Reliable Going Green Info for Earth Day

On April 22nd, we recognize a special event known as “Earth Day” where we take the time to really think about our planet. Most of us only have one home, and we take good care of it, and the same is true about the world we live in.

And, just like our homes, our planet is a place we live in with our family, and will someday leave to them and their future generations. So in recognition of just how important it is take care of our world, we’re going to look at ways that even something like plumbing can make a positive contribution to the environment.

Start Using Eco-Friendly Plumbing Fixtures

Your plumbing itself can be kinder and friendlier to the environment in two ways. Either it can be smartly constructed in ways that are not negatively impactful to the environment, or it can be more efficient with water usage, letting you use less. Sometimes, they can even be both!

Vetrazzo, for example, is the name for a special, certified material that uses recycled glass from windshields and other sources. Vetrazzo material can be used for things like countertops, while FSC certified wood, from sustainable forests, can be used in many different projects.

You can even try using a low-flow toilet or water efficient showerhead that reduces your water usage and the bills you pay.

Shrink Your Carbon Footprint

Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a gas that acts like an insulator, allowing the atmosphere to hold in more heat. When too much CO2 builds up, which is what is happening now, we get global warming.

But there are ways to help reduce how much CO2 is added to the atmosphere with each passing year. Your carbon footprint is how much CO2 you are adding to the atmosphere.

You can shrink the size of it by using more energy efficient plumbing. You can also shrink it by buying products that themselves have a low footprint during manufacturing.

Use a Water Filter

If you have old pipes in your home, you may be introducing lead into your drinking water. Even if you don’t, the water we typically get to use in our drinking and cooking has chemicals present like chlorine that are an efficient “scorched earth tactic” for killing off bacteria and making it safe for consumption.

By installing a water filter, either on your tap or in your home plumbing, you can clean out the water of every added component—including sanitary chemicals—and drink purer, cleaner, safer, better tasting water.

Switch Over To a Tankless Water Heater

A normal water heater has a big tank where water is stored in large amounts. Electricity or gas is then used to heat up the large volume of water in the tank to get it ready for dishwashing, showering, or whatever else requires hot water.

As the name implies, a tankless water heater gets rid of the tank and heats the water directly in your pipes. It’s much more energy efficient, so not only do you use less water and electricity when it’s heated up, you pay less.