9 effective tips to save water in the bathroom
Fresh water makes up only just under 3 % of the hydrosphere, which is why responsible water management is environmentally friendly. Besides that, the savings will also show in your wallet, which pays off especially these days.
Water can be saved throughout the whole house, but it is precisely in the bathroom that the savings can be the most significant.
1. Don't leave the water running needlessly
A widespread bad habit is to leave the tap running during personal hygiene even when it isn't actually necessary. According to experts, we should devote at least 2 minutes to brushing our teeth. But there's no reason to leave the tap running during this activity. And the same applies to other common bathroom tasks, including washing your hands and shaving.
2. Watch out for treacherous leaks and hidden water losses
It pays to repair a dripping tap as soon as possible; otherwise you can lose as much as tens of litres a day, which will noticeably show up in the water bill. An even greater consumption comes from a toilet that runs.
But an undesirable loss of water can also occur in a hidden way. Verifying whether the water distribution reliably seals is relatively simple. Just note down the water-meter reading before going to sleep and check the value after waking up. If the numbers are different, the piping very probably seals badly or is damaged in some place.
Tip: Access panels serve for reaching water meters, shut-offs or risers, and it is therefore necessary to keep them functional. Unfortunately, however, they often disrupt the otherwise perfect design of your bathroom. The solution you're looking for may be invisible access panels, which can be placed in any bathroom.
3. Pay attention to the choice of shower head
Water consumption can be positively influenced by using an economical shower head, which can be simply installed in place of a standard head.
An economical shower head is characterised by a lower water flow. Depending on the specific model, it is possible to save 30 to 80 % of the usual water consumption during showering, without its quality feeling reduced.
4. Get a shower saver
Another simple way to save water during showering lies in getting a shower saver. There are many types on the market with a purchase price from a few tens to a few hundred crowns. The initial investment returns very quickly, because the saver reduces water consumption by roughly half.
The shower saver is inserted between the tap and the shower hose. A shower hose with an already built-in saver is also available on the market.
5. Not a drop of water wasted
Sometimes it can take longer before warm or hot water starts to flow. But while running it off, it is pointless waste to let the water freely drain away into the drain in the meantime.
The water being run off can simply be collected into a bucket. It can then be used at any time, for example to flush the toilet or water houseplants.
6. A shower is more economical, but only if it isn't too long
About 100 to 200 l of water is consumed when bathing in a full tub, whereas during showering it is 30 to 50 l. It is therefore clear that in terms of water savings a shower is more economical.
However, it also depends on the water flow and the time you devote to showering. If you manage to shower within 5 to 10 minutes, it will practically always be more economical than a bath. There's no need to give that up entirely either, but it shouldn't be an everyday matter.
7. Keep water consumption under your thumb
Every household should have an overview of how it is doing in water management. Then it is easy to uncover the "weak spots" where the greatest waste occurs, and to focus on them.
A convenient way to obtain detailed information about water consumption is the installation of a sensor for remote water-meter reading. In a mobile app or via a web interface you can then track data on current and average water consumption. Besides that, it is also possible to set an upper limit of water consumption, upon exceeding which an automatic alert is triggered. This function is very useful, because you find out practically immediately about damaged piping or another fault causing a water leak.
8. Use an aerator
It's small but handy. This tiny and affordable device, which is installed directly onto the tap, can reduce the water flow by up to half. Despite this, the efficiency of washing your hands and other common activities remains preserved. The aerator aerates and directs the stream of water.
9. Bet on an economical toilet
A person flushes the toilet on average four to eight times a day. About 6 litres of water is consumed per flush (it depends on the type of toilet; with older types it can be even double). Water consumption for flushing alone thus climbs to thousands of litres a month in the case of a four-member family.
A significant saving in this respect can be brought by a toilet with dual flushing, in which it is possible to choose the volume of water used when flushing according to the current need. A low-flow toilet, which can save up to half the usual consumption, is also worth attention.