Don't Let Your Hard
Earned Cash
Go Down The Drain
Spending
money to remodel kitchens
and bathrooms is an excellent way to recoup an investment on home
improvements. This can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you desire.
Following these guidelines, however, will assist you to save money
where it counts the most; in your utility bills. The more of these
valuable measures you implement, the more you will save!
Upgrade the
commode. Water-saving
toilets were introduced about 1994. Homes built before this time were
constructed with commodes that used as much as seven gallons of water.
In comparison, the most recently designed models use less than a gallon
of water with each flush. By saving between two and four gallons of
water with each flush, you soon will be regaining the purchase price of
your commode by saving on your water bill!
Composting
toilets are becoming more
popular. These commodes do not use water for flushing, and also require
less power. Furthermore, they are more environmentally friendly than
standard commodes, which make them especially desirable to those
interested in making "green" choices while remodeling or renovating
their homes.
Install new
plumbing. It's very
likely that the bathroom pipes and faucets were installed when the
house was built, or with the last renovation. If your commode is older
than 1994, chances are your plumbing will be older as well. Changing
old, worn pipes can help you to save as much as ten percent of your
water bill each month. Furthermore, if your house is more than 50 years
old, lead pipes may have been used in the original plumbing. The
dangers of lead poisoning have been well documented, especially in
children.
Purchase
low-flow showerheads. These
were introduced in 1992, and are mandated in all new homes or bathroom
remodeling projects. These reduce water usage to 2.5 gallons per
minute, and save an estimated 15,000 Liters of water each year. This
translates into about a $30 decrease in the average household water
bill. Recently, even more eco-friendly showerheads have been designed.
These "green" options offer cost-conscious homeowners even more savings
than their predecessors.
Opt for
tankless water heaters.
These require very little space - less than 2 feet by 2 feet. In
addition, they use up to 70 percent less energy than standard electric
water heaters. Although they cost more upfront - approximately $1,000
more, the significant savings over time is more than worth the
investment. Imagine saving 20 percent of the energy costs for your home
with this environmentally friendly decision!
If you cannot
afford the extra
outlay to purchase a new water heater, consider dialing down the heat
on your older model. Older water heaters are set to heat at 180
degrees, which is much higher than any person's tolerance for hot
water. Newer models can still be dialed as high as 150 degrees, and
this is still excessively hot for most people. Turning the water heater
down to 120 degrees will save energy expenses - and also decreases the
risk of a burn injury to someone in your household!
This article
provided by the unique
wall clocks designed and manufactured by PebbleArt Inc.