Conserve Water This Winter

tall trees completely covered in snow, standing against a deep, cloudless blue sky.

Many homeowners are eager to save water whenever and however they can—regardless of the season. Certainly, going green is an admirable goal—and who wouldn’t want to save a few bucks on their monthly water bill? Plus, conserving water can be surprisingly easy to do. There are always small, simple steps you can take to be wise and judicious in your water use.

During the summer, you can be more prudent in your lawn and garden care, for example. What about winter? What are some water conversation tips that are specific to this cold season?

For starters, you can drip your faucets at night. That may sound counterintuitive. How can dripping the faucets actually conserve water? The reason to drip your faucets is to protect them from bursting, should the temperature dip below freezing. Burst pipes will bring many expenses—and no small amount of water loss! Dripping the faucets can actually be the smarter move, in the long run.
Winterize your pipes, specifically focusing on any outdoor faucets or spigots. Remove all hoses and cover/insulate faucets. Again, preventing burst pipes is a potentially major way to protect yourself from water loss.
Insulate hot water pipes. Wrap them in insulating material, especially bare and exposed pipes you see around your hot water heater. Without insulation, your hot water will grow cool by the time it reaches our faucets and showers, which means your hot water heater will need to pump that much more hot water. Insulation is a great means of judicious water use. Ask one of our plumbers to assist with this, if need be!
Here is a really wild idea: Use a bucket to collect cold water from your shower, as you wait for it to get warm. Instead of watching all that chilly water go down the drain, save it to flush the toilet, water some indoor plants, or whatever else you might need it for!
Be vigilant in checking for leaks. Winter is as good a time as any to make the rounds and inspect all your pipes and faucets, including under sinks and in your basement or crawlspace. If you spot any signs of water damage, call one of our plumbers to get things fixed; it’ll pay off in the long run!

Water conservation is always worthwhile—yes, even during these icy months of winter!