Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Faucet Aerators


Try one of the cheapest green gadgets available.... faucet aerators.

They screw into your faucet threading which results in cutting the water flow from 3 to 4 gallons per minute to as little as a half-gallon. They blend water and air, reducing the flow without sacrificing pressure. I use these in the kitchen and the bathroom, especially where the kids are using the most water. I have two boys that help with the dishes and it has cut down on our water usage tremendously.

At 50 cents to $3 a piece, they are well worth the investment. It won't take long to reap the benefits of this tip. Standard faucet aerators will allow flow rates of 2.5 gallons of water per minute. For bathroom faucets, it is suggested that a low-flow aerator that delivers 0.5 to 1 gallon of water per minute will deliver the same force of spray, but often in a more pleasing fashion. You may want to choose one in the kitchen with a higher flow rate of 2 to 4 gallons per minute if you regularly fill the sink for washing dishes. If you let the water run while washing dishes, I would suggest using the lower flow rate of 0.5 to 1 gallon per minute may be more appropriate. Some kitchen aerators will allow you to flip between two flow rates without affecting the water temperature.

Fifteen percent of average household's daily water consumption is through faucet use. In a family of four, where each person uses the bathroom sink for 6 minutes each day, using 0.5 gallon per minute (instead of 2.5 gallon per minute aerator) would reduce the daily household water consumption by 48 gallons per day, which totals 17,520 gallons annually).

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