Water Efficient Fixtures

High efficiency showerheads are designed to give excellent showers with less water. They should not be confused with flow restrictors which result in poor shower performance. Older showerheads deliver 3.5 to 6 gallons of water per minute (gpm) and the newer efficient ones deliver 1 to 2.5 gpm. An easy way to determine your shower’s flow is to turn it on the way you normally would and hold a bucket marked in one gallon increments under the spray. If it takes less than 20 seconds to collect a gallon of water, you could benefit from a high efficiency showerhead. Low-flow showerheads are inexpensive, about $10 to $20, and can pay for themselves in just a few months when you consider that showers account for about 37% of your hot water usage.

Aerators and laminar faucets (which produce small parallel streams of water) are another option when buying energy efficient water fixtures for bathrooms and kitchens. In your bathroom, an aerator that delivers a 0.5 to 1 gallon per minute flow rate is sufficient for brushing teeth, washing and shaving. Kitchens, on the other hand, may require a flow rate of 2 to 4 gpm, depending on how you wash your dishes. If you generally fill your sink to wash dishes, choose the higher flow rate. If you wash your dishes under running water, the lower flow rate may be adequate. Switching to efficient water fixtures means you will use less water, hot and cold, and that adds up to savings.

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