In light of the increase in utility rates and the decrease in the standard of living due to the economic crisis, most people are looking for ways to save money and how. And here, helpful businessmen offer to buy an aerator (a special nozzle for a faucet), which, according to them, can reduce water consumption by 40-50%. Isn't it great to buy once a thing that will pay off in just 1-2 months, and will continue to save you money? It is with this slogan that marketers urge to buy aerators.
The variety of models, as well as the prices, is impressive. There are also very simple nozzles for 400-600 rubles, and rotating or backlit ones for 1100-1300 rubles. Some online stores even create colorful sales pages that vividly describe the benefits of buying an aerator and invite you to definitely buy the device. It's true, their prices are outrageous. The same model, which costs 600 rubles in a regular plumbing store, they sell at a price of 1,500 rubles, or even higher. But can aerators really reduce water use and help save money on utility bills? Or is this a new marketing ploy aimed at extracting money from the pockets of the townsfolk?
What is an aerator
The aerator is a special nozzle on the mixer, along the perimeter of which there is a series of small holes. According to the sellers, the water consumption is reduced due to the suction of air through these holes, which dilutes the water jet.
Internal aerators are produced, which are screwed into the faucet spout, and external ones, which are a design that is put on the mixer from above. They are usually made of brass, stainless steel, plastic or extruded aluminium. In addition to simple nozzles, models with a rotating head or with illumination are also available. These aerators are quite bulky and can be a problem for those who have a faucet too low above the sink.
Is it profitable to buy
Let's assume that the aerator is really able to save up to 50% of water consumption. Let's see how marketers are already deceiving this beautiful phrase “water saving 50%” and consider whether it is really profitable to purchase an aerator or you will just spend money again and will not even be able to recoup the cost of the product.
The main water consumption in the house is a shower, bath and toilet tank drain. The aerator is designed to be installed on the faucet in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Tap water is mainly used mainly to wash, brush your teeth or wash dishes. Filling a bathtub, kettle or pan with water will definitely not save money, since it is the volume that is needed. The total consumption of tap water compared to the volume that is consumed when taking a shower or bath, as well as flushing the toilet, is only a small part - about 10%.
Let's make some conditional calculations. On average, a family of 4 uses about 24 cubic meters of water. Even if there is the same amount of cold and hot water, although in practice the majority consumes much more cold water. Approximate water tariffs for Moscow are 130 rubles for hot water, 35 rubles for cold water, 30 for sewerage (The rates are approximate, since rates vary depending on the organization and location of the house. In the regions, prices are even lower). The total is 130x12 + 35x12 + 30x24 \u003d 1560 + 420 + 720 \u003d 2700 rubles. In total, for water that is consumed directly from the tap, the amount of payment is approximately 270 rubles. If we assume that the aerator really saves 50% of water, then the saved amount will be only 135 rubles per month. And this despite the fact that there are 4 people in the family. But you were promised 50% savings, which meant that the savings would be from the entire amount of payment for utilities for water supply, that is, in our case, 1350 rubles, not 135.
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Do not forget that there are at least two taps in the apartment (if you do not have two bathrooms) - in the kitchen and in the bathroom. So you need to install 2 aerators. The cost of one nozzle is about 500-600 rubles, if you do not buy very simple and cheap options that will fall apart in a month. In total, if we assume that aerators really reduce water consumption by 50% of water, then at a cost of 1000-1200 rubles for devices and savings of 135 rubles a month, the paid funds will be repaid to you only after 7-9 months. And given the fragility of the structure and the likelihood of rust, they will just have to be changed by that time.
Here the first fraud of sellers was revealed. They claim that aerators save 50% of water, forgetting to clarify that this figure is not calculated from the entire volume of water used, but only from a tenth of it. But okay, if it would be their most terrible deception. If the family is large, then it would make sense to buy durable and reliable nozzles, which at least a year later gave at least some savings. But no! The most terrible deception of marketers lies in the fact that aerators do not actually save anything!
50% water savings? Alas…
At one time, angry because of the next increase in utility rates and having heard plenty of beautiful promises about saving water with the help of an aerator, I also bought this interesting thing for myself with great hopes. I paid about 500 rubles for it in a plumbing store. Installing it was really easy, as promised by the manufacturer. On this, all the pluses ended.
Screw on the nozzle and hope that it will really save me 50% of water, it was not enough for me. Therefore, full of enthusiasm, I decided to check whether the sellers told me the truth or not. My instruments for the experiment were two three-liter jars and a timer on the phone. 10 seconds to fill the jars from the tap with and without an aerator and compare the difference in the volumes received. Do you really think it was 50%? No matter how! Alas, the water in the banks was the same amount. The difference was no more than 100 ml, and this despite the fact that both jars were filled with about 2 liters. The video clearly demonstrates an experiment to check the flow of water using an aerator.
I only regretted the purchase and the money spent. Later, a familiar plumber explained that in fact the aerator works simply as a water distributor. The same volume of water is poured out not in one continuous stream, but through several holes. The water pressure is the same, the volume is the same, so there is no question of reducing the flow, and consequently, saving the cost of utility services for the supply.
In total, having bought an aerator for himself in the hope of significantly saving on paying for water, a person will only spend money, time on the purchase and installation of a part and become the owner of an unnecessary trinket. In addition, a massive faucet nozzle can cause discomfort when washing hands or pouring water into dishes, as it greatly reduces the distance between the faucet and the sink.
