Saving water is part of a green living lifestyle. There are a number of ways of saving water available to today’s homeowner. There are low flow fixtures and shower heads, low flow toilets, toilet dams, whole house leak detectors, drip irrigation for your garden, and water conserving appliances like dishwashers and washing machines.
Water Conservation Is Heavily Dependent Upon Human Behavior
Some of these water conservation measures are dubious at best, and others do a decent job. Overall, most water conservation methods, and products rely heavily on the behavior of the user to successfully conserve water.
Low flow showerheads and faucets are iffy at providing water savings. If you are concerned about how we treat our environment you probably already practice water conservation in such a way that the low flow fixtures have a minimal impact.
Low flow fixtures will not save you water when you fill a glass of water to drink, or when you fill a pot with water for cooking. It could save some water if when performing tasks such as washing your hands if you would have normally turned the faucet on to a higher flow rate than the low flow fixture allows.
If however you would normally run the fixture at the same flow rate as you use with the low flow fixture then it does not save you any water. Low flow fixtures save water for those people that would normally be water wasters.
Water conserving fixtures can even cause wastage of both water and energy. Take for example the occupant of a home who has a long hot water run from his water heater to his shower. The occupant is not going to get into the shower if the water is cold. He will wait for hot water to arrive first. Fast hot water saves water.
But many people turn on the shower and then go do something else rather than stand there with their hand in the running water. They might make the coffee or brush their teeth etc. When they return to the shower they find the hot water has arrived and they can get on with their shower. However, this means they were running heated water down the drain. Heating water costs far more than the water being heated. Heat is expensive and using that heat energy probably added to greenhouse gas emissions wherever it was generated in the case of electricity or at your water heater if it is gas operated.
Low flow fixtures can substantially increase the waiting time for hot water, and as a result more people engage in this behavior. Some people put a bucket under the shower and collect the water rather than let it run down the drain. They can then use it for toilet flushing, watering plants, etc. For individuals like these low flow shower heads are just a pain and not a worthwhile water conservation measure.
Even water conserving appliances are dependent upon human behavior to save water. The water conserving cycles are usually optional and therefore often ignored or forgotten about.
Hot water conservation results in both water conservation and energy conservation which makes it a good target for some kind of water conservation effort. In most homes the water heater is a significant distance from the fixture being used. This results in that aforementioned wait for hot water, and presents us with an opportunity for conservation.
Hot Water Demand System
Hot water demand systems are designed specifically to conserve water in the situations I have been describing above. The longer the distance from the fixture to the heater the more time water and money you can save.
The hot water demand systems consist typically of a small pump located under the fixture furthest from the source of hot water. When you desire (demand) hot water you simply push the start button and the pump speeds the hot water from your heater to your fixture without running water down the drain.
When hot water reaches the pump, the pump shuts off. Now the pipe between the water heater and the fixture is full of hot water and when you turn on the faucet you have nearly instant hot water and you didn’t run any down the drain.
Typically the pump will get the hot water to the fixture more quickly than if you run the faucet, especially with low flow fixtures. As with other measures there is an element of human behavior involved. But in this instance the incentive is to push the start button and not have to wait as long for the hot water.
The demand pump only runs for a few seconds, long enough to get the hot water to the fixture, and then shuts off, and thus uses very little energy. Typically the pump consumes less than $2.00 per year in electricity.
Saving Water the Easy Way
You will easily save water even if you have hundreds of feet of pipe from the water heater to the fixtures with a hot water demand system. You don’t need to put buckets under your fixtures to collect the normally wasted water. You don’t have to stand next to the shower with your hand in the stream waiting for the hot water to arrive. It’s easy, just push the start button.
A Green Home Improvement Product
Hot water demand systems make great green plumbing products for those interested in doing a home improvement project. The Chilipepper hot water demand system costs less than $200.00 and can be installed by anyone… no plumber needed, no soldering to do, it just hooks up with ordinary fixture supply hoses. You do however need an electrical outlet nearby. Often bathroom sinks don’t have an outlet under them, but typically an electrician or handyman can install one for $100 or so.
That small investment will bring you much appreciated convenience, save your water and possibly energy, and improve the resale value of your home. You can also feel good every time you use hot water because you are practicing green living and being kind to the environment.
Go green and install a hot water demand system in your home today!
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