Welcome to part 2 of our Energy Saving Secrets guide, where we uncover not-so-well-known inside tips and tricks that can save energy if only you are aware of them. Read Part 1 here.
In this installment, we offer a few clever tricks to conserve water that most people either overlook, or simply don’t know about. A few energy saving activities can make a significant impact. Most of us know to take showers instead of baths, don’t leave faucets running and turn off sprinklers when it rains. But here’s a few water-rationing tips you may not have heard about:
Grab a couple of empty 20 oz bottles and fill them with sand or heavy stones. Tighten the cap on the bottles and place them in the tank on the bank of the toilet. This will displace a sizable amount of otherwise unnecessary water in the tank. From then on, flushing will require less water.
Keep a small basin near the sink, and when you rinse pasta, wash vegetables, or other common duties at the sink that don’t use soap, collect the used water in the basin. When it’s time to water your plants, just use the water collected in the basin!
Water can actually help you save electricity. Use any spare room in your freezer to store ice cube trays (filled with water of course). The more frozen stuff in your freezer that helps keep the temp down, the less power is required to maintain the frosty-ness inside. Every little bit helps , especially if you pay higher than average electricity prices.
Check the weather – don’t wash your car if rain is in the forecast (it’s a waste). Use a bucket to soap up one side of the car at a time. Then bring out the hose and rinse. Repeat for the other side of the car, keeping the hose turned off between washing each side.
Most of us dare not step into the shower after rousing from our warm beds immediately after turning on the tap, lest we shock ourselves awake with frigid water. We let it heat up a little first, right? So keep a large bucket by the tub, and set it under the shower while you let the water heat up to your liking. Then put the bucket aside and use it for plant watering or washing your car.
One leaky drop per second can equate to more than 150 gallons per month. Most leaks and drippy faucets are easy to spot, but is your toilet secretly sapping you? Drop some food coloring in the back tank of your toilet, and if the color appears in your toilet bowl within a half hour, you have a leak!
For a simple, water-conscious weekend project, construct a rain barrel out of a 55 gallon food-grade container. Several great guides exist online for making a barrel that’s best for your home and your needs. Capture the rain runoff from your roof and use it at your leisure for the lawn and garden.
Hopefully some of these tips and tricks will be applicable to you and your home or office. Water is such a common, everyday staple in our lives that it’s all too easy to be complacent about conserving it. But with a only a minor bit of effort and preparation, long-term, effective water conservation is very easy to accomplish.
