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Home > Energy Efficiency Tips & Tools > Water > Usage Table
Water Tips
Top 10 tips for hot water efficiency
1. Fix leaky taps
A tap dripping at one drop per second wastes 800 litres of water per month.
In most cases, a worn out washer is the culprit. New washers are cheap,
and they can be replaced in minutes with a simple wrench and screwdriver.
2. Get sparkling savings from your dishwasher
Read the instructions for your dishwasher to make sure you're taking advantage
of all its energy saving features. For easy-to-clean loads, use the light
or short cycle. Use the no-heat or energy saving drying cycle for further
savings. If you don't have that feature, open the dishwasher door when
the wash cycle is complete and let the dishes air-dry. And always, wait
until the dishwasher is full before you run it.
3. Shower or bath?
Quick showers are refreshing and use less hot water than baths. With an
energy-efficient showerhead, you can really cut back on your hot water
use. A typical bath uses about 75 litres of hot water, while a 5-minute
shower with an energy efficient showerhead uses less than half of that.
Showerhead delivery:
Standard - 14.3 litres per minute, 60% hot water, 40% cold water.
Energy efficient - 9.4 litres per minute, 67% hot water, 33% cold water.
Flow rate should be 11.0 litres per minute or less to ensure reasonable
energy savings.
4. Install an energy saving showerhead
An energy saving showerhead can reduce your hot water use by up to 30%.
In one year, you can save over 28,000 litres (6,167 gallons) of water.
You'll still get brisk showers, and you'll save a significant amount on
your electricity bill.
5. Toilet tank dams and low flow toilets
Although toilets don't use hot water, it's worth reducing your cold water
consumption too. The toilet is one of the home's largest water consuming
fixtures (about 30 gallons or 136 litres/person/day). Low flow toilets
and water-saving toilet devices such as dams, flapper balls, and flush
valves, can help reduce household water consumption by about 40%. They're
easily installed - perfect for do-it-yourself jobs.
6. Use faucet aerators
Install faucet aerators on your sink faucets to lower water flow. Aerators
mix air into the water flow and reduce water consumption by 25 - 50% per
tap.
7. Insulate hot water pipes
Insulate at least the first three feet of pipe leading to and from the
hot water tank with tape wrap or snap-on foam pipe tubing. If your hot
water pipes run through unheated sections of your home, insulate them
there too. Combined with a water heater blanket, you could save a significant
amount on your electricity bill every year. Plastic pipes shouldn't be
wrapped - the extra warmth might soften them.
8. Wash your clothes for less
About 25% of all household hot water is used for clothes washing. Use
cold water washing wherever possible. And always set your washer to rinse
with cold water. Cold water rinsing can save you enough energy for about
100 hot baths or 220 showers per year. When you do use hot water washing,
be sure to set the water level to match the load.
Remove and clean the washer's agitator once a month. Clean the filters
of both water hose inlets on the back of the machine once a year.
9. Looking for a new dishwasher or washing machine?
It pays to read the EnerGuide label and comparison shop for the most energy
efficient model. Remember, the lower the kWh rating, the better the efficiency.
Appliances last for many years, and the "second price tag",
the cost of running the appliance, can add up to more than the initial
purchase price. So use the EnerGuide label to help you shop smart.
10. Tune up your hot water tank
Take a few simple measures to get the best performance from your water
heater. Have a qualified person check the temperature. Most manufacturers
recommend setting it between 49-60°C (140°F). Any higher is probably
wasteful and may produce water that is too hot at the tap.
Wrap your electric water heater with an insulating blanket. A water heater
blanket will add to the existing insulation and reduce heat loss. Be sure
it's CSA certified for use on all CSA approved electric water heaters
set between 49-60°C (140°F).
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