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Does Energy Efficient Plumbing Increase a Home’s Value?

Dual flush toiletYou may be thinking, “Home improvement? Not in this economy!” But simple changes could make a big difference when you decide to make a move. Your home’s value could increase significantly by upgrading to high-efficiency plumbing fixtures. These days, people value functionality above all—everyone wants a green home. Improving your house to include energy efficient plumbing can be a huge advantage.

Here’s how you can improve your energy and in turn, increase the value of your property.

  1. Install energy efficient toilets. Old models of toilets use up to 7 whole gallons per flush, whereas new models use a maximum of 1.6 gallons with ultra efficient models using only 1.28 gallons per flush.

  2. Convert existing toilets to dual-flush toilets using conversion kits from your local home center. A dual flush toilet allows you to press one button for a low power flush that is sufficient for liquid waste and another button the provides a full flush to rid the bowl of solid waste. Since most flushes are for liquid waste, you’ll save a lot of money on your water bill with dual flush toilets.

  3. Consider adding low-flow shower and faucet heads. These will conserve water, provide better water pressure, and will ultimately add value to your house.

  4. Switch to tankless water heaters. These only heat water while it’s being used, instead of having it heated in the tank beforehand. This can lower energy costs and water consumption.

It also may be helpful to find out your home energy score. Consult a home energy score assessor to find yours. You can find these assessors from most energy companies. They should look for combustion safety, your HVAC systems and check for moisture problems. They should judge you on a scale of 1-10—a score of 1 indicating a serious need for improvement.

Overall, making improvements to your home’s energy efficiency can have both short and long term benefits. As people become more conscious of the environment and energy conservation, the more attracted they will be to houses that have strong improvements to reduce consumption. Even if you’re not looking to move anytime soon, these upgrades can ultimately save you energy and money.