The peak water usage season, that usually starts in late July or early August, arrived ahead of time this year with record high temperatures as well as wide-spread drought. Throughout the hotter months, the typical American uses about 4 times as much water as they do the remainder of the year. More time outdoors translates into additional sweat and dirt, which leads to taking more frequent showers as well as washing extra loads of laundry. Meanwhile, outside, combating warmth and shortage of rain requires heavy lawn and garden watering.
All of the increased activity adds up. Luckily, the plumbing experts at Roto-Rooter recommend a list of water protection and conservation ideas to beat the hot weather. atlanta home inspectors review
1. Look at the temperature gauge/setting on your water heater. It should be set no higher than 125 degrees to avoid burning/scalding as well as reduce energy usage. Summer time is a good time to turn the heat level down, especially whenever off on vacation in order to save on energy costs.
2. Replacing an old shower head can easily save up to 7.5 gallons of water per minute without sacrificing water pressure. Also, try cleaning mineral deposits from the shower head by unscrewing it, soaking it in vinegar through the night and then gently scrubbing with a toothbrush to remove deposits.
3. In order to maximize efficiency with each load of laundry, inspection washing machine hoses for rupture. Turn valves on and off in order to check for leaks.
4. Water should flow easily from outdoor spouts whenever watering the yard, washing the car or filling the pool.
5. If everything is operating as it should, be conscious regarding conserving water. Water your lawn before sun up or following sun down to minimize wasted evaporation.
6. If you will be out of town vacationing and have no house-sitters requiring the washing machine, you can shut off the machine’s water supply.
7. If traveling, install a rain shut-off device on your automatic sprinklers to eliminate unnecessary sprinkling. Another beneficial device is a flood alarm that functions like a smoke detector, triggering an alarm to alert your house-sitter of a potential flood or leak.
8. Make sure that yard drains, gutters and downspouts are cleaned out, open and free of debris.
9. Be careful of standing water. Excess water can arise from leaky or damaged pipes or a broken sewer line. Standing water is not healthy for children or pets, and is a breeding ground for bugs and germs. Inspect the yard for locations that are too wet and with unusual plant or grass growth.
10. In case your region is experiencing or expecting drought, schedule a pipe and drain inspection. Extended periods of very dry soil may cause strain on pipes leading to cracks. It can create a very serious and costly problem for homeowners, therefore it is best to get in front of it with an examination. atlanta home inspectors