10 Ways to Green Up Your Plumbing

If you think making your house environmentally friendly is confined to installing solar panels and growing your own veggies, think again – good plumbing can help you meet your sustainability goals, too. Sustainable plumbing can involve everything from saving and reusing water to ensuring that the equipment and materials used are environmentally friendly and long lasting. Here are 10 ways your home plumbing can be good for the planet.

1 | Check and maintain existing plumbing equipment

If you’re a beginner, start with the basics. Sustainable plumbing is as much about making things last as it is saving water, so one good habit to get into is to practice regular maintenance. Checks should include visible taps and pipes (for leaks); hot water system (for pressure and for rust); and air-conditioning ducts (filters). When everything is in good working order then you know these systems will work efficiently and consequently use fewer resources.

2 | Replace the culprits

If there is anything that needs repair or renewal, it is better to replace it with parts that are as high a quality as you can buy. Chances are you won’t have to replace it anytime soon, thus reducing wastage and increasing the reliability of the plumbing system.

Spending just $100 on taps from a big box department store is a bit like spending $2 on your kids’ toys at the discount store. It’s great to nab a bargain and they look good, but they break down quickly and end up in the bin – your bargain is not a bargain in the end. It’s much better to buy quality Australian brands – they are made locally (less miles), come with big guarantees, and even better, look great.

Consider using environmentally friendly plumbing components such as pipes made of sustainable materials that won’t deteriorate as quickly as their cheap and nasty equivalents. Also try to ensure they are free from toxins and ethically made.

Your plumber may not be familiar with materials that are entirely eco-friendly, but this is changing as a wider variety of products becomes available. Green plumbing takes a lot of planning and consideration so if you are unsure, talk to a licensed professional plumber who will help you work through the different options and scenarios that best suit your needs.

3 | Fix leaks and drips

A dripping tap can waste 12 litres of water a day. Every drop counts, so checking for and repairing leaks from fixtures, toilet cisterns and irrigation/watering systems is crucial to conserving water.

Common types of leaks found in the home such as taps, valves and showerheads are all easily fixed and do not need a major investment of time or money. Most leaky showerheads can be fixed by ensuring a tight connection using pipe tape and a wrench, but these can also be replaced with water-saving, low-flow versions at very little cost.

If your toilet leaks from the cistern into the pan, it’s easy enough to fix the problem or to replace the assembly, but turning a single-flush toilet into a dual-flush system and encouraging a home’s occupants to use it appropriately makes a bigger difference.

A good way to investigate if you have leaks is to check your water meter before and after about two hours, when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, then you know you have a leak. How easy is that! Then you will need to investigate where the leak is coming from (this is where professional help is needed).

4 | Rethink your choice of appliances

If you’re on a mission to install sustainable plumbing and have a budget to execute your goals, or if your plumbing is due for an update anyway, consider buying environmentally friendly items.

This ranges from fixtures that are eco-friendly in themselves, such as water-saving toilets and efficient dishwashers and washing machines, to hot water systems where replacing your tank with a continuous flow hot water system or even a solar hot water system can help you save on your use of water and power.

5 | Use alternate sources of water for irrigation and toilet flushing

There are a few more elaborate things you can do with your plumbing to meet your sustainability goals. Water harvesting allows you to collect rainwater runoff from various surfaces – think roofs and driveways – and store it for later use, including flushing toilets, watering the garden and washing cars. The good news is that rainwater tanks often attract incentives, such as council rebates, so check to see if you’re eligible.

If you’re looking to use this water in your household (to flush toilets, for example), remember that you’ll need a plumber to connect your rainwater tank to your household mains. If your waterwise ways are already mature and you want to use rainwater as drinking water, you will need to comply with government health and safety guidelines, which may involve a more complex system to filter and purify the water.

6 | Install a solar hot water system

Turning up your hot water system to cope with the increased water load during family visits over the holidays is a very good idea. But if you are building or your hot water service is wearing out, you might contact your plumber to discuss the benefits of installing a solar hot water system.

These use the sun’s clean energy with solar collectors mounted on your roof to heat the water that flows through the system. The heated water is transferred to a storage tank ready for use around the home in the same way as with a continuous flow hot water system.

The good news is that solar hot water systems are subject to government rebates so do your research to find out exactly how much you will be entitled to on installation.

7 | Recycle greywater

Greywater systems allow you to reuse water from baths, basins, showers and washing machines, which account for about 70 per cent of household water use. As with water harvesting, you can use this water to flush toilets and water the garden.

There are two types of greywater systems: treatment and diverters. A greywater diverter is a practical and economical system that will allow you to re-direct greywater from the sink and the laundry to water your garden via a sub-surface irrigation system without storing or treating it.

On the other hand, a plumbed-in treatment system, including a pump and treatment plant is a long-term solution that will enable you to collect water to recycle and store later for use both within your home and in the garden. A treatment system ensures your water consumption is noticeably reduced but when combined with a rainwater harvesting system you can reduce your water consumption drastically and make your property completely water efficient. Both need council approval and must be installed by a professional plumber.

8 | Green your roof

Another way to use runoff water is with a green or living roof. This is not a matter of just scattering some seeds on the roof and hoping for the best. You will need to consider layering the roof, waterproofing, access, drainage and irrigation.

While it sounds complicated, it isn’t. A professional plumber can help you set this up and advise you on the best approach and materials to use. This not only makes use of rainwater that would otherwise flow off your roof, it provides insulation for your building and can even be a source of nutrition if you are willing to invest the time to grow veggies and herbs!

9 | Minimise water use outside through thoughtful planting

Thoughtful garden design and proper plant selection can ensure you make the most of the climate, the rain (or lack thereof) and still have a sustainable garden that is aesthetically pleasing.

You may want to consider a natural or native landscape that blends aesthetics, function and maintenance within your existing space. Native, low-maintenance plants that don’t require too much irrigation or pesticides will save you time as well as water and they contribute to diversity in the landscape.

10 | Hire a professional

Think about the plumber you’re hiring. Hiring a professional will save on rework – shoddy workmanship is not sustainable! You can also look for specialist credentials, such as professionals registered under the Enviroplumber program (NSW), which indicates additional training and up-to-date knowledge about sustainable practices.
Environmentally friendly plumbing can make a significant contribution to water and energy conservation in your house and there’s no excuse not to act when quick wins are often small, simple and inexpensive. While long-term solutions may be more elaborate, with financial and regulatory considerations to make, the gains have measurable benefits both for your water and energy bills and for the planet. So you can be sure to sit back and enjoy that extra hot bath, longer!

*This article originally appeared on Houzz - https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/10-ways-to-green-up-your-plumbing-stsetivw-vs~57305258