What is Eco-Friendly Plumbing?

Homeowners are increasingly concerned about their effects on the environment.

As the head of a home, you've likely adopted a handful of eco-friendly approaches, from switching to LED lighting to installing LEED certified appliances or just recycling whenever possible.

But you can't forget about your home's plumbing if you're truly attempting to become an eco-friendly household. There are many green plumbing solutions to consider.

Eco-friendly plumbing

There are many benefits when you switch to environmentally-friendly plumbing solutions. Roto-Rooter is a leader in green plumbing initiatives through its ROTOGreen program. We’ve outlined many ways to help homes and businesses save money, reduce wastewater and energy use while still getting high-caliber plumbing performance.

You may even be surprised at the simplicity of switching to eco-friendly plumbing solutions.

Plumbing

The first step in reducing your carbon footprint is to look at the existing water pipes. In order to minimize waste and leaks, you want to ensure pipes are the correct size. Additionally, the materials matter.

Steel pipes are durable and are able to hold heat well, which is a trait that comes in handy during the winter. PEX pipes, which is perhaps the most significant revolution in home plumbing since the toilet, is also well-suited to maintain heat.

If pipe replacement isn't a viable option, you can reduce heat loss by installing pipe insulators around copper or plastic piping.

Head outdoors

You shouldn't just focus on the indoors in your effort to move to eco-friendly plumbing. Outdoor plumbing uses just as much water.

You'll want to develop a water system to keep your plants and grass healthy without wasting water. And in some parts of the country, drip water systems are more suitable than systems normally found in houses. Timers fit easily over outside hose bibs to allow you to easily control lawn watering without being wasteful. And you can install rain barrels to catch water runoff from your roof gutters and use the water in your garden.

Start replacing

Indoors, focus your attention on sinks, showerheads and toilets throughout your home.

Eco-friendly toilets are becoming cheaper by the day. Newer models are available in dual-flush varieties and ultra efficient models use just 1.28 gallons of water per flush. You can expect to reduce water consumption significantly by installing a new ultra-efficient toilet or installing dual-flush conversion kits to existing 1.6 GPF toilets.

Replacing showerheads and faucets will also reduce water consumption. You can find flow-optimized showerheads that reduce water flow, thus equaling less water usage.

The same technology is available in faucets. Keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to replace every fixture and toilet at once, but gradual improvements will immediately make an impact.

And don’t forget new including tankless water heaters, which use less electricity and gas than traditional water heaters.

Turning your home into an eco-friendly place is residence is easier than you may think. But if you encounter issues with plumbing or want expert advice, contact Roto-Rooter today.

What is Eco-Friendly Plumbing?