Wasted Water is Money Down the Drain
Conserving water is a fantastic habit to get into to because it saves water and reduces waste-water treatment costs. Conserving hot water can even save you money on your Oklahoma City heating and cooling bills.
Let us start by explaining how conserving water can result in potential cost savings. Basically it’s a simple process in which all the water that drains away from showers, sinks and toilets ends up in the sewage treatment plant. The more water that the sewage plant has to process, the higher the costs are. So the more water generated by a toilet flush, the brushing of your teeth, washing of your hands, showering, etc., the more waste water ends up at the sewage treatment plant. If you could reduce the amount of water being generated, by perhaps having a 3.5 gallon toilet installed instead of a 5 or 7 gallon toilet or even just using water efficient fixtures installed, you could cut down on the costs of treating the water.
When trying to conserve water, the water meter is your best friend. If you are on a public Oklahoma City water system, it should be easy to find your water meter because it will be located either on your property or very close to it. The water meter will tell you how much water you are using and it can help you detect leaks. To read a water meter you need to take the second reading and subtract the first reading from it. The answer will equal how many cubic feet of water you have used. Keep in mind; there are 7.5 gallons of water in one cubic foot of water. It should also help to know that a family of four uses about 1500 gallons of water per day maintaining an average Oklahoma City household and a garden.
Water meters can also be used to detect leaks. All you have to do is turn off every plumbing fixture in your house for a couple of hours and take a meter reading. If the reading changes, a leak exists. Keep in mind; you mustn’t forget to shut off the built-in icemaker or the reverse osmosis water filtration system because they turn themselves on automatically.
Bathrooms are the rooms that use the most amount of water. On estimate, toilet use adds up to about 40% of your water use. If you are looking to conserve water you should definitely use a 3.5 or 1.6 gallons per flush toilet. Simply converting from a 7 gallon toilet to a 1.6 gallon toilet can reduce your overall water use by 25% or more. Furthermore, a leaky toilet will waste 50 gallons of water or more per day regardless of the size.
If you think your toilet might have a leak, there is an easy way to find out for sure. It’s called the food coloring test! Simply place a few drops of food coloring into the tank and allow the toilet to go unused for about15-20 minutes. When you return to your toilet you should check to see if the water in the toilet bowl has a tint of the food coloring in it. If so, you are the lucky winner of a toilet leak. The leak is usually the result of loose fittings or worn washers. Try installing a new washer or tightening the fittings. If that doesn’t work, have your Oklahoma City plumber fix the problem right away.
Another way to conserve water is to install low-flow water fixtures. These are especially useful for shower heads. Traditional shower heads allow a flow of seven gallons per minute which for a five-minute shower equals to 35 gallons of water. By switching to a low-flow shower head, using 3.5 gallons per minute, you can reduce the water used in a shower by half. Also, if you are using less hot water, it will reveal itself each month when you get your Oklahoma City gas and electric bill. Your plumber can have a low-flow shower head installed in no time.
Lastly, you can conserve water by keeping an eye on the kitchen and laundry situations. Dishwashers and clothes washers use 17 to 35 gallons of water per load so it would be a good idea to run full loads at all times. Also, during the summer, you might want to watch how careless you are with your outdoor water use. Simply washing an automobile can use 100 gallons of water and watering the grass can add up to even more.
Article Source: http://www.plumbingkey.com/conserving-water.html
If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City bathroom remodeling contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
Read Any Good Oklahoma City Water Meters Lately?
how to read your water meter allows you to easily and quickly track water usage in your Oklahoma City home, including trends and potential spikes due to leaks. If you discover high usage, it would be advisable to contact your Oklahoma City plumber who will be able to find the exact location and repair the leak before your water bill continues to increase needlessly. Most water meters are one of two types: a straight-reading meter or a dial-reading meter. A straight-reading meter contains a simple number tally that provides the readout, while a dial-reading meter contains either five or six distinct dials that are used to determine the overall usage.
Instructions
Things You’ll Need
- Screwdriver
1. Reading a dial meter
- 1
Use a screwdriver to remove the lid of the water pit. Check the area for any dangerous insects or animals before proceeding.
- 2
The dials are labeled in increasing tenth values (i.e. 10, 100, 1000, etc). Begin reading the water meter with the highest value dial, generally the 100,000 dial. Note the smaller of the two numbers nearest to the needle as the first digit.
- 3
Read the dial labeled 10,000 and note the smallest of the two numbers nearest to the needle. Continue this procedure until you have read all dials and have a full six-digit number. The final number provides the units of water in either gallons or cubic feet that have been consumed since the meter was installed.
- 4
To monitor water usage, simply subtract the “before” reading from the “after” reading and the result will be the amount consumed over a specified period of time. This value can assist with monitoring usage.
- 5
If the value given by the readout is in cubic feet, you may want to convert the value to gallons. One cubic foot is equal to 7.48 gallons. As a general rule, water companies will charge you based upon usage in terms of either 100 cubic feet or 1000 gallon units. The best way to know how you are charged is to check your Oklahoma City water bill, which should indicate the unit of measure.
- Reading a straight meter
- 1
Locate the number tally on the water meter and record the number listed. It is the area that looks similar to a car’s odometer.
- 2
Determine the unit of measure. It is generally listed as either cubic feet or gallons in the area above or below the number tally.
- 3
Subtract the “before” reading from the “after” reading to determine usage.
- 4
Convert the value of the readout as needed (between gallons and cubic feet) for consistency with how your Oklahoma City water company bills you for usage.
Tips & Warnings
- To determine whether or not a leak is present, turn off all of the water outlets in your Oklahoma City home and note the position of the 1-cubic-foot-dial on your water meter. After 30 minutes, check the dial for movement. If the dial has moved, then you have a possible water leak in your home. Call your Oklahoma City plumber for assistance in finding and repairing the leak before your water bill skyrockets.
- Many new water meters have digital readouts which provide a straight number for consumption and do not require any special techniques for reading.
References
- H2ouse: How to Read Your Water Meter
- “Complete Home Plumbing;” Scott Atkinson; Sunset Books; 2001
Read more: How to Read a Water Meter | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5809560_read-water-meter.html#ixzz1iPjqq9tx
