Going Green: A Complete Home Guide

Earth Day is designated for April 22, and while it’s not an actual holiday, it’s still an important time. It’s there to remind us that we live in our homes, and our homes live on the Earth. Because of that, we all have some responsibility to take care of the Earth, just like we maintain our homes.

If you’re interested in doing more to make sure our environment has more care and protection, follow this guide from our experts at PhD Mechanical, Inc. and start making a difference in your own home.

Use Eco-Friendly Plumbing Fixtures

For many people, as long as faucets aren’t leaking and toilets are flushing, everything is fine. But that means you’re not paying attention to how much water you’re using every time that shower is turned on, or that toilet is flushed.

Eco-friendly plumbing fixtures are much less wasteful with water, and that means you pay less on your water bills each month. Low flow toilets can save as much as 50% water with every flush compared to pre-millennial toilets. High-efficiency showerheads give you great pressure, but use less water to do so.

Do Something About Your Carbon Footprint

Your carbon footprint is just how much carbon dioxide—CO2—you vent into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

You can shrink your carbon footprint by being more conscientious about your product and business choices.

Some cars, for example, emit far less CO2, and some businesses have strict practices in place that lower their CO2 emissions. Focus on both of these aspects to shrink your own carbon footprint.

Use a Water Filter

Clean water benefits everyone, but sometimes what you get from a tap isn’t going to be what you want to use or drink. Some people get around this by resorting to bottled water, or water cooler services, but this adds up.

It also means you have more bottles or containers that need to be recycled if you want to be responsible. A water filter negates much of the waste that comes from wanting that kind of water quality.

Once installed, you can drink as much as you want, or use it for cooking, and enjoy clean, good tasting, safe water in unlimited amounts, with no more wasted plastic to deal with after.

Upgrade Your Water Heater

A conventional water heater uses a large tank that holds a lot of cold water. That entire volume is then heated up, so it’s ready for a bath, shower, dish washing or laundry.

Once it’s emptied, a new tank needs to be heated up all over again before more hot water is available.

By making the switch to a tankless water heater, you get water heated directly in the plumbing, and once it gets going, it never runs out.

It also uses far less energy. You can expect to pay as much as a $100 less every year on your bills due to this single change.