We have recently moved to Kentucky. The Fall has been very, very dry and our dishwasher requires that you run the tap until the water is hot. So, my husband purchased a terrific, barn red watering can me that I can use to "catch" the water from the tap until it runs hot. It exactly fills the watering can for use on my much needed newly planted flowers. I love feeling that I am conserving a very valuable resource. Plus, it is reported that the water rates are only going up! This is a win-win situation.
By Linda from Lexington, KY
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Great idea. I try to do this when running water in the sink to get it hot, but I only catch a little each time.
When we did some remodeling we had a new water heater put in, and in the process, we had a little pump installed on the hot water line above the hot water heater and another device was put under the sink of the furthest bathroom. Now we have hot water instantly throughout the house. You can get these pumps at Lowe's and Home Depot in the plumbing section for under $300 and are well worth it.
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I keep a dishpan in my kitchen sink that I use to catch excess water. (Waiting for water to heat up, washing hands, etc.) I then use this water to water my houseplants. I also water my plants with water I used to boil pasta.
By Susan from Giddings, TX
Hi Susan, I use a similar idea for my shower water - I've become a greenie that keeps a plastic bucket in the shower to catch the water before it gets warm enough. I use it on my plants, or to top up my fish pond. (08/05/2008)
By Cathy from Townsville, QLD
We too try and conserve water any way we can. We keep a bucket (from new cat litter) in the kitchen and put any water into that. At the end of the week we water all the plants.
We also have 2 rain barrels up during the summer for the flowers and vegetables. I have even allowed my outdoor hose to collect water while sitting in the sun and used that hot water to fill my washing machine, hot water for free!
We have a swimming pool and fill a black garbage can (used only for h2o) with rain water and let it sit for a day or so in the sun and then empty it into the pool. This really cuts back on the need to heat the pool. (08/06/2008)
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Hi Susan, We save ALL our shower water for landscape plants. We have a product that continuously extracts shower water and pumps it through the wall and onto landscape plants. It saves us a great deal of money each month and is simple and convenient to operate. There's also a remote that hangs from our towel rack which turns the pump on and off. If you are interested, the company's website is www.MiragePacific.com (08/29/2009)
By Julie Reavis
