The planet is under threat; global warming is here, sea levels are rising, fauna and flora are in danger. You may be concerned about this situation, and you want to do something for our planet. Where should you start? Many tips are given to save water, pollute less, consume locally. This post follows a recently published article on How To Conserve Resources And Save Our Planet (Part 1). Topics covered were:
1. How to use less electricity with your refrigerator?
2. How to use less water and power with your dishwasher?
3. Habits to be adopted for shower/bath
In this post, you will learn more about simple ways to save money and resources at home! Keep reading…
A shower that reduces water and electricity consumption
A shower that consumes only 5 L of water for 5 minutes of use instead of the usual average of 70 L. You are not dreaming, and this is the innovative concept of the Swedish company Orbital Systems.
How does it work?
Inspired by those of the space shuttles, this shower uses a filtering system. The water runs in a closed circuit and is collected and filtered for unlimited reuse. 5 L of water is enough for a quick shower, the water remains hot, and the pressure is maintained at a flow rate of 24 L per minute.
What about water quality?
According to Orbitral Systems, it is healthier than drinking water as the filtering system purifies it from viruses and bacteria.
It is enough to reduce household water consumption considerably, but also to reduce the electricity bill by 80% compared to a traditional shower.
Smart equipment for your sinks
Consider replacing or equipping your faucets so that they consume less water while you use them with:
– Thermostatic mixing valves: these single-headed taps with a central handle reduce the water consumption of your taps by up to 30%, saving between $0.1 and $0.2 per minute. Their price range goes from $10 to $70;
– Hydroeconomical foamers: they reduce the flow rate of the tap from about 12 L/minute to 7 L/minute, or about $0.1 per minute. A foamer costs between $5 and $10.
Good to know: the purchase of this equipment is quickly profitable. For a thermostatic mixer, you will break-even in 1 to 2 years while for a hydroeconomical foamer, it will be in less than one year!
WC: how to reduce their consumption by half?
The most easily achievable energy savings are for your toilets. Indeed, each flush costs on average $0.34, or almost $40 per person per year. By equipping your flush toilets with a dual control system, you can quickly reduce power consumption.
This equipment has many advantages:
– It releases either the entire volume of water from the reservoir or a part (often half). Compared to a traditional flush, it consumes about 55% less water, which is equivalent to more than $20 per year for one person.
– The volumes of dual control flushes are sometimes adjustable, but most often have a capacity of 3/6 L.
– Its price ranges from $15 to $30 for the most elaborate models.
Good to know: another solution, free of charge this time, is to place a 1.5 or 2 L bottle filled with water in the tank. This way, you hack the water level, and the tank uses less water to flush.
Dryers: some tips to follow
A tumble dryer consumes a lot of electricity: the energy it uses is twice as much as the energy needed to wash clothes!
Here are some simple tips to follow so that your bill doesn’t go up because of your dryer:
– wring out your laundry before putting it in the machine;
– only run your dryer when it is full.
If you can afford to buy a new model:
– prefer class A dryers instead of class B or C, which consume 30% or more energy;
Good to know: there are models with an integrated heat pump, which allow savings of about 40% compared to a traditional model. However, these devices are quite expensive as they cost around $900 or more for a capacity of 6 kg.
What you can do may not be counted as even one drop of water on the planet, but if everyone does the same, then small drops will make big rivers, hence a positive impact on planet earth. Shortly part 3 of the topic on How To Conserve Resources And Save Our Planet will be published. Till then, you can apply these few tips. Remember to comment and share this post with your friends and relatives. And don’t forget to share your experience in the comment section below.