This is a guest post by Jim Klossner. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.
One way to go green and save some cash is to save on water use in your kitchen. There are many changes that you can make in your kitchen to help conserve on water, reduce your carbon footprint and save some cash. You can choose to do as many or as few as you would like. Doing just one will save water.
Fixtures and faucets
15 percent of the water we use in the house comes from our faucets. This includes both kitchen and bathroom faucets, but even if we split this figure in half, it means that our kitchen faucet accounts for 7.5 percent of indoor water usage. This is quite a bit of water for such a small thing. Because of this, it is critical to fix any leaks immediately. Allowing leaks to continue will result on the loss of gallons of water. Even a very minor leak can add up to gallons of water lost.
To help reduce the flow rate on your current faucet replace the aerator on your faucet. This is a small and inexpensive piece that will determine your faucet’s maximum flow rate. You want to choose a more efficient aerator to help reduce water usage.
Refrigerator
If you are using an older model refrigerator, your water and energy usage are surely higher than they need to be. A general rule of thumb is that if the fridge is from the 1990s, it should be replaced to help conserve the most water. Newer models that are Energy Star qualified will be the best to use the least water and energy. You can still enjoy steady temperatures, ice and water from the fridge while saving money on the water bill.
Freezer
Many people have deep freezers in addition to their refrigerator freezer. Like refrigerators, deep freezers from the 1990s should be replaced as they are not the best at conserving water. Go for a newer model that is Energy Star qualified. You will still get the deep cold that you need while saving water.
Dishwasher
If you have a dishwasher then you know that this kitchen appliance can be quite the water hog, but if you have the right dishwasher it does use less water than doing them the old-fashioned way in the sink. If you are using an Energy Star model dishwasher, you will save an average of 5,000 gallons of water per year. On average, this type of dishwasher only uses about four gallons of water per cycle. In addition to looking for the Energy Star logo, be sure to look for one with a low water factor. This will ensure that the dishwasher is as efficient as possible and using as little water as possible.
Water-saving tips for the kitchen
Skipping the garbage disposal is actually a good thing, especially when you want to save on water usage. These are incredibly convenient, but they can use more than 100 gallons of water every year. Instead, just throw things away or start composting.
If you wash your dishes in the sink, there are a few ways to help reduce your water usage. First, only do a load of dishes when the sink is full. Reducing how many loads of dishes you do each day will reduce how much water you use. Second, do not run the water when you are scrubbing. As a general rule of thumb, unless you are actively using the water in the faucet, do not have it on.
If you use a dishwasher, only run it when it is completely full. Like using the sink, reducing the amount of loads will reduce how much water is used. You also want to scrape and not rinse dishes before putting them in. Scraping takes no water and rinsing can use quite a few gallons.
Jim Klossner has been writing about energy efficient home solutions for John J Cahill, Inc for several years. When he’s not writing, you can find Jim tackling his own home remodel projects.