Whether you're looking for safety and convenience upgrades or green living upgrades, your laundry room is a great place to start. Your laundry washing machine likely sees regular use, perhaps even daily use. A more efficient laundry setup can provide savings that build up every week.
Your plumber can help you update your laundry room, whether you're ready to switch to a more efficient washer and dryer or whether you just want to make the best use of the ones you have. Here are three relatively quick plumbing upgrades for your laundry room.
1. Drain Filter for the Washing Machine
Your washing machine may have some form of lint trap to catch some of the lint that the wash cycle produces. However, this isn't enough to remove all the lint from your laundry's wastewater. In fact, many particles from clothes washing are far too tiny for a typical filter to catch.
A specialized drain filter that installs easily onto your washing machine's drain can help collect many more of the particles that would otherwise end up in your wastewater. These plastics work their way into the water and may end up in the fish that humans eat, so filtering them out of your water before they escape your home is ideal.
Fortunately, your plumber can install a microplastics filter for you relatively quickly. These filters typically have simple drain connections that will likely present no challenge to your plumbing professional.
2. Diverter for
Graywater Reuse
Diverting your washing machine's wastewater (also known as graywater) away from your main sewer line can not only allow you to reuse the water, but also reduce the volume of wastewater you send down the main drain. Reducing the volume of wastewater can be particularly helpful if you have a septic system that you don't want to overwhelm.
Graywater reuse systems can be relatively simple or more complex. One simple form you can employ is a diverter leading from your washing machine drain to a large barrel, which you can then use to water your lawn and ornamental landscape plants. Or you can divert the water directly into irrigation hoses.
Installing the diverter can be a relatively quick job for a plumber. Some homeowners set up a graywater system without a diverter. But the diverter makes switching back to the septic system easier, which is important if you ever need to wash heavily soiled or hazardous laundry (such as cloth diapers, for example).
3. Extra Water Heater Insulation
Whether your water heater is technically in the laundry room or not, that's where the hot water for your laundry washing comes from. The more efficient your water heater is, the less energy your laundry will end up using. Washing in cold water can help too, but for those times when you need a warm or hot water wash, you need an efficient way to get hot water.
One option is to swap out your water heater for a more efficient one, which a plumber can likely do in just a few hours. But a much easier and quicker option is to simply add insulation around the water heater's tank so it can keep the water hot with less energy use. The energy savings can help you green your lifestyle and save you money on your electric bill.
These are just some relatively simple, quick options your plumber can help you with if you're looking to upgrade your laundry room with a minimum of investment and effort. They can help you live a more efficient life, saving money on your laundry as well as helping the environment.
For more information on the plumbing services we can provide, get in touch with us at Michigan Plumbing Sewer & Drain Cleaning Inc today.
