be used are devices purchased to go inside the toilet tank such as the toilet dam, early closure flapper or a dual flusher. The toilet dam partitions off a section of the tank. The early closure flapper seals the valve between the tank and toilet before the water has all drained from the tank. The dual flusher has two levers from which to choose. One lever provides a normal flush and the other a mini-flush for liquid waste. Show a brick sample and illustrate how the particles can be brushed off. Show a quart plastic bottle filled with water and show how it is smooth and that no particles can be brushed off into the tank. Show visual: Toilet dam Early closure flapper seal Dual flusher Adjusting the float in older models to shut off the fill at a lower tank level is another option. Lowering the flow in existing older toilets can affect their performance in moving solid waste from the bowl and through the drains. Always be sure that at least 3 gallons of water remain in the tank so it will flush properly. Avoid unnecessarily flushing your toilet. Never use it as a wastepaper basket to dispose of cigarette butts or tissue paper. Faucets and Pipes Faucet aerators restrict the amount of water going through your faucet by up to 50 percent, but add bubbles so the flow of water appears the same. Show visual: Comparison of water flow with and without aerator Devices to shut off automatically after a length of time are available. Faucets with motion sensors will reduce water use. Page 4

6 Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Leaky Faucets and Pipes and Toilets Leaking faucets and pipes are the other big culprit for consuming water. Leaking faucets can lose gallons of water, as much as 20 gallons or more per day. Show visual: Picture of a dripping faucet and/or a pipe joint leaking. Leaky pipes not only waste water, but damage wood and may create stains and rusting, resulting in loss of other types of resources. Leaky toilets, even though they may be silent, can waste many gallons of water per day. To find out if your toilet has leaks, put a little food coloring in the tank. If without flushing, color appears in the bowl, you have a leak that should be repaired. Clothes Washers The other big user of water in families is the clothes washer. The total water used in laundering one load of clothes ranges from 20 to 57 gallons. It is critical that you use the appropriate water level for the size load of laundry. This can insure the most efficient use of water if you cannot replace the washing machine. Show visual: Pictures of newer style front loading washers, Maytag Neptune Some machines have a suds-saver system. Hot, sudsy water is pumped into a storage tub and later returned to the washer with added hot water and detergent for a second use. Front-loading machines use less water to wash the same load than top-loading machines. Front-loading washers fill to just below the door opening. Textiles and items tumble in and out of the water for cleaning. Front-loading washers use less detergent, electricity and water (typically 20 to 28 gallons for front-loading model, compared to 45 gallons in a top-loading wash cycle). New high efficiency machines use percent less electricity, percent less water, and are reported to be more effective in cleaning action, according to studies by the US Department of Energy, and by water and waste-water utilities. Also up to 30 percent more water is removed in spinning, reducing the drying cycle and saving energy. Show visual: Energy Star Handout: Fact Sheet on Energy Star Appliances Page 5

7 Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Dishwashing Scrape dishes rather than rinse. If washing by hand, catch water in sink and rinse in sink rather than leave water running from tap. Wash full loads in the automatic dishwasher. Use appropriate cycle for type of cleaning needed. Cut down on the number of utensils used in food preparation and serving. Show visual: Table that shows Hand washing dishes with tap running Hand washing dishes water-saver method Automatic dishwasher full load Behaviors That Affect Amount of Water Used Let s look at comparisons of water use when different practices are implemented. Brushing teeth can take up to 2 gallons of water if the tap is left running during the brushing versus 1 pint to wet brush, turn off faucet, and rinse briefly. Shaving can take up to 5 gallons if the tap is left running versus 1 gallon to fill basin, and then turn on faucet briefly to wet cloth to rinse at the end. Show visual: Brushing teeth Show visual: Shaving Can you think of other times and ways to conserve water in your home by simply changing the way you do things? We have talked a lot about REDUCING the amount of water used in a home by a family. Other ways to use our water more efficiently are to REUSE water that you use and to RECYCLE water that you use in your home. Let s discuss ways that we can reuse water in our daily activities: 1. Peel vegetables and place in a bowl of water to rinse. Use rinse water to water household plants. 2. Let small children use the same bath water. 3. Others Show visual: Water Conservation means only using as much water as is absolutely needed. Discussion: (write ideas on a flipchart...) Ways to reuse water: Page 6

8 Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home How are some ways to recycle water? 1. Septic system water can be used to surface irrigate landscape 2. Rainwater catchment for gray water use in the house 3. Rainwater catchment for watering landscape 4. Others What are you willing to do to insure a sufficient supply of quality water for future generations? What will you do to conserve water? Discussion: (write ideas on a flipchart...) Ways to recycle water: Evaluation Questionnaire Suggested follow-up educational programs: 1. How to repair a leaky faucet, a toilet, and leaking pipes htnavfiles/rightnavplumbing 2. Energy Star 3. Water Quality 4. Newspaper column and/or radio program on Water Conservation Tips 5. Texas Water Savers 6. Environmental Protection Agency Page 7

9 Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Resources: Web: Home A Syst An Environmental Risk-Assessment Guide for the Home, Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service, Ithaca, NY, (607) Water Conservation Checklist for the Home, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, B Homeowner s Guide to Water Use and Conservation, Texas Water Development Board. Forty-Nine Water Saving Tips, Texas Water Development Board. Saving Water Inside the Home, Texas Water Development Board. Home Water Quality Problems Causes and Treatments, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, L Home Water Treatment Systems, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, L Hard Water To Soften or Not to Soften, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, L Drinking Water and Health, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, B This educational program packet has been prepared by Janie L. Harris, M.Ed., CRS, Extension Housing and Environment specialist, Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System, September, Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating Page 8

10 300 Gallon Container Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 9

11 How Much Water Do You Use? Game 1 How many gallons of water do you use in one day? How much will it cost at $1.00/gallon? Activity Total gallons for activity for one day Cost Water to wash 1 load of clothes 55 gallons 3 toilet flushes 15 gallons Brushing teeth 3 gallons Shaving 4 gallons Shower 40 gallons ( 4 minutes) Tub bath 36 gallons Dishwashing by hand with tap running to rinse 20 gallons Automatic Dishwasher 15 gallons Other activities - car washing, etc. TOTALS Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 10

12 How Much Less Water Can You Use? Game 2 If you change some of your behavior, use your equipment efficiently, and install water saving equipment you may be able to complete your daily tasks using less water and therefore less cost. Activity Amount used with water-saver method Total gallons Total cost per day Shower 4 minute Tub bath Toilet flush 3 Brushing teeth Shaving Dishwashing Clothes Washer 1 load Automatic Dishwasher 2 5 gallons /minute gallons low level 1.6 gallons per flush 1 pint wet brush, turn off faucet, rinse with cup, rinse brush 1 gallon to fill basin, rinse briefly 6 gallons wash, rinse in pan or sink 28 gallons per load, front loading, regular wash Adjust water level to load size or wait for full load 5.5 to 20 gallons TOTALS Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 11

13 Game Instructions Game 1: How Much Water Do You Use? Handout to participants and ask them to get their total gallons used per day. Divide the number of loads of laundry per week by the number of family members and 7 days. Select the dishwashing method that they actually use. The gallons for dishwashing can be divided by the number of family members per day. Example: If there are 5 family members and the automatic dishwasher is run once a day, their apportionment is 4 gallons or if it is run twice a day, their portion is 8 gallons. Calculate a total amount of water and the cost of water used. Game 2: How Much Less Water Can You Use? This activity illustrates how a person can do more activities for the same amount of money, or do the same activities for less money when changing behavior, or installing water efficient equipment. Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 12

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17 Think About It! Waterless ways to complete tasks Use equipment to maximize efficiency Repair Leaks Install more efficient equipment Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 16

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19 One gallon water compared to 10 gallons used per minute in a shower VS Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 18

20 1.6 gallons VS 5 gallons Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 19

21 Toilet Displacement Devices Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 20

22 Without an Aerator With an Aerator Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 21

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24 Front Loading Washing Machine Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 23

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26 Water Use Equipment/Practice Shower Amount Used Ranges 2 to 10 gallons per minute (gpm) Amount Used with Water- Saver Method Estimates 2 to 5 gallons per minute Tub Bath 36 gallons full tub gallons low level Toilet Flush 3 to 7 gallons per flush or lowflush devices 1.5 to 5 gallons per flush using tank displacement Brushing Teeth 2 gallons tap running 1 pint to wet brush, turn off facet, rinse briefly Shaving 3 to 5 gallons tap running 1 gallon to fill basin, rinse briefly Dishwashing 20 gallons tap running 2 to 8 gallons to wash, rinse in pan or sink Clothes Washer 40 to 57 gallons per load, top 28 gallons per load, front loading, regular wash loading, regular wash. Set water level to size of load Automatic Dishwasher 15 gallons per full load 5.5 to 20 gallons per full load Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 25

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29 Water Conservation Questionnaire After attending the program on water conservation, please indicate what you plan to do in your home to reduce the amount of water you use. Action Not Likely Likely Will Do 1. Make an effort to conserve water by changing some of my activities. 2. Work with my household members to find ways to conserve water. 3. Do an inventory of all faucets and pipes and check for leaks. 4. Repair all leaks. 5. Check to see if shower head meets 1992 Energy Policy and Conservation Act mandates. 6. Purchase and install a new shower head to meet new flow restrictions. 7. Check to see if toilet is a low flush (1.6 gal. per flush). 8. Either purchase a new toilet or find ways to reduce flush volume if my current toilet is a 3.5 gal. per flush. 9. Install faucet aerators to reduce the flow of water from faucets. 10. Look for water saving equipment the next time I purchase a washing machine or dishwasher. 11. Reuse some of the water I use. 12. Investigate ways to recycle water that is used in the house. Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 28

30 Comments: Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating Don t Let the Faucet Run Dry Water Conservation in the Home Page 29

31 ENERGY STAR Appliances ENERGY STAR -labeled appliances save you money by using less electricity and water than other appliances. Better appliance energy efficiency comes from quality materials and technologically advanced materials. Although energy efficient models sometimes cost more to purchase initially, any extra up-front cost can often be made up with savings on your utility bill. One helpful way to figure out if buying an Energy Star appliance makes sense for you is to think of two price tags. The first price tag is the purchase price that you pay at the store when you buy the appliance. Some local utilities offer rebates on the purchase and installation of Energy Star rated appliances. If yours does, this would reduce the initial price. What is an Energy Star Appliance? The Energy Star may be found on clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, and room air conditioners. An appliance receives the Energy Star rating if it is significantly more energy efficient than the minimum government standards, as determined by standard testing procedures. The amount by which an appliance must exceed the minimum standards is different for each product rated, and depends on available technology. Energy Star rated products are always among the most efficient available today. The second price tag is the cost to operate the appliance over its lifetime. You pay to operate the appliance every month for as long as you own the appliance. You might be surprised to see how much it can cost to own an appliance that seems like a good deal up front. Energy Star Appliances 1 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

32 Energy Star Clothes Washer Energy Star clothes washers use superior designs that require less water to get clothes thoroughly clean. These machines use sensors to match the hot water needs to the load, preventing energy waste. There are two designs: top-loading and front-loading Both designs will get clothes cleaner and take better care of your fabrics, while using less water and energy than standard washing machines. Front-loading Energy Star models are similar in design to washers used in laundromats. These horizontal-axis or tumble-action machines repeatedly lift and drop clothes, instead of moving clothes around a central axis. What Does This Mean to You? Nearly 50 percent less water and 30% to 40% less energy used per load Washer design causes less wear and tear on clothes Bulky items such as blankets fit easily in the super capacity basket Better water extraction means less dryer time, for further energy savings A typical household does nearly 400 loads of laundry per year, using about 40 gallons of water per full load with a conventional washer. In contrast, a full-size Energy Star clothes washer uses 20 to 25 gallons per load. You could save as much as 7,000 gallons of water per year. And, you are saving all the energy that would have been needed to heat that water. This adds up to savings for you and a big boost for the environment. How Do I Choose the Right Washer? Energy Star clothes washers come in a range of capacities from about 1.6 cubic feet up to 2.9 cubic feet. A typical large-capacity washer, such as found in most households, is about 2.7 cubic feet. Top-loading Energy Star washers use sensor technology to closely control the incoming water temperature. To reduce water consumption, they spray clothes with repeated high-pressure rinses to remove soap residues rather than soaking them in a full tub of rinse water. Because washers are most efficient when they are fully loaded, you should choose a size that most closely matches your laundry needs. For a family that does a lot of laundry, one of the larger models probably makes the most sense. For an individual or couple who do less laundry, a small model will be the most economical. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 2 Energy Star Appliances

33 Some Energy Star models can be stacked or mounted under a countertop. This is a useful feature for people short on space, such as in an apartment dwellings. Check with the manufacturer to see which models are available in this configuration. Energy Star Refrigerators The refrigerator is the single biggest power consumer in most households. A typical refrigerator made around 1990 uses over 900 kilowatt hours per year that s the same amount of energy you would use by leaving a 1,250 watt hair dryer on for a month! And the older your refrigerator is, the more power it burns. Energy Star refrigerators incorporate a number of advanced features to save energy while keeping your food fresh. To make a better refrigerator, manufacturers use: Better insulation More efficient compressors Improved heat transfer surfaces More precise temperature and defrost mechanisms With improved insulation, the compressor needs to run less often. Since the compressor runs less often and therefore produces less heat while it is running, the kitchen remains cooler. This in turn reduces the need to air condition as much to maintain the same comfort level. Energy Star refrigerators must exceed minimum federal standards for energy consumption by at least 20%. Manual defrost refrigerators are not covered under the Energy Star program, but are generally more efficient than automatic defrost refrigerators. Proper maintenance of manual defrost refrigerators is necessary to realize the energy savings. The Department of Energy offers tips on buying refrigerators and lowering the energy usage of your refrigerator. Energy Star Dishwashers Energy Star dishwashers save by using both improved technology for the primary wash cycle, and by using less hot water to clean. Construction includes energy efficient motors, and other advanced technology such as sensors that determine the length of the washing cycle and the temperature of the water necessary to clean the dishes. A significant savings can be realized by minimizing the amount of hot water needed. Dishwashers use built-in electric heaters to heat water to a temperature hot enough to clean the dishes effectively. Energy Star dishwashers minimize the amount of water needed, saving the energy required to heat it in addition to other efficiencies. Energy Star Dishwashers must exceed minimum federal standards by at least 13%. Energy Star Appliances 3 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

34 Energy Star Room Air Conditioners Energy Star room air conditioners feature high-efficiency compressors, fan motors, and heat transfer surfaces. In an air conditioner, the air is cooled when it passes over the refrigerant coils which have fins, similar to an automobile radiator. The compressor sends the cooled refrigerant through the coils, and cools the air as it is forced over the coils. By using advanced heat transfer technologies, more of the heat from the air is transferred into the coils than in conventional models, saving energy required to compress the refrigerant. It is important to buy an air conditioner that is the correct size for the room. Air conditioners remove heat and humidity from the air. Humidity is removed when the air in a room passes over the cooling coils of an air conditioner. If the unit is too large, it will cool the room quickly, but only remove a portion of the humidity. This leaves the room with a damp, clammy feeling to the air, since the air will not have been circulated enough. A properly sized unit will remove humidity effectively as it cools. Running a smaller unit for a longer time will use less energy to completely condition a room than running a larger unit for a shorter time. What about Other Types of Appliances? Other appliance types are not currently covered by the Energy Star program. However, it is always important to consider energy efficiency when purchasing any appliance. The Department of Energy offers guidelines and tips on purchasing Clothes Dryers, Ovens and Ranges, and Water Heaters. Also, be sure to read the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) publication, Shopping for Home Appliances? Use the EnergyGuide Label, located on the FTC website at shopping-home-appliances-useenergyguide-label for general information about shopping for an efficient appliance. Where Can I Get Appliances? Energy Star appliances are carried by retailers nationwide. To see a list of all qualified products or to find specific models that qualify for the Energy Star rating go to Energy Star website at Adapted from Energy Star Appliances, Environmental Protection Agency, by Janie L. Harris, M.Ed., CRS, Extension Housing and Environment Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System, October Updated March Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 4 Energy Star Appliances