And no, I don’t mean soap scum! We’re talking about the environment in this article, and your showerhead can be a great place to start if you’re looking to make a difference. As a bill-payer, I’m very concerned with the amount of utilities I’m using. From water to electricity, to heat, I try to do everything I can to lower the amount by raising the efficiency of my utilities. Faucets and showerheads – especially if you haven’t replaced them in a while – are places to look when your goal is to save water. In the kitchen, look at the aerator. This is the twist-off part of the faucet, where the water comes out.
The aerator is a screen that adds air – or bubbles – to the stream of water coming out of the faucet. These bubbles take the place of water, making it feel like water is flowing out of the faucet, but really its air. Pressure has much to do with the amount of gpm’s that will be appropriate for your household. If you have good water pressure, you’ll likely be able to use a lower gpm fixture without noticing a difference. Poor water pressure will give away the fact that you’ve reduced the flow, so keep this in mind.
On the side, there should be a number printed stating the flow rate of your faucet. Flow rates are measured in gallons per minute, or gpm. This means that for every minute that you run the water; the number printed on the aerator is how many gallons of water come out. For the kitchen, I’d recommend reducing the flow to 1.75 gpm. Going lower than this flow is not conducive to cooking or washing dishes, since less water is coming out of the faucet. As a result, it will take a long time to fill up large pots of water, or fill the sink for the dishes.
In the shower, replacing the showerhead can make a big difference in your water bills, especially if you’re a fan of long showers. When looking to lower my gpm’s, I went with this Moen shower head. The selling points on it for me were the reduced flow, mid-range price and metal construction (as many showerheads can be plastic.) The flow of this showerhead is 1.75gpm, reduced from the original 2.5gpm that came with my apartment. The pressure is great and I have no trouble with getting shampoo out of my hair or rinsing the tub down after a cleaning. Our water bill decreased by almost twenty dollars after this purchase – and granted, water usage can fluctuate, but the lower flow can definitely contribute!
Jacque Link is the Interior Designer and contributing writer for the sites under the parent company Unique Online Furniture.