How to save on water consumption. Economic sink drains

People are starting to think that they need to save water for various reasons: raising housing and communal services tariffs, unwillingness to overpay, concern for the environment and natural resources. Keeping a few simple rules, it is possible to reduce water consumption in a year by two or three times.

How to save depending on where you use water

If it is not yet possible to purchase new household appliances and special appliances, then following simple measures will reduce water consumption by several times. The main sources that consume the most water are: bath, toilet, cooking, laundry, washing dishes, cleaning the apartment and garden, heating floors.

Few people think that spending is quite realistic to reduce. The main thing is to know how to do it right. We offer you to learn how to reduce water consumption.

Toilet

Here are the following ways:

• in the apartment you need to repair all plumbing and pipes;
• plumbing fixtures must be modern. New developments of technologists make it possible to make water consumption minimal, with high efficiency;
• modern toilet cisterns have two modes: normal and economical. The second allows you to save more than 5,000 liters of water per family per year. The economy mode allows you to drain not a full tank, but a certain amount of water while the button is pressed. It is important to choose the right flush tank and know how to manage it, because some tanks use 3 liters of water per flush, and some 12 is a huge difference;
• so that after using the toilet not to drain the whole tank, you can put any container in it that occupies some part of the tank. It is possible to reduce water consumption by half.

Brick to save water in the toilet

Tank with double flush

Bath and shower

Experience has shown that the following should be done:

• instead of a bath, it is recommended to take a shower. For each filling of the bathroom, more than 200 liters will be needed, 50 liters are consumed in 5 minutes of the shower. Even a 15 minute shower will be economical;
• when brushing your teeth, shaving and other hygiene activities, the tap must be closed. About 40 liters of water can flow out in three minutes. To rinse the mouth, water can be drawn into a glass. This should be included in the rules not only for yourself, but also for children;
• Invest in a water-saving shower head to significantly reduce the amount of water you use. If 43.8 cubic meters of water is spent on a 10-minute shower per year, then with a nozzle this figure will decrease to 16.4 cubic meters of water per year;
• during water procedures, turn off the water when not in use. This is worth doing when you shampoo, scrub or shave. Thus, you can save up to 10 cubic meters of water per year;
• there is a mixer in which the temperature is regulated with a single lever, so the water will mix faster and you won’t have to wait long until cold water will become hot.

Water saving faucet nozzle

washing dishes

If you use these technologies, then reduce costs:

• when washing dishes, water should not flow idle. Before washing a large number dirty dishes can be soaked. The process of washing dishes will be simplified, the amount of consumption water resources decrease;
• bowls and other containers can be used to wash dishes, food and other things;
• use a dishwasher that helps you save up to 15 times;
• will help save spray nozzles on taps that separate water flows. You can install nozzles that mix water with air and help save money;
• do not allow leftover food to dry on the plate, as this complicates washing dishes, and therefore increases the amount of water needed for this.

Faucet nozzle for saving water

Cooking food

Practice has proven the effectiveness of the following types:

• purchase a flow filter installed on the faucet. It is much more convenient than a jug, and also more economical;
• while cooking, do not keep the tap open, but turn it on as needed;
• no need to flush down the toilet what can be thrown into the trash can;
• defrosting of foodstuffs should not take place under running water. Products can be put in a container with liquid, or they must be moved from the freezer to the refrigerator in advance.

Laundry, cleaning and heating

When washing, you can do the following:

• when choosing a wash cycle, try to choose the shortest time of all, which is suitable for the type of laundry and clothes. There are many identical modes, but with different times washing;
• always load the washing machine to the maximum. Do not wash one thing at a time, but save laundry in a special laundry basket.

• during cleaning, tap water should only flow when it is really needed. Do not forget that up to 12 liters of water flows out of the tap every minute.

The most significant for heating will be:

• floor heating should be turned off at night and for those moments when no one is at home;
• separate switches will allow you to turn on the heating only in those rooms where it is necessary in this moment.

Use of household appliances and modern plumbing

Saving at home isn't just about eating less natural resources, but also correct operation household appliances, plumbing and specialized appliances, installation of counters.

Firstly, all plumbing and pipes need to be repaired in the apartment. No rules will help if excess water constantly flows. All leaking faucets should be replaced and the faucet should be tight after use. Dripping from a tap leads to a loss of water up to 24 liters per day, respectively, up to 4000 liters per month.

Secondly, plumbing fixtures and Appliances must be modern. New developments of technologists make it possible to make water consumption minimal with high efficiency. Household chores are also best left to household appliances. And it's not at all a reluctance to wash dishes and wash clothes with your hands, indeed, dishwashers and washing machines consume much less water. Reduced water consumption detergents, time is released.

Although top-loading washing machines are cheaper, top-loading machines allow you to consume three times less water. When washing, you need to load household appliance to the maximum by adjusting the level of water supply. Significantly reduce water consumption in the apartment and office allows the following device to save water: water-saving nozzle-aerator (water flow regulator for shower systems). The savings will be tangible if there are meters.

Benefits of aerator nozzles

The water-saving nozzle allows you to reduce water consumption by up to 70%. In normal mode, 12 liters / minute are consumed, in economical mode, only 3 liters / minute. The principle of operation is as follows:

• the amount of air in the water flow increases;
• set a limit on maximum level flow;
• there is an option to choose a more suitable nozzle (for the kitchen or bathroom).

Shower heads work in the following way: then the water dissipates and is supplied in large drops. At the same time, the quality of the water procedure does not deteriorate, and the water consumption is reduced at least twice.

The mixer must be correctly selected. It is best to install:

• lever;
• with aerator-sprayer;
• sensory;
• with two streams.

The mixers listed above can reduce water consumption by more than 50%. Diluting the water jet with air will not reduce power. On the contrary, due to additional air, the power of the jet will only increase. This happens due to the fact that water rests against the aerator, the flow narrows, and the pressure rises. Water becomes more voluminous as it is diluted with oxygen. Not 100% water flows from the tap, but a mixture of water and air.

For a family, it would be advisable to install meters for hot and cold water. This allows not only to reduce utility bills, but also to accustom family members to discipline, to follow all the ways to save water.

To get water at the right temperature as quickly as possible, modern mixers are used.

As an option to save: after some activities, water can be reused. For example, after washing fruits or defrosting food, you can water flowers with this water, wash the floor, wash the car, put it in the drain tank. You can use water not only from the water supply, rain water is also useful.

It can be applied for drain tank, for house and garden cleaning, for rinsing washing machine. Collect rain water you can do it yourself in a container. A more expensive undertaking would be the installation of underground tanks in a private house with a system of pipes and pumps around the house.
https://youtu.be/-plMgpQdK3w

How to use the infrared sensor

Teach you how to save water modern device to save water - an infrared sensor. Many have seen and used such a device in shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, public toilets etc. An infrared sensor can also be installed at home.

Infrared mixers have some advantages:

• saving water;
• strength;
• durability.

Why is water consumption decreasing? A large amount of resources is spent while a person brushes his teeth, shaves, washes dishes, does not want to dirty the faucet with dirty hands, or is simply lazy. This problem disappears by itself with an infrared sensor. When you raise your hands, you turn on the water, you remove it, it turns off.

Faucet with infrared sensor

Sensor Advantages:

• efficiency: per family, water savings per month will be 10 cubic meters. The faucet does not leak or drip. With a water meter, you can get bills several times smaller than usual;
• the strength of the device: it does not have a valve that constantly needs to be turned, there are no parts that can wear out and fail;
• safety: water is supplied from a tap optimal temperature, it is impossible to get burned. The faucet has a built-in temperature control system, which is especially useful in a family with children;
• disinfection: since a person does not touch the faucet with his hands, there is no possibility of transmitting bacteria to each other in a domestic way. Personal hygiene is observed.

Disadvantages:

• expensive cost compared to a conventional crane. The way out is to purchase a nozzle with an infrared sensor for a conventional mixer;
• difficulty in maintenance. Few plumbers will be able to repair such a system. But warranty service is usually provided for up to 10 years.

Because of high cost device, it is recommended to buy a separate infrared nozzle for an ordinary mixer. Specifications allow you to install it on most modern cranes. The installation process is not difficult, you can handle it at home without calling the wizard. Water saving starts immediately after the sensor is installed.

The touch sensor has several modes. Its sensitivity is adjustable from 5 to 25 cm. The installation instructions are quite simple:

• the old aerator is removed;
• an adapter is put in its place;
• the adapter is fixed with a special key;
• a fixing nut is screwed on top;
• nozzle is adjusted.

Installation diagram of an automatic mixer

What gives the installation of counters

With a water meter, you can reduce payment costs utility bills only if the number of residents in the apartment coincides with the number of those registered. There is no point in installing meters if more people live in the apartment than registered.

Meters and the costs of their installation and registration will pay off very quickly. One person cannot physically consume such an amount of water for which he will pay according to the standard without meter readings.

Before deciding to install meters, you need to do a little research: calculate the daily water consumption per person. There are different counters, for apartments they use:

• tacheometric instrument (winged);
• electrical appliance.

Tachometric counters were invented several centuries ago. The mechanism allows you to count the number of revolutions and translate them into Cubic Meters or liters. The advantage of this counter is the cheapness of the device, they do not consume electricity, take up little space. But there are also significant downsides. The magnetic field can disturb the rotation of the meter, resulting in distorted results. If the water flow is small, then the meter does not record such results. Over time, the device wears out, the mechanism becomes dirty.

Electric meters are now becoming popular. They accurately determine the flow of water, regardless of the amount of water, its density, temperature and other indicators. The meter can quickly become unusable due to Bad quality water, sediment. The operation of the device depends on electricity, so the temporary absence of light leads to the stop of the counter.

Reading time ≈ 7 minutes

Installing and configuring water meters has forced many people to rethink the issue of water consumption. Constant payments for the use of water leave no one satisfied, so the task of reducing the cost of water public utilities remains valid. How to legally and illegally save water in an apartment with a meter?

Savings types

There are only two ways to reduce the cost of using water:

1. Legal, i.e. legally.
2. Illegal.

Each person chooses for himself the method that he considers the most effective.

Household water consumption

legal way to save money

The legal way is to reduce water consumption on legal grounds, without any reduction in comfort, and without harm to human personal hygiene.

Consider ways to reduce water consumption:

• Plumbing

At the time of installation or after installation of the meter, it is necessary to pay Special attention all kinds of leaks. As practice shows, everyone has them, but not everyone wants to deal with them, and therefore water is overused. So, for example, a malfunction in a drain barrel leads to the loss of 65,000 liters of water per year, and a leaking tap will ensure a loss of 75,000 liters. And if you take into account that there is more than one leak in an apartment or house, then there are much more losses.

To prevent such problems, it is necessary to install lever mixers, instead of the usual valves. The mixer will be much more effective in shutting off the faucet.

• Faucets

As mentioned above, the best mixer option is a lever mixer. Using conventional faucets, we have been trying for a long time to set the required water temperature, because of this we lose precious liters.

• Toilet bowl

The cause of water loss can be not only the flow of the old toilet. There are devices that have two modes of operation: full drain and economical. By choosing an economical mode of operation, you can save up to 20-25 liters of water per year. To find out if there is a leak in the drain barrel, you just need to throw a dye into it. If after a certain amount of time a shade appears on the bottom of the barrel, then there is a leak.

• Shower instead of bathing

Train yourself and your family members to rational use water. A simple example: when brushing your teeth, many people leave the tap open and at the time of the procedure itself, the water is wasted for a couple of minutes. To prevent this from happening, all you need to do is close the tap.

It would seem that all of the above is a trifle, but if you think about it, you can save up to 12 cubic meters of water per year by following simple advice. Also, write a memo and look at it regularly. It will be especially useful for children who are careless about this issue. They do not think about the bills, because the burden of responsibility lies on the shoulders of the parents. For them, such a reminder will definitely not be superfluous. All family members should know how to save water in an apartment with a meter!

Not accepting water procedures several times a day, you can save money on water consumption. Lovers will indulge in bathtub filled with hotwater it is worth doing this less often, giving preference to a shower cabin.

This does not mean that you need to practically give up such pleasure. Sometimes you can afford it, but not every day. Thus, water will be spent an order of magnitude less. Thrifty people know that there are many special faucet attachments designed specifically to save water. This kind of lotion can reduce fluid flow to about 6 liters per minute. It is possible to minimize consumption by check single lever mixer, which simultaneously mixes the flow of hot and cold water.

So, when using a shower, about 85 liters of water are consumed in a 6-minute procedure, which is clearly not enough to take a bath. For the best effect, you can install a shower head with small holes, which will reduce the initial flow rate by 30 to 50%.

• Boiler installation

In most regions of the country, installing a boiler is an economical means of saving water. However, you should also consider the cost of energy consumption. However, a huge plus of the boiler lies in the exact use of hot water, i.e. it is not necessary to use hot water all the time, especially in summer period time.

Water Saving Tips

In addition to the above methods, there are secondary ones that you should pay special attention to.

For example, you need to pay attention:

1. Open the water faucet as needed. Most people are accustomed to leaving the water on when brushing their teeth or washing their hands.
2. Washing clothes in the washing machine is more efficient once, but with large quantity laundry than a few times, but with a small amount of laundry.
3. Housewives have to cook and wash dishes every day. For those who have a large family, it will be more profitable to purchase a dishwasher. With it, you can wash more dishes with minimal cost water. Moreover, cold water enters it, the tariffs for which are cheaper. To wash greasy dishes by hand, you will need hot water. As we can see, the arithmetic is simple. On the kitchen faucet, you can also buy a special nozzle, which is mentioned above. If, nevertheless, the dishes are washed by hand, then it is more correct to divide this procedure into two stages. First lather to remove the main fat and dirt, and then rinse under a small stream of running water. Rinse fruits or vegetables in a container. This will save up to 70% of the water used
4. Try to wash clothes by loading the drum of the machine completely, according to the instructions for your model. Unless absolutely necessary, do not choose a long wash cycle and do not wash daily. When performing this procedure with your hands, do not leave the tap turned on while the process itself is in progress.
5. The same rules apply to cleaning. Rinse the rag and turn off the faucet. Don't forget about the song from the cartoon, where there are such words: - “Drop by drop, drop by drop and the ocean. Drop by drop, drop by drop, turn off the faucet.” This is very relevant today. Responsible attitude, and in a month the amount payable in the receipt will be less. And of course, if you are going to spend the weekend away from home, do not forget to turn off the taps, in case emergency so as not to flood the neighbors. Reinsurance in this matter will never hurt.

All of these methods will help everyone save their water costs without resorting to illegal methods.

Good plumbing saves water

Illegal way to save water

Having considered legal ways of saving, we can come to the conclusion that the amount of water payment will not change much. In such cases, one has to resort to the use of illegal ways to save money, namely:

1. Save money with aerators. Aerator - special nozzles for mixers that help save enough water. Also, as customers note, the use of aerators is mostly a myth that it can save water.
2. Using a magnet is the main and, in fact, the only illegal way that entails a huge fine. For the most part, using a magnet in the meter results in huge water savings. But using a magnet will get you in big trouble.
3. Various devices. At the moment, there are a huge number of different devices, which, as their creators assure, do an excellent job of saving water. The use of such devices can lead to various consequences with your counter and a further fine, so it is highly not recommended to use them.

By installing an aerator, you will significantly reduce water consumption.

We looked at the main ways to save water. The best way is the use of legal ways to conserve water.

Remember, the system cannot be fooled. Organizations have long had a computerized accounting program. Subscribers are marked in red there, whose water consumption suddenly became much less than it was before. Not only statistics are taken into account, but also the number of people registered in the apartment. So, the check will not be long in coming. By manipulating the magnet, you make respectable citizens pay for themselves. Be smart and learn how to save water legally.

Let the replacement of faucets, the installation of a dishwasher or the replacement of an old washing machine the new one will allow you to save a little less water than using a magnet or various devices, which are more trouble than good points. However, the choice is yours!

Water needs to be saved, not only because we pay honestly earned money for it, but also because while clean water goes down the drain from faulty taps, there are countries on our planet where inhabitants die of dehydration, and drinking water brought in canisters or collected from plants. Just think about it, because the meaning of saving water is much more global than you can imagine. If you are one of those who are more motivated by saving personal funds, then these tips will also come in handy.

- Do not drain water in vain, for example, while brushing your teeth, turn off the tap during the process itself, or use a glass of water when brushing your teeth. This habit will help you save a lot of water. Count how many minutes you brush your teeth, from 7 to 20 liters of water are drained per minute. This simple arithmetic will surely make you think, especially if there are water meters.

- Always make sure that all plumbing in the house is in good working order. Indeed, through a dripping faucet and a leaking cistern from the toilet bowl, dozens of liters are wasted. If it is not possible to fix it right away, then in the toilet you can temporarily block the flow of water into the tank, and collect water dripping from a faulty tap in clean dishes and use it for its intended purpose, for cooking, for example.

- You can cleverly save water by putting it in a toilet bowl glass jar to reduce the volume of drained water, because a whole tank of water is required not so often during the day. This is suitable for those who do not have a dual toilet flush system or a breaker. This simple method helps to save up to 25 liters pure water in a day.

- Do not rinse under running water washed clothes, use the basin. If you are using an automatic washing machine and dishwashers, then run them at full load, and do not drive empty with one pair of socks or a single pot that you are too lazy to wash with your hands.

- When washing dishes, do not keep the tap constantly open, it is better to fill a basin with burning water, and for better and faster rinsing, change your dishwashing detergent to ordinary mustard powder - and it is washed off quickly and is absolutely safe for health, while washing dishes is washed off 10 times longer, and if left on the dishes, it is very harmful to health. This is especially true for children's dishes.

- The advice of professionals on the issue of saving water also applies to personal hygiene, it is much more economical and hygienic to take a shower rather than a bath, while using a diffuser with a large number of holes of small diameter.

Tricks like attaching a magnet to a water meter can and will save you some money, but the resulting fine will do the justice. We advise you to save water for real, because this is exactly the mineral without which life on earth is impossible.

Increases in tariffs for water services force people to save water, partially limiting themselves. Although in our country the price of 1 cubic meter of water is not high, but at the end of the next month people get pretty decent bills for this service. This is mainly due to the fact that residents of apartment buildings and private houses simply do not know how to conserve water. Reducing water meter readings is quite simple, you just need to know a few simple rules that will reduce water consumption.

Turning off the faucet when taking morning routines, and turning it back on when needed will help to noticeably reduce the meter reading at the end of the month. When you drain the water, collect it in suitable containers, now you do not use this liquid, but it will come in handy later on. economic needs. For example, it can be used when cleaning the house or for watering plants.

Check regularly for correct operation plumbing fixtures. This is especially important for toilet cisterns and faucets. Any problems must be eliminated immediately, otherwise they will lead to an increase in water consumption.

Faucet nozzles

You can reduce water costs if you install a simple and fairly handy device- plumbing aerator, or it is also called a "faucet nozzle." You can use it on any mixer. In most cases, even a woman can attach this nozzle to the tap, it does not take much time, and you do not need to buy expensive fixtures and materials.

In some cases (depending on the design of the faucet), special adapters will be required for the aerators. To understand correctly, you need to know what adapters and aerators are to reduce water costs.

Aerator design

This device, saturate the water when it is supplied, with oxygen molecules at the same time reduces the water consumption. Outwardly, it looks like a set of mesh filters located in a cylindrical metal case with a thread. It can be disassembled for cleaning from dirt and replacement of nozzles.

All parts inside the structure are easy to install, you just need to insert the grid into a special recess. If you need to disassemble the device and remove the grid from it, then this is easier to do using sharp knife, with its tip you need to pick up the mesh, and pull it out.

To remove salt deposits from parts, which can be a lot in tap water, they must be immersed in a cleaning solution cookers. After keeping the parts in it for about 15 minutes, you can remove any deposits. Before assembling the housing, the filter must be washed in clean running water.

Checking the aerator

To make sure that the aerator is working efficiently and the meter has less water, you can check it. Place a two-liter jar under the tap without an aerator in the sink. Set the tap switch to the middle position and start the stopwatch for 10 seconds. At the same time turn on the countdown and open the tap. The jar should be full in 8 seconds.

After that, unscrew the tip of the mixer and put an aerator in its place. Carry out the second stage of verification. All operations must be the same as in the first stage of verification. At the end of the experiment, when filled with an aerator, the jar should be only 1/3 full in 8 seconds. The cost of buying the simplest aerator does not exceed $ 1, of course, there are more expensive products on sale.

What adapters do

Not every faucet has a female thread on the spout. There are taps with external threads, but also on all aerators sold. external thread. If it is impossible to install an aerator on your mixer, then use a suitable adapter (roughly speaking, this is a special adapter). If your kitchen has a large, deep sink, a swivel aerator is a better choice.

Advice! This device will make it easier for you to clean the sink, so it is convenient to get it anywhere in the sink.

Strainer

Now, to save water, there is no need to manipulate the meter itself, some craftsmen simply screw in a hose instead of a filter plug, and take it through it, bypassing the meter required amount water. If the controller visits you, then unscrewing and removing the hose is easy and does not take long.

Saving water in the toilet bowl

Not everyone figured out how much water is spent per day to flush the toilet. If, on average, people go to the toilet 3-4 times a day, and 8 liters of water enter the tank, as a result, it is easy to calculate the daily water consumption. Experts recommend not completely draining the toilet bowl, leaving about half the tank. You can do this by setting the reservoir valve so that it is not full. In this way, you can significantly reduce water consumption, and save money.

Other articles

This year the government has promised to raise utility bills. Approximately 15-20%. And so it goes on year after year. Gone are the days when rent (and other accompanying services) occupied a small share in family budget. So maybe you should think about whether we pay too much? And most importantly, can we personally influence the amount of payments to be lower. Of course, without any prejudice to our comfortable life. In the last article, we discussed a. Today we will talk about saving on water. How, why and most importantly how much can you save on water?

Where to begin?

First where to start is to eliminate all leaks (if any, of course). Plumbing, drain tank. Even a slight leak of water from the drain tank makes us poorer by an average of 50-70 cubic meters per year. If we multiply by the tariff for water, we get about 2 - 3 thousand rubles flowing into the pipe (or rather into the sewer). Add to this a dripping faucet - that's about 500-800 rubles a year.

Second, write down (or memorize) your current water costs. In the future, they will be needed for comparison with the new "economical" indicators. It is important (and interesting) to know how much we managed to reduce water bills and whether the game is worth the candle.

So let's go!!!

How to save water at home

• cold water is cheaper than hot water. Therefore, we use cold water more often.
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth. Or take it in a glass for rinsing. Saving about 200-250 liters per person per week.
• shaving - the algorithm corresponds to the previous paragraph. Only the savings are already about 500-600 liters per week.
• A shower is about 70-80% more economical than a bath. If you turn on the water only at the beginning and at the end of the procedure (we lather with the taps turned off), we reduce the consumption by about 30-40%.
• rubbish only in the trash can, not in the toilet. We save about 100-150 liters per week on a rare plum.
• make the equipment work to its fullest: we fill the washing machine and dishwasher completely. Agree, turning on the dishwasher for the sake of one cup and plate is stupid. As a result, water consumption is reduced by 30-50%.
• if you plan to change the plumbing in the apartment: your choice is a toilet bowl with 2 drain modes, a faucet with an economical water supply. In extreme cases, you can use special nozzles for mixers and the same shower. They are not expensive and reduce water consumption by about 2 times.
• at the time of buying new technology(again, we are talking about washing and dishwashers) choose models with reduced water consumption. Consumption savings can reach a 2-fold difference.
• water in which vegetables and fruits were washed can be used to water indoor plants.
• do not turn on the water at full power. If the water pressure itself is too strong, adjust (reduce) the water inlet valve

Using counters already gives savings by 3-4 times. The use of the above methods (or at least some of them) will give you additional savings on water by at least another 30-50%. Accordingly, your budget expenses will also be reduced. If you calculate, a decent amount comes out for a year, especially for a family of 3-4 people.