The Importance of Water Efficiency in Kitchen Taps
With more people becoming more aware of their water and energy usage, now’s the time to ensure your kitchen tap is as energy-efficient as possible.
In this article, we’ll discuss the water-saving taps, their benefits, how they work and tips for improving general water efficiency in the kitchen. Keep reading to find out more.
How Do Water Saving Taps Work?
Depending on the type of water-saving tap you choose the way they work will vary. However, the main feature of a water-saving tap is to reduce the flow of water without compromising on the water pressure.
Tap aerators work to reduce the flow of water from your tap by mixing the water with air, allowing you to keep the same water pressure while reducing the amount of water wastage.
Benefits of Water-Efficient Kitchen Taps
There are many benefits to water-efficient kitchen taps, from reducing water usage and bills to helping to create a more sustainable way of living. Keep reading to find out more.
If you’re looking to reduce your overall water usage, choosing a water-efficient kitchen tap is a good way to start. While the initial cost of purchasing a new kitchen tap may be high, you’ll hopefully receive the long-term benefits of saving money with a reduction in your water bills.
As mentioned above, a water-efficient kitchen tap helps to reduce water usage which has never been more important. According to Waterwise, leaving a tap running wastes approximately 6 litres of water per minute. Just think how many litres of water you could save by purchasing a water-efficient tap as well as turning it off when not in use.
If you’re looking to make more eco-friendly choices in your home and lifestyle, then choosing a water-saving tap is a fantastic idea. It may seem like a small change, but over time it could make a big difference.
Features to Look for in Water-Saving Taps
Aerator – Can reduce the flow of water but keep the water pressure the same.
Ceramic disc cartridges – Allow for precise control over the temperature and flow of your water.
Flow rates – Kitchen taps should have a flow rate between 4-6 litres per minute.
Choosing the Right Tap for Your Kitchen
Choosing the right tap for your kitchen will depend on factors, such as the cost to purchase, your personal needs, your design preference and its compatibility with your water system and kitchen sink. Keep reading for more information on these areas.
Cost
Kitchen taps can vary in price dramatically. Ranging from around £25 - £1,000 depending on the style and features included. If you’re looking for a standard kitchen mixer tap you could get a decent tap featuring an aerator for less than £50. However, if you’re looking for something more sophisticated such as a boiling water, or pull-out spray tap, be prepared to spend at least £100.
Your Needs
Your personal needs will likely play the biggest role when choosing a new kitchen tap. For example, if you’re looking to save water and make life that little bit easier, replacing your kettle with a boiling water tap is a fantastic idea. However, be aware you’ll likely need a higher budget if you have your heart set on a boiling water tap.
Design
If matching your new tap with the rest of your kitchen’s décor is high on your list of priorities, then worry not as there are plenty of designs to choose from. Whether you’re looking for something sleek and contemporary or something traditional to add a bit of character to your kitchen, you won’t be disappointed. From modern matt black designs to classic chrome bridge mixer taps, there really is something for everyone.
Compatibility
Something that can be overlooked when choosing a new kitchen tap is its compatibility with your current kitchen set-up. For example, suppose you currently have kitchen pillar taps. In that case, it's unlikely to be a straightforward task to replace these with a kitchen mixer tap suitable for single-hole installation, or vice versa.
In this situation, you’ll need to consider if it’s worth upgrading your kitchen sink or countertops to accommodate the new style of tap, or to simply stick with the same design.
Tips for Improving Water Efficiency in the Kitchen
One of the best ways to reduce your water usage in the kitchen is by replacing your kettle with a boiling water tap.
70 million litres of water can be wasted each day by households overfilling their kettle when they come to make a cup of tea or coffee. With a boiling water tap, this isn’t an issue. Simply fill your mug to the desired level and turn the tap off again. This leaves no wasted water.
Using a dishwasher instead of washing up in the sink can be a great way to improve water efficiency in the kitchen. A full dishwasher, run on its eco setting, can save water compared to washing up in the kitchen sink. This is especially true if you rinse your plates and dishes to remove leftover washing-up liquid. While this rinse can help to prevent soap suds from marking your cutlery and dishes it’s also using more water.
Now this is one a lot of us are guilty of. Leaving the tap running when we’re not using it. From washing veg to soaking dirty dishes or pans, we’ve all left the kitchen tap running longer than necessary. Perhaps the phone rings or the doorbell goes, easy distractions like this can lead to kitchen taps being left running for much longer than necessary.
This leads on to making sure the tap handle/lever is fully turned off when you’ve finished with it, as a dripping tap can lead to high levels of water being wasted. While it might only look like a small drip, if left long enough this can lead to 5,500 litres of water wasted each year, according to Water UK.
If you notice your tap is dripping even when you’ve turned the handle off, this could be due to an internal issue such as a broken washer or ceramic disk cartridge. It’s important to get leaks fixed ASAP to reduce the amount of water wasted.
Another way to improve water efficiency in the kitchen, and in turn save on your water bills, is by only using the warm tap when necessary. Simple tasks such as swilling used dishes or cutlery can easily be done with cold water instead.
Browse Our Range of Taps
At Plumbworld, we stock a wide range of taps. Whether you’re looking to replace or upgrade a bathroom or kitchen tap we’ve got it covered. From standard mixer taps to waterfall taps, boiling water taps and even pull-out spray taps there’s something to suit every home. Visit our website today to view our full range of taps.
If you found this post useful, you may also like - Are Boiling Water Taps More Energy Efficient Than Kettles? – How to Stop Your Kitchen Tap from Dripping - A Guide to Replacing Kitchen Taps.
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