Green Plumbing Defined

What can I do to make my washer and dryer more efficient?

The most important thing to make a washer and dryer run efficiently is to run full loads in them, so that you're not wasting energy and wasting water. Another thing, especially with the dryer, is to make sure your lint-catcher is free and also that the exhaust is free from trapped lint. That'll make it operate more efficiently and allow the water to be removed from the clothes more effectively. In addition, you could consider whether you even need to use your dryer, especially during warm weather, and that depends on the climate where you live.

What can I do to make my dishwasher more efficient?

To make a dishwasher run more efficiently it's good to run it completely full. Another way to reduce the electric usage is to turn off the heated dry option, and you can also run it on a shorter cycle if your dishes aren't extremely dirty.

If I have an older toilet, what can I do to make it more efficient?

For an older toilet, the most important thing is to make sure that it's not leaking from the tank into the bowl. The way you can test for that is by putting food coloring into the tank and seeing if that color comes out into the bowl. If that's the case, you can replace the flapper valve relatively easily and reduce water that way. Another popular thing that is not a good idea is to put a brick into the tank. Over time, that brick can degrade and actually cause problems for your toilet. A better option that produces the same effect is to put a bag of water in there. As long it doesn't interfere with the moving parts of the toilet, the water in the bag will displace some of the water in the tank and allow it to use less per flush.

What is 'an ultra low-flow toilet'?

An ultra low flush toilet uses less water per flush through a more efficient design. Older toilets used up to 7 gallons per flush, and an ultra low flush toilet, which is the standard one sold in most communities now, uses 1.6 gallons per flush. There are even more efficient toilets that use down to half a gallon per flush. Those are just now coming on the market and being available for residential use.

What is a 'dual flush toilet'?

A dual flush toilet has two buttons. One that will use less water depending on what you're flushing. For when solids are involved, it uses 1.6 gallons to flush and about a half of that volume when only liquids are involved.

What is a 'faucet aerator'?

A faucet aerator attaches to the outlet of the faucet and introduces air into the flow of water coming out of the faucet. That makes it seem like more water is coming out, but it's actually using less water.