Plumbing Devices Help Slow Flow : Consumers: Aerators and restricters reduce water use without draining the wallet.

Water cutbacks or increased costs got you in a tizzy about how to reduce your household usage?

Although some California cities have ordered water cutbacks, others are still in the voluntary stage. But residents of those cities can be sure that mandated reduction of water usage is coming, sooner than later.

So what can you do? Sit down and figure out how much you are willing to spend to retrofit your home, condominium or apartment with water-saving devices. You can make a difference for as little as $2 or spend more than $700.

Start with toilets, the largest single water-waster; 5 or 6 gallons are used each flush. Low-flow toilets can cut that to about 1.5 gallons.

You can buy a low-flow toilet for as little as $65 or a French-designed one for $745. Customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power can get a $100 rebate if they buy a DWP-approved model. For a list of approved low-flow toilets, call the DWP hot line, (213) 481-5800 or (800) 722-1122.

Unless you’re an accomplished do-it-yourselfer, you will pay a plumber $45 to $60 an hour to install the toilet. While the plumber is there, get your leaky faucets and pipes repaired; you’ll save water and money in the long run. Says James Derry, DWP’s director of customer services: “One single little drip can waste up to 50 gallons of water per day.”

If a new toilet doesn’t fit your budget, there are other--and far less expensive--water-saving devices.

Toilet dams are one of the cheaper, popular restriction devices, says Rick Brandley, owner of George’s Pipe & Plumbing Supply in South Pasadena. The dams (about $8.95) are two plastic-covered stainless-steel plates that slip into standard toilet tanks and reduce the size of the water reservoir. The toilet then uses 1.5 to 2 gallons less water per flush.

“We’ve found they’re better than a brick in the tank--that can foul up the plumbing--or a bag of water,” Brandley says. Still, he warns, “People should be careful what they buy. There’s a lot of ridiculous stuff out there.”

DWP customers can get free toilet-tank displacement bags by calling the DWP hot line. The plastic bags can save consumers more than 1,200 gallons of water per year.

“Anything you can do to save water is going to help,” says John Gordon of Conners Plumbing in Eagle Rock. “We’ve been installing a lot of low-flow toilets in the last month. We’ve put a ton of them in. But, if people don’t have the money for those, they can take it another step. If there are no guests at your home, when you tinkle in the toilet, don’t flush every time.”

Becoming water aware does not necessarily mean spending a lot of money.

“The majority of water use is in the bathroom,” says the DWP’s Derry. “Two that cause the most wastage are brushing your teeth with the water running and men shaving with the water on. Doing either one wastes 3 to 5 gallons of water per minute.”

He says low-flow aerators, which cost about $2, for bathroom and kitchen faucets, can reduce the flow by 2 to 2 1/2 gallons per minute. But, Derry cautions, “If (the aerator) can’t tell you how many gallons per minute it produces, don’t buy it.”

Low-flow shower heads, which can save 2 to 2 1/2 gallons per minute, range in price from $9 and $45; other flow restricters for showers run from 50 cents to $12.

If faucets have been installed in the past few years, they probably have aerators that reduce the flow to less than 3 gallons per minute. Many shower heads manufactured during the last three to four years also restrict flow.

You can also conserve water by running dishwashers and washing machines with only full loads. And if you’re over your water limit, you might consider taking your clothes to a coin-operated laundry.

Mark Miller, vice president of sales for PWS/Launderland, which has the most self-service laundries in California, says commercial washers are far more water-efficient than typical home washers. He says a home washer uses an average of 56.7 gallons per water cycle. Top-loading, coin-operated washers use about 32 gallons of water per cycle for a 14-pound load; large-capacity commercial ones use only 14 to 20 gallons for a 14-pound load.

If there is a marked increase in customers at laundries, each laundry will have to justify its increased volume to get its DWP allotment changed, Derry says.

Gordon says some ultra-water-conscious residents have installed a circulating system between the hot water heater and home fixtures. It keeps hot water circulating through the pipes so that consumers have instant hot water. Such a system costs from $800 to $1,800, depending on home size.

“It’s more of a convenience in the long run, but it also saves water,” he says. “You draw off 2 to 5 gallons every time you let the water run to get hot. You’re letting that go down the drain.”

A more economical but time-consuming way to save that wasted water for your plants? A 5-gallon plastic bucket for about $4.

KEEPING WATER ON TAPBathroom

* Low-flow toilet uses 1.5-1.6 gallons per flush instead of 5-6 gallons by a standard toilet. Cost: $65-$745, not installed.

* Low-flow shower head with turnoff button or key saves 2-2 1/2 gallons of water per minute. Cost: $9-$45.

* Water saver aerator for bathroom sink cuts water flow from 5 gallons per minute to 2.5. Cost: about $2.

* Toilet tank bag, a plastic bag you fill with water and hang inside the tank, can save more than 1,200 gallons of water a year. Cost: Free from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

* Toilet dam, an alternative to the toilet tank bag, consists of two stainless steel plates covered by plastic that slip in the tank and make the water reservoir smaller. Saves an estimated 1.5-2 gallons per flush. Cost: about $9.

* Water flow restricter, a small disc, slips into the shower head and cuts water flow from 5 gallons per minute to 2.5. Cost: 50 cents to $1.

* An alternative to the disc restricter, the water restricter valve is installed between the shower head and arm and can turn off water during shower. Cost for a brass one: $12; plastic, $6.

Total cost:

Minimum--$11.50, including $9 toilet dam, 50-cent shower water restricter and $2 sink aerator. Customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power can get low-flow shower head with button turnoff and toilet tank bag free.

Maximum--$792, includes high-end low-flow toilet ($745) (without installation), $45 designer low-flow shower head and $2 sink aerator. For DWP-approved low-flow toilet models, $100 rebate.

Kitchen

* The same water saver-aerator installed in bathroom should be placed on kitchen faucet to reduce water flow. It is essential in older homes, where faucets have not been replaced in the last few years.