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Water conservation doesn’t only help us with reducing our utility bills. Conserving the amount of water and energy usage at home also helps the environment.

Below are some effective water conservation tips every homeowner must know. If you need help with anything water-related, hire a plumber in Arlington, TX. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth offers repairs, installations and maintenance of your plumbing systems.

Saving Water Using the Dishwasher

Knowing how to properly load a dishwasher lets you clean your dishes well and save more on energy and water. You can significantly reduce water consumption and energy usage, and also improve its efficiency.

1. Consider running your appliances during the night, when the demand for electricity is low. Avoiding peak hours lets you save more on energy.
2. There is no need to pre-rinse your dishes. Just do make sure you scrape off food in your dishes. Another reason not to pre-rinse is the detergent could leave residue on them especially when there is no food to cling to. Contact a plumber if you are having problems with your drain due to the dishwasher or you could contact the manufacturer when the motor is damaged.
3. It would be best to run the dishwasher only on full loads so you do not waste energy and water. If you only have a few dishes to wash at night, you could either wash these by hand instead or wait when there are other dishes to wash. Remember that the dishwasher uses the same amount of water albeit on full or on half load.

Also, do not overload your dishwasher or you could damage not just your dishes but the machine as well. Overloading the dishwasher could also mean that your dishes will not be properly washed. This could lead to another cycle, which means more energy and water usage.

4. After every wash, ensure that there are no particles and even dishes stuck from the previous washes. Always check the bottom of your dishwasher, especially near the drain. When something is stuck, it could damage your appliance. Forks or spoons may damage your dishwasher’s motor too so make sure you check for these after every wash. Call a plumber for assistance if you encounter a problem with your dishwasher.
5. All the dishes must be separate from one another. It should maintain a good distance inside the dishwasher to effectively clean the dishes. When they are too close, your dishes may not be properly cleaned and you will have to run another cycle and waste a few more gallons of water and energy. Doing this also avoids your dishes from banging together which could eventually damage it.
6. The central water sprayer is usually found at the bottom of your dishwasher. Place the dirtiest dishes toward the sprayer to ensure better cleaning and avoiding another cycle. Also, the larger items must be placed on the sides so you can save space and be able to clean all of your dishes in just one cycle.
7. For your utensils, you can clean them better by positioning the handles down. Should you still have space for knives, do position them with the handles up to avoid cutting yourself.
8. If you do not own a smart dishwasher, you may consume even more water. Always opt for a dishwasher with a good Energy Star rating when buying one. A high-efficient dishwasher uses only 3.5 gallons of water per cycle as opposed to the 6 gallons by a regular dishwasher. This means you save more water and energy needed to run it. This could immensely help you save more energy and water. For dishwasher installation, only work with a licensed plumber to avoid improper plumbing installation of your appliance. Do not attempt a DIY if you do not really know what you are doing. For the safety of your appliance, always hire a professional plumber instead.
9. Do regular maintenance of your dishwasher especially after months of cleaning as they can also get dirty. They may not effectively clean your dishes in just one cycle when they are not maintained. Contact a plumber in Arlington, TX if you need help with this. A professional plumber should be able to assist you with maintenance.
10. You do not have to run your dishwasher every night. When you drink from the same cup or glass, just do a quick rinse for them to be ready for another drink of water or soft drink. This way you won’t fully load your dishwasher with a lot of glasses and won’t have to run it as often.

Water Savings in the Bathroom and Laundry

11. Consider taking shorter showers. The average flow rate of each shower is about 2 gallons per minute. When you shower for about 8 minutes, you use up about 16 gallons of water each day. When you shower every day, that is about 5,840 at 365 days a year. Even cutting a minute or two minutes of your shower would save you hundreds of gallons of water annually.
12. Another effective tip for saving water is to turn off your shower when you are shampooing your hair. Make sure you educate the people in your home about this as a combined effort can immensely help you with your water savings.
13. Contact a plumber in Arlington, TX for a low-flow showerhead installation. High-efficient fixtures can immensely help you save thousands of gallons of water over the lifetime of the appliance or the fixture. Talk to a plumber about installing either the laminar-flow shower heads or the aerating shower heads. Both let you save more water in the bathroom.
14. Always opt for the shower than the bath. A bathtub uses up more gallons of water. You can greatly reduce this by taking a shower instead. Also, should you decide to install a bathtub for your home, do not choose a large bathtub. Opt for something that is just enough for one person.
15. Hire a plumber in Arlington, TX for a smart water heater installation for your home. With a smart heater, you are able to monitor your water usage to help you with your energy-saving objectives. This also comes with advanced features such as wireless connection to help you check the status of your heater and even let you set schedules. In addition, it can also alert you when there are leaks or a malfunction in your heater.
16. Use cold water when washing your clothes as it is just as efficient as hot water. Cold water does not just help you save on your energy bills, but it can also protect your clothes from wear and tear.
17. Call a plumber in Arlington, TX to help you with the installation of a high-efficiency top-load washer. This energy-efficient washing machine uses a wash plate for tossing clothes and is very effective at cleaning. Also, they use less electricity cutting your energy usage.
18. Ditch your old washing machine and get a new one. Older washing machines use up to 40 gallons of water per load while the new washing machine especially the high-efficient model uses an average of 23 gallons per load. They are also more efficient in cleaning your clothes. You could save thousands of gallons per year when you switch to the newer model. Think Energy Star as they use less water than other models. Always hire the services of a professional plumber in Arlington, TX to ensure proper installation of your appliance.
19. Always opt for the high spin cycle as this can reduce the amount of water that your clothing retains. At the same time, you save more energy for your dryer. It would be better if you use clotheslines too so you can save more energy.
20. Wash on a full load as much as possible to save on water and energy. Should you decide to wash only a few dishes, do make sure that you choose the appropriate setting for your washer. Otherwise, you waste more water and energy.

More Tips to Save Water at Home

21. Talk to your children about the importance of reducing water consumption and energy usage not just to save on electricity bills but also because it’s beneficial for the environment. Tell them to not use the faucet when they are brushing their teeth or doing the dishes to save more water. Encourage them to always let you know if they suspect leaks in your plumbing or when the toilet runs. Most importantly, ask them to shorten their showers to contribute to reducing water consumption in your homes. Hire a plumber in Arlington, TX to help you fix leaks in your plumbing system.
22. Water your lawn only when you have to and in the early morning when it’s not too hot yet so the water soaks into the ground. Watering your plants at midday or when it’s so hot may only be useful as the water will just evaporate. Better yet, get someone to help you install a rain barrel and use rainwater for your plants.
23. For car washing, it’s better to visit a car wash to conserve more water. Should you decide to wash it yourself, never use a running hose as that will only consume more water. Use a bucket.
24. Fix leaky faucets. You could lose hundreds of gallons of water when you neglect the leak in your faucets. It will add apps the longer it stays unresolved. As much as possible, call a plumber in Arlington, TX so they can help you fix the leak. You can also do it yourself but make sure that you are very familiar with how to fix a leaky faucet. Otherwise, get help from a professional.
25. Consider using rock gardens for your plantless landscaping. this way you wouldn’t use much water for watering your plants. If you have plants, do install a timer for your sprinklers to avoid wasting more water.
26. By leaving your swimming pool uncovered, you could lose a few inches of water a week by evaporation. You can avoid this when you cover your swimming pool when it’s not in use.

A Plumber Installing a Water Softener for your Home

27. When it comes to your home appliances, using hard water can leave mineral deposits that may build up. When it builds up in your water heater, it will use up more energy for heating. Hard water could also damage your pipes, motors and pumps.
28. Iron deposits can also stain your bathroom or kitchen fixtures. Washing dishes with hard water will have water spots. This could result in more washing. Hard water doesn’t work well with soap too. This means rinsing will even take longer.

Installing a water softener has a lot of benefits. Some of them include:

• Softer clothes and cleaner dishes
• Shiny sinks, toilets and tubs
• Shiny and clean hair
• Lower maintenance cost for your appliance
• Longer lifespan for most of your appliances such as the washing machine and dishwasher
  Lower energy

If you decide to install a water softener, always hire the services of a plumber to ensure proper installation.

You Can Rely on Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth for your Plumbing Needs

Good habits will go a long way and it will have a profound effect on your water and energy conservation efforts. Take advantage of the tips above and gradually see a decrease in your utility bills.

Do you need a plumber in Arlington, TX? Our plumbers at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing are licensed and experienced professionals specializing in plumbing repairs, maintenance and installations. We work with water heaters, water softeners, drain, sump pumps and other plumbing fixtures and appliances. Rest assured, we will do the best that we can to effectively resolve your plumbing issues.

Contact a plumber today for assistance!