Save money on your water bill while maintaining a green lawn by installing a gray water system. Gray water makes use of water that otherwise goes down the drain. Gray water systems take some of the water from clothes washers, bathroom sinks, tubs & showers and direct it for use in outdoor irrigation. This saves you money on your water bill each month and also conserves precious water. Arizona State law was changed recently to allow residential use of gray water without a permit; however care must be taken if you intend to use gray water for your irrigation system. Because of the possible dangers of dumping contaminated black water from your toilet and kitchen sink into the water supply you should always contact a reputable plumbing company to recommend and install any gray water system. Call Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors, Inc. at 623-582-1740 today.

Attach low flow aerators to kitchen and bathroom faucets. The faucet will flow stronger while using much less water. It’s inexpensive and simple to install. Low-flow faucet aerators can reduce your water consumption by as much as 50%, and reduce your energy cost of heating the water also by as much as 50%. This conservation of water and energy is not only good for the environment, but the savings in your utility bills will pay for the cost of the aerators within a few months. From then on, you enjoy continued savings. Call Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors, Inc. at 623-582-1740 to do the installation for you.

Tired of seeing your money go down the drain? A leaky faucet can cost you a significant amount of money if it is not taken care of right away. It will not be long before those drops have accumulated gallons of water that have gone to waste, not to mention the annoying sound of the drip, drip, drip. It’s simple, inexpensive and can save 140 gallons of water a week. Call Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors, Inc. at 623-582-1740 today.

Check your water meter and bill to track your water usage. There are several reasons why you would want to be able to locate and read your water meter. First, you might be interested in just how much water you use in a day. By reading your meter at the beginning and the end of the day, you can compare the two totals to tell how much water you and your family used. The second reason is to check for leaks. If you turn off all the taps in your house, look at your meter and it is still turning, chances are you have a leak somewhere. By knowing how much water you are using on a daily basis and by following just a few quick tips, you may be able to bring your water consumption down and really notice a difference in your bill.

Put food coloring in your toilet tank to check for leaks. If you have a slow leak in your toilet tank, hundreds of gallons are just slowly and silently cascading down the side of your toilet bowl every month. Fortunately you can easily detect if the uptick in your water bill is from a slow leak or not. Simply put the food coloring into the toilet tank and wait for about a half hour, if it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. Fortunately it’s an easy fix and can save hundreds of gallons of water a month. Call Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors, Inc. at 623-582-1740 and we can take care of that leak immediately.

Adjust your watering schedule to the season. Water your summer lawn every third day and your winter lawn every fifth day. Make sure you water thoroughly and deeply at each watering, but allow the soil to dry out between irrigations. By watering this way, roots are encouraged to grow deep into the soil where they’ll be better protected from the summer heat and dryness.

Insulate hot water pipes so you don’t have to run as much water to get hot water to the fixture. Insulating your hot water pipes reduces heat loss and can raise water temperature 2ºF–4ºF hotter than non – insulated pipes can deliver, allowing for a lower water temperature setting. You also won’t have to wait as long for hot water when you turn on a faucet or showerhead, which helps conserve water. Insulate all accessible hot water pipes, especially within 3 feet of the water heater. It’s also a good idea to insulate the cold water inlet pipes for the 3 feet.

Buy a rain gauge to track how much rain or irrigation your yard receives. A rain gauge is one of the most important tools in your home landscape. With it, you can properly manage lawn and garden watering. Summer showers are often spotty and unpredictable. The only way to know how much rain we’re getting is to measure it using a rain gauge. While drought stress can impact plants, over-watering creates many concerns such as:

•  Increases risk of pollution from yard and garden care products.
•  Wastes valuable water and impacts water supplies.
•  Encourages shallow root zones and increases plant susceptibility to disease.
•  Wastes time and money – it costs money to irrigate.

A rain gauge measures rainfall and other precipitation events such as heavy dew and mist. Most lawns and gardens need about one inch of water each week. By measuring and recording rainfall, you will have an accurate account of what nature has already supplied. Irrigation should only be used to make up the difference and it should not be set to an automatic schedule.

Don’t use running water to thaw food.  While running water to thaw food is one proper way of doing it, it is also the most wasteful. There are other ways of thawing food that would be a whole lot less wasteful. If you have time, put your food in the refrigerator at 41F or below. If you are in a hurry, use a microwave or as part of the cooking process. Remember, by using running water to thaw your food you are not only wasting gallons of water, you are pouring money down the drain instead of keeping it in your wallet where it belongs.

Use the disposal sparingly. Compost instead and save gallons every time. Because disposals are used for getting rid of food waste and the manufacturer requires that you MUST have the water running when using the disposal, you are flushing precious gallons of water down the drain. Instead, start a compost bin and turn your food waste into something useful for your garden and save yourself some money by not wasting water.