Home Energy *JUMPSTART*

Showerheads, aerators & lightbulbs, oh my!

                      

Already this year, I've found ways to conserve water and energy use in our home - and save money too. I've been shocked to find a lot of free programs to help Chicagoans become more efficient - and I'm exploring them one by one.

We got a water meter installed with Chicago's MeterSave program, so we pay for water we actually use in our home now instead of a flat fee based on square footage. Our first month's bill - until we're on the regular bi-monthly schedule - was only $12!!

Last week, we got our FREE rain barrel, for joining the MeterSave program. I can't wait until it's warm enough to hook that up. More snow is in the forecast tonight so it may be a while before I'm outside gardening again.

Luckily, there are more things I can do INSIDE to conserve, so fear not!

In a previous post, I mentioned a joint program of People's Gas and ComEd called a "Home Energy Jumpstart" - in which homeowners can get energy- and water-saving products installed, for free, in their Chicago area homes or condos. 

Although I was skeptical, I set up an appointment to check it out first-hand. Even with 6 new inches of snow on the scheduled day, the 2-man crew showed up on time with identification badges in a People's Gas vehicle. They even covered their shoes so they didn't track in (nice).

The 2 guys work for a company called Franklin Energy, which is contracted by the utility companies to do the Home Energy Jumpstart installations, and they were professional, courteous and knew their stuff. As we walked through the house, Alex filled out assessment forms, noting the type and condition of our heating and air conditioning units, water heater, insulation, refrigerator and freezer.

Their supplies included: showerheads, faucet aerators, programmable thermostats, compact-flourescent lightbulbs (CFL's) and pipe insulation. Because our furnace is a steam boiler system, I was told it was not compatible so we didn't get a programmable thermostat. I'll have to look into that later, but steam heat has its own special requirements.

Downstairs, Alex checked the boiler and hot water heater, all in good condition and recently serviced, and said all the pipes were well insulated. He noted that steam pipes get hotter than pipes for other types of heating systems and require pipe insulation rated over 220 (degrees, I'm assuming) for steam, compared to 180 rating for other pipes. Good to know.

Our kitchen got the green light, with all new, efficient appliances and faucet from our recent rehab. Our main floor (half) bathroom was fine as is, with a low water flow faucet to match the tiny sink (8-inch bowl). We didn't test a low-flow faucet aerator because it was not the standard size faucet opening - so one size aerator does not fit all faucets, apparently. 

Upstairs in our main bathroom we hit pay dirt on all 3 items: showerhead, handheld showerhead and faucet. This bathroom faucet used to pour a LOT of water into the bowl, much more than needed to wash hands. Switching the aerator, the silver ring at the end of the spout, means that about one-half of the amount of water comes out now. 

Our old faucet may have used up to 3 gallons of water per minute, but an average faucet uses 2.2 gallons of water per minute, according to the EPA. Changing to a low-flow aerator can reduce faucet flow 30%, down to 1.5 gallons per minute. It's a noticeable difference and since we mostly use this sink for washing (hands, teeth, etc.), this should add up. 

Faucet aerator

 
One note: once you have aerators in place, it's not as easy to fill up water pitchers or mop buckets. I'm just learning to do other things as the room humidifier fills up that we use in our bedroom at night. It's a minor adjustment. 

After learning about the EPA's water efficiency program, WaterSense, I was disappointed the showerheads did NOT have WaterSense labels. The EPA tests and certifies that products meet performance and efficiency standards - but I decided to test these products out for myself anyways.

We replaced the showerheads in both upstairs bathrooms while the other technician from Franklin Energy switched out lightbulbs throughout the home to CFL's. In the end, he changed out 6 bulbs, because we already had quite a few CFL's and some light fixtures have unique bulbs that can't fit normal CFL or incandescent bulbs. 

This energy-efficiency 1.5 gpm showerhead uses less water than traditional showerheads, which means you'll use less energy heating water for showers.

We still have the old incandescent light bulbs, but it will be hard to get more of them since Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which requires the phase out of incandescent bulbs over the next few years with the goal of replacing them with more energy-efficient bulbs going forward.

If you hadn't heard much about this lightbulb phase out, there is a quick Q&A about the upcoming changes - which include phasing out 40- and 60-watt incandescent bulbs in 2014 - and a link to the legislation itself, here.

So the final score for our Home Energy Jumpstart: 2 showerheads, 1 handheld showerhead, 1 faucet aerator and 6 CFL/lightbulbs. 

By switching to low-flow items throughout our main and guest bathrooms, I can already tell that we're using less water in our daily routines. 

The big test was taking a shower to see if the new showerhead works. The unit itself is much smaller (in size and circumference) than the old one - and that DOES mean a smaller "cone" or spray of water. You can definitely tell the difference from the old showerhead. 

It also took longer for the water to warm up - perhaps because of the lower water flow - but we fixed that by setting the water heater up just one notch, and it's plenty hot enough now.

After a week with the low-flow features, my husband and I agreed that it was all fine. We can get used to the reduced amount of water in the shower (and still get clean and wash our hair) and in the sink (and just do something else when filling up containers). 

We've got more to do in our old house: we'll check out rebates for furnace tune-ups (check) and attic insulation (to check) and schedule a whole-house energy audit to see where we need to seal things up. This should keep me busy until spring arrives!