Specialists in blocked drains and plumbing repairs

Water Usage Advice

With the extremity of the weather across the UK it’s become harder to predict the weekly forecast and good water usage advice is always welcome. Early in 2012, many areas were suffering from low water reserves and were prepared for a hosepipe ban. This was not the case. Shortly after this period, there was a dramatic increase in rainfall which in some areas, lead to flooding. This year we were surprised by a shock heatwave, which couldn’t be complained about although, this erratic weather is having a negative effect on households, especially those on water metres.

Water Usage Advice

Water Usage Advice Is Needed

Danny Davis, Operations Manager of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering said: “Water is a precious resource, so we should all be mindful of how much we use. It’s obvious that by having a shower you will save water in comparison with having a bath. But a lot of homes are wasting water through dripping taps (including outside taps) and poorly maintained plumbing systems and could benefit from water usage advice. A dripping tap can waste more than 60 litres of water per week if it isn’t rectified. If you have a water meter installed this will certainly push up your bills, so you will be losing money as well as wasting water.”

Most water companies offer free water saving devices to customers. These could be anything from tap aerators to dual flush systems. Mr Davis said: “It’s a good idea to use water flow restrictors for some household taps and showers, as this will cut down on water usage, however, they should not be used with electric showers. It could cause them to overheat, which might result in scalding water coming through.”

Some properties may be able to install rainwater recycling systems that recycle both rainwater and greywater (the water from baths and showers etc.) which can then be used for flushing toilets. It is important that these are installed by professionally qualified plumbers.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *