Lean, green kitchen and bath machines. Watters Plumbing is your leader in green kitchen and bath products and services in Northeast Wisconsin. We are committed to bringing you the most comprehensive line-up of green products that not only save you money, but save our environment.
Why Conserve Water?Water conservation is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound way to reduce our demand for water. The entire U.S. uses less water than it did 25 years ago, even though there are more people! Using less water also puts less pressure on our sewage treatment facilities, and uses less energy for water heating. As the old saying goes, if we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem. Perhaps the easiest and most economical way to go Green is to conserve.
What Can You Do?There are many effective ways to conserve water in and around your home. Look through this list for ways that will work for you. Indoor savings are based on a family of two adults and one child. For more comprehensive water saving tips, please visit the Water Use It Wisely web site at www.wateruseitwisely.com.
- Install low-volume toilets. Call Watters to find out how to save up 18,000 gallons of water a year.
- When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water
- Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead and save gallons every time.
- We are more likely to notice leaky faucets indoors, but don’t forget to check outdoor faucets, pipes, and hoses for leaks. Join Watters Diamond Club for a FREE annual inspection!
- Time your shower and keep it under 5 minutes and you will save up to 100 gallons a month.
- Listen for dripping faucets and toilets that flush themselves. Fixing a leak can save 500 gallons each month.
- If you can fill a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, you should replace your showerhead with a water-efficient showerhead. Watters has many styles available, many on display are actually hooked up to demonstrate the water flow.
- Make sure there are aerators on all your faucets.
- Turn off water while you shave and you can save more than 100 gallons per week.
- Install a solar water heater – call Watters for more details!
Solar ~ What’s New Under the Sun?Solar energy has been used in North American buildings for decades. The first commercial solar water-heating device sold in the United States was patented in 1891. However, widespread use of solar energy in North America did not transpire because fossil fuels were readily available and relatively inexpensive throughout the industrial expansion period following World War II. This situation quickly changed in the later 1970s following the Arab oil embargo. At that time, scores of manufacturers delivered products to the North American market to capitalize on the fervor to replace conventional energy sources with renewable energy. Although some of the solar heating and domestic hot water systems installed during this time are still functioning today, many have long since failed, been abandoned or were removed. The lack of standards and regulation during America’s first “solar era” allowed previously untested hardware and design concepts to quickly enter the market. Government tax incentives stimulated this trend. The market enjoyed rapid growth during the early 1980s and then slowly succumbed to a combination of market forces (expiration of government tax credits and declining energy prices), as well as failure of some products to withstand the test of time. Although a few pockets of activity remained for solar pool heating and domestic water heating in the sunny southern markets, widespread national interest in solar heating was virtually non-existent during the late 1980s and 1990s as North Americans remained complacent in the face of low energy prices.
DON’T FORGET, BELL ELECTRIC, INC, OFFERS RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICAL SERVICES INCLUDING HOME THEATER SYSTEMS, SOUND SYSTEMS, AND STRUCTURAL WIRING
Times Have ChangedToday, North Americans are facing some of the largest energy price increases in history. Crude oil is selling at record levels, and energy cost reduction has again become a high priority for homeowners as well as commercial building owners. The rapid expansion of solar heating technology in Europe is quickly making its way to North America and other areas of the world. Ecological concerns over global warming, as well as national security issues associated with oil importation, are also factoring into energy supply decisions. In short, North America and other industrialized countries are poised to enter an era where energy conservation and use of renewable energy sources will play a major part in their future prosperity.
- In the years since the first North American solar era, manufacturers, both domestic and abroad, have significantly refined product offering. Modern materials combined with new production methods now provide products with long service lives. Improved control systems provide greater solar collection efficiency. Modular piping systems speed installation and reduce “one-of-a-kind” installations. In short, North Americans are poised for a new “sunrise” in the use of solar energy. Here are a few energy facts.
-
- In one second the sun releases more energy than has been used by mankind since the beginning of recorded history.
- In one hour more sunlight falls on the earth than what is used by the entire population in one year.
- In 2006 the renewable energy industries in the United States generated nearly $40 billion in gross revenue, while creating nearly 194,000 jobs. *
Sources - A major international oil company predicts that renewable energy will supply 50% of the world energy by 2040.
Learn more about water saving ideas for your Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry, Outside the Home, and Water Delivery systems.