Did
you know that the 4th largest monthly expenditure at Putnam Village is
the water bill? There are 8 water meters on the property, measuring
water usage by our 17 buildings, not by individual units. Our collective
water usage has gone up dramatically. Currently we are spending around
$33,000 a year for water. There is not much we can do about rising
costs; however, if each unit had its own water meter, surely all of us
would exercise more self control and conserve the use of water in our
homes.
Here are some tips to conserve water and save money:
- Don't rinse dishes before loading dishwasher: Save 20 gallons.
- Wash only full loads in the dishwasher.
- An efficient dishwasher uses much less water than washing by hand.
- Wash only full loads in the clothes washer. Washing small loads uses over double the amount of water per pound of laundry.
- When buying a new washer, consider a water-saving model. Water saved: up to 40 gallons per load.
- Don't keep the water running when brushing teeth or shaving.
- Don't use your toilet as a waste basket
- .Watch for signs of a leaky toilet
- If you have to jiggle the handle to make it stop running
- Any sounds coming from a toilet when not in use.
- If you can see water trickling down sides of toilet bowl long after it's been flushed.
- Phantom Flusher: If toilet turns the water on for 15 seconds or so without you touching the handle.
- In
most cases of a leaky toilet, the problem can be corrected by replacing
the rubber "flapper" valve inside the toilet tank. It's a $5 item that
most handymen can replace. Check out the video below to see how it's
done. My recommendation is that if you are going to fix this leak
yourself, just buy a new valve and replace the old one. Don't waste
your time trying to repair the old valve.
