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The water saving device that saves the most is a WELS-rated water saving shower head. It uses 9 litres a minute or less, compared with 12 to 22 litres for an older showerhead, and saves more than 9,000 litres per person each year. Tap aerators, a 4-star dual flush toilet, a shower flow control valve, a hose trigger nozzle and a rainwater tank round out the list. The first two are inexpensive and fit straight onto your existing fittings.
On the Gold Coast, water usage costs about $5 per kilolitre (1,000 litres). For a family of four, switching to a WELS showerhead saves around 36,000 litres and about $180 a year in water usage charges, before you count the energy saved heating less hot water.
Water Saving Devices Compared
WELS water saving shower head
Typical use before: 12 to 22 L per minute
Typical use after: 9 L per minute or less
Best for: The biggest single saving in most homes
Who fits it: DIY on most showers
Tap aerator
Typical use before: 15 to 18 L per minute (older taps)
Typical use after: 4.5 to 9 L per minute, depending on rating
Best for: Bathroom basins
Who fits it: DIY
4-star dual flush toilet
Typical use before: 11 L per flush (old single flush)
Typical use after: 4.5 L full flush, 3 L half flush
Best for: Homes with older toilets
Who fits it: Plumber
Shower flow control valve
Typical use before: Full flow the whole shower
Typical use after: Flow paused while you lather or shave
Best for: Long showers
Who fits it: DIY or plumber
Hose trigger nozzle
Typical use before: About 25 L per minute while running
Typical use after: Water only flows when squeezed
Best for: Gardens and washing the car
Who fits it: DIY
Rainwater tank
Typical use before: All mains water
Typical use after: Tank water for toilets, laundry and garden
Best for: Houses with roof catchment
Who fits it: Plumber to connect
The 6 Best Water Saving Devices for Your Home
1. WELS-Rated Water Saving Shower Head
Showers are one of the biggest uses of water in the home, which makes the showerhead the best place to start. An older showerhead can use 12 to 22 litres a minute. A water efficient shower head with a 3-star WELS rating uses 9 litres a minute or less, and that is the minimum required for showers under the National Construction Code.
A WELS-rated showerhead saves more than 26 litres in an average 7-minute shower, which adds up to more than 9,000 litres per person each year. Because most of that is hot water, you also cut the energy your hot water system uses.
Check the WELS label on the box before you buy. It shows the star rating and the flow rate in litres per minute.
Most water saving shower heads screw straight onto the existing shower arm, so you can usually fit one yourself in about 10 minutes. Older fixed showerheads, or a shower arm that leaks at the wall, are a job for a plumber.
2. Tap Aerators
A tap aerator is a small mesh insert that screws into the end of a tap spout. It mixes air into the water, so the flow feels full while using less water. Older taps can run at 15 to 18 litres a minute. A 3-star WELS tap uses 9 litres a minute or less, and a 6-star tap can use 4.5 litres a minute or less.
Aerators save the most on bathroom basins, where water runs while you wash your hands, brush your teeth or shave. They save less on a kitchen sink, because filling a pot or the sink takes the same amount of water however slowly it runs.
3. 4-Star Dual Flush Toilet
An older single flush toilet can use 11 litres every flush. A 4-star WELS dual flush toilet uses about 4.5 litres for a full flush and 3 litres for a half flush. Replacing an old toilet with a 4-star dual flush model can cut the water your toilet uses by more than half.
If you are planning a new toilet, our guide to what a plumber charges to install or replace a toilet covers typical Gold Coast costs.
What about toilet tank displacement devices? A displacement device (a bag or bottle that sits in the cistern) reduces the water used per flush. It can help in an old single flush toilet, but don’t use one in a modern dual flush toilet. These are designed to flush with a set volume, and taking water away can stop waste clearing, which leads to double flushing and wastes more water than it saves.
4. Shower Flow Control Valve
You don’t need full water flow for your whole shower, for example while you’re shampooing or shaving. A shower flow control valve fits between the shower arm and the showerhead and lets you pause or reduce the flow without turning the taps off, so the temperature stays the same when you turn it back up.
It’s inexpensive, fits most showers, and works well alongside a WELS showerhead.
5. Hose Trigger Nozzle and Tap Timer
The City of Gold Coast estimates that an average garden hose or household tap runs at around 25 litres a minute. A trigger nozzle stops the water the moment you let go, so nothing runs while you move around the garden or wash the car. For garden beds, a tap timer turns the water off automatically, so a sprinkler can’t be left running for hours.
6. Rainwater Tank
A rainwater tank collects water from your roof that would otherwise go down the stormwater drain. Connected to your toilets, laundry and garden taps, it replaces mains water for some of your highest water uses. Connecting a tank to indoor fixtures needs a licensed plumber.
Read more about why every home should have a rainwater tank.
How Much Could You Save on the Gold Coast?
These estimates are for a family of four, using a water usage charge of about $5 per kilolitre.
Older showerhead to a WELS-rated shower head
Water saved per year: About 36,000 litres
Approximate saving on water usage charges: About $180
Old 11 L single flush toilet to a 4-star dual flush toilet
Water saved per year: About 56,000 litres
Approximate saving on water usage charges: About $280
The shower figure is based on more than 9,000 litres saved per person each year. The toilet figure assumes one full flush and four half flushes per person per day, which is the WELS standard. Your actual savings depend on how your household uses water. For a breakdown of what makes up your bill, see our guide to the average water bill.
At Oceanside Services, we’re all about helping you save water and money. Our professional Gold Coast plumbers have plenty of advice and access to all the best water saving devices on the market today. Call 07 5520 7100 today and start saving!
Showers are probably where most of our water is wasted, so this is obviously somewhere that is best to target in your endeavours. The best water saving devices generally tends to be shower related, and this one in particular could help you save big bucks. A general shower head works at up to 20 litres per minute, whereas an energy efficient one works at around 8 to 9. Cutting your litres per minute usage means you’re using much less water, and if you have a family, all showering daily, that’s a huge saving over the space of a year.