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A Guide to Eco-Friendly Plumbing Practices for Earth Day

Go Green with These Eco-Friendly Plumbing Tips

Earth Day is all about making changes that lessen the impacts of human activity on nature. Plumbing is a great example of something essential to human flourishing, but that can damage the environment. It is in everyone’s best interest to try and reduce the impact we have on the environment. This year, celebrate Earth Day by taking a moment to consider small changes that can be made to a home’s plumbing that will have a big impact on the Earth. 

Save Water with Water-Saving Appliancestoilets

Water conservation is important because freshwater resources are limited, and making water safe for human consumption is energy-intensive. Saving water helps on several fronts in the fight to protect nature. To save water, look for opportunities like:
  • Installing Touchless Faucets: Touchless faucets are low-flow faucets that use less water. Most also have built-in timers to shut off if someone forgets to turn the water off. 
  • Using Shower Timers: 17% of the nation’s water usage goes to showering. By using a shower timer, homes can reduce their water usage by up to 15,000 gallons per year. 
  • Install Eco-Friendly Toilets: These toilets use less water to flush liquid waste and more to flush solid waste. This simple change saves up to 50% of the water that would otherwise be flushed. 

 

water heater

Don’t Forget About Energy-Efficiency 

When it comes to energy efficiency, there is a lot of talk about the differences between electric and gas-powered devices, particularly water heaters. One of the things that these discussions fail to take into account is that most homes are only designed around one utility or the other. The environmental cost to switch utilities is not worth it and only adds to the carbon footprint.

Which utility is the best to power water heaters? The answer is to find the most efficient model available with the utility that is already in use. Even natural gas water heaters can reach efficiencies above 95%. Tankless water heaters are a great choice for added energy savings and can run on both electricity and natural gas. 

 

Picking the Right Piping

Technology is constantly making strides that increase the reliability of utilities and structures and reduce the energy input for their production. PEX is an important technological stride in the plumbing industry. 

PEX piping is made of plastics with a life expectancy nearing 100 years. While the plastics are made from byproducts of fossil fuels production, the carbon footprint of PEX is offset by the long-lasting service they provide. In addition to longevity, PEX lowers its footprint by making installation easy and using fewer fittings. While some may argue that copper piping is better for hot water lines, PEX can be insulated, which performs just as well as copper piping. 

About Pride Plumbing 

Pride Plumbing has been the trusted choice for the residents of Mt. Gilead since 1965. They offer upfront pricing, fast turnarounds, and 24/7 live help to give customers peace of mind during a plumbing emergency. Call them today for plumbing services in Mt. Gilead, NC.