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Conserve Water and Energy with a Faucet Aerator

energy efficiency

Conserve Water and Energy with a Faucet Aerator Blog Feature

By: Ryan Litwiller on March 18th, 2016

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If your shower is an anticipated escape, a warm oasis after a long day on the job, anyone that suggests tweaking that routine is viewed with understandable skepticism.

But please hear us out.

A small change to your shower setup can save you a boatload of money, which in turn, can make your shower even more relaxing.

The solution? A low-flow shower head. This simple device can lower your water heating costs by using and wasting less hot water.

Water-saving shower heads retail for less $20 and can result in water savings of 25% – 60%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Install a low-flow aerator or flow restrictor on an existing shower head, and you’ll use less water when it seems like more, according to Consumers Energy.

Use less, feel more. Beautiful.

Some older shower heads have flow rates of 5.5 gallons per minute (gpm). However, current government regulations prevent shower head flow rates of more than 2.5 gpm, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Two types of water-saving shower heads dominate the market: aerating and laminar-flow.

“Aerating shower heads mix air with water, forming a misty spray,” the U.S. Department of Energy states. “Laminar-flow showerheads form individual streams of water.”

But don’t stop the savings with your shower.

A faucet aerator can be used in other locations as well - your kitchen, bathroom sink and downstairs wet bar.

The faucet aerator controls the maximum flow rate of a faucet. New kitchen faucets usually restrict flow rates to 2.2 gpm, while new bathroom faucets restrict flow rates from 1.5 gpm to 0.5 gpm. To save significant money, find aerators with flow rates of less than 1.0 gpm, according the U.S. Department of Energy.

Whether you upgrade your home with a low-flow shower head or a faucet aerator, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends you look for products with the WaterSense label. The average family can save 2,900 gallons per year with a water-saving shower head and 700 gallons of water per year with a faucet aerator, the EPA reports.

So before you take your next shower, take a few minutes to save.

Low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators are perfect for the less-than-handy homeowners, the ones that just want to come home and relax, not work.

You simply screw them in.

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