How to “Go Green” with Indoor Plumbing

Indianapolis Plumbing Repair 317-784-1870

Indianapolis Plumbing Repair 317-784-1870

In today’s world, eco-friendly practices and lifestyles are popular ventures for families, homes, businesses, schools, and more. “Going green” is a positive trend that almost anyone can achieve with a few mindful changes. Simply turning the water faucet off while you brush your teeth, for instance, is a great start; as well as, recycling your water bottles and soda cans, keeping the lights off in unoccupied rooms, closing the shades on a hot day, investing in rain barrels for water flowers, and much more.

The possibilities are endless for greener living, and as for plumbing, the principle is the same. There are several options for home and business owners that desire an Eco-friendlier plumbing system. So if you are interested in going green yourself, continue reading to learn how indoor plumbing can be eco-friendly and energy efficient.

Pressure Reducing Valves (PRV)

Contact a reputable master plumber to have your plumbing valves replaced with pressure reducing ones. You see, the average home’s water pressure is usually set too high, around 70 psi or more. It can stand to go a little lower, closer to 35 or 40 psi, for the sake of saving energy and reducing water consumption. Installing pressure reducing valves can improve energy efficiency and conserve water, which of course reduces monthly utility costs as well!

High-Efficiency Toilets (HET)

A great way to conserve more water each month is to replace your existing toilet with a high efficiency version. Older model toilets still use over 3 gallons of water per flush, but fortunately, modern federal regulations mandate that all new toilets must not use more than 1.6 gallons per flush. This was certainly a leap in the right direction, but it can get better. Installing a high-efficiency toilet can get the amount of water per flush down to as low as 1.2 gallons!

High-Efficiency Water Heaters

Just like toilets, you can also replace your existing water heater for a modern high-efficiency version. Tankless and on demand water heaters are common examples of a high-efficiency water heaters. They only heat water when it’s requested, rather than running all day to store hot water in a tank. This reduces energy and lowers utility costs.

Plumbing Fixtures

There are a couple plumbing fixtures you can replace to make your home more energy efficient and environmentally conscience. For example, you can choose to swap out your shower-heads for high-performance versions. These eco-friendly versions use virtually 30% less water than the average standard shower-head fixture. And you won’t even notice the difference in water pressure because they are designed to effectively use water to produce a satisfying and fulfilling shower experience.

In addition to shower-heads, you can install water-saving faucets too. These eco-friendly faucets use less water but still maintain adequate water pressure. This saves up to one gallon of water per minute! This is a wise installation for bathrooms, kitchens, outdoor faucets, and more.

Indianapolis Master Plumber

Weilhammer Plumbing Company 317-784-1870

Weilhammer Plumbing Company 317-784-1870

Call Weilhammer Plumbing Co. Inc. at 317-784-1870 when you need a licensed master plumber in Indianapolis and its surrounding towns. Master plumber Mark Weilhammer, and his team of licensed plumbing contractors, provide a wide range of skilled plumbing services for both residential and commercial properties. Call 317-784-1870 for prompt and professional plumbing repair in Indianapolis you can trust!

Tips for Detecting Toilet Leaks

Indianapolis Toilet Plumber 317-784-1870

Indianapolis Toilet Plumber 317-784-1870

A home with an undetected toilet leak can waste more than 80,000 gallons of water each year. Can you imagine the spike in monthly water bills every month? Or the amount of wasted water and money? Stopping any type of water leak in your home is beneficial for many reasons. Since toilet leaks are common, it is important to inspect them regularly in order to stop a leak before it causes major structural damages, costly repairs, and increased water bills. Continue reading to learn how to detect a leaky toilet and what you should do about it.

Leaky Toilets

As soon as you know you have a leaky toilet, shut off the main water valve to stop all water flow in your home. Then call a professional plumber for emergency service. They retain the proper tools and knowledge to quickly and effectively repair a leaky toilet at a price anyone can afford. But before calling a master plumber, it is helpful to determine whether or not a leak exists, on your own. You can do this by checking the following areas:

Flush Valve Issues

Many leaks occur from flush valve issues. Standard toilets come with flush and re-fill valves that can sometimes leak into the toilet bowl, from the tank, if not working properly. With a leak like this, the flush valve will continue to re-fill continuously, causing a running toilet as well. This wastes an abundant amount of water. And if the re-fill valve is also defective in any way, it can cause the toilet tank to overflow.

To check for flush-valve issues:

Start by shutting off the water valve to the toilet. This shut-off valve is located on the bottom left side of the tank. Record the level of water you see, and then re-check it in 20 minutes. If the water level is lower, there is a flush valve leak or similar issue.

To check for re-fill valve issues:

Start by adding a few drops of food coloring to the tank of the toilet. Wait ten minutes and then check the bowl. If the food coloring made its way from the tank to the toilet bowl, there is a problem with the re-fill valve; most likely a leak.

Weilhammer Plumbing Co. Inc.

Weilhammer Plumbing Company 317-784-1870

Weilhammer Plumbing Company 317-784-1870

Call Mark Weilhammer, licensed master plumber, at 317-784-1870 for professional toilet repair in Indianapolis, Indiana. He and our team of licensed master plumbers are happy to answer your questions about leaky toilets, toilet repair, water leaks, plumbing repair, and all other plumbing issues. We provide residential and commercial plumbing services at the most competitive prices in town. Call 317-784-1870 for professional toilet installation and repair services in Indianapolis, IN.