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Turn Your Kids Into
Savings Sleuths A leaky faucet doesn't look
like much of a problem. Just a few drops disappearing down the drain. But
did you know that in just one year those drops can fill a bath tub? A pretty
big tub too. In fact a group of baby elephants can take a bath in a tub that
big.
Here's a way to find out how much water is wasted in one year
from one leaky faucet. And if it’s a hot water leak, you're wasting costly
energy, too. You'll also find out just how many baby elephants we're talking
about: Step 1--- Put a measuring cup under a leaky faucet for 15
minutes (If you don't have a leaky faucet, good for you. You're not wasting
any water. But to do this experiment you could turn the faucet on just
enough to drip). Step 2--- Multiply the number of ounces of water
that the measuring cup collected by four. That is the amount of water being
wasted every hour. Step 3--- Multiply the amount of water wasted in
an hour by 24. That's the amount of water being wasted very day. Step 4---
Now multiply the amount being wasted by 365. That's how many ounces of water
are dripping down the drain every year. Step 5--- To find out how
many gallons that is divide the number by 128. Step 6--- Now, how
many baby elephants can take a bath in that much water? (Hint: Divide the
number of gallons by 600 for the answer.) Other ways to save If you have
a hot water leak it needs to be fixed. The Department of Energy reports that
up to 20% of the energy used in your home is used to make hot water. Saving
that energy can save your family a lot of money. Find out if your family is
following these tips. To save water you can buy low
flow faucets and shower heads. They'll help you cut the amount of water that
you usually use in half! Using an electric water heater
is the most expensive way to heat your home's water. To save energy it
should be replaced by a water heater with the same fuel that you use to heat
your home.
If you have a dishwasher, make sure that it's full
before using it. And you'll use less water if you take showers rather
than baths.
Your water heater and pipes should be wrapped with
insulation. That way the hot water won't cool off before it comes out of
your faucet. |