Going sustainable to saving not only money but also natural resources is now becoming more common among homeowners as an invaluable change. It helps boost your home's value as well as improves your overall lifestyle. In a nutshell, retrofitting your plumbing is a home renovation project of savings with lots of benefits.

Moreover, as per the Water Conservation Retrofit Program in Los Angeles, all buildings must have water fixtures that promote water conservation to be in compliance with state regulations.

What is plumbing retrofitting?

Plumbing retrofitting refers to replacing or upgrading the existing plumbing fixtures, such as shower heads, taps, toilets, etc., with Water Conserving Plumbing Fixtures. These fixtures help reduce the amount of water drawn out, preventing water wastage.

Why retrofit plumbing?

Fixtures like showers and toilets use a lot of water. By retrofitting these, you can easily cut the amount of water used each day and save more. The best way to get the most accurate water consumption in your home is to get a professional retrofit inspection.

A professional will thoroughly inspect your plumbing system and tell you how much water your fixtures are using and which is the most significant source. According to the Water Conservation Retrofit Program Los Angeles, you are required to upgrade all your water fixtures to less water-consuming ones.

All plumbing upgrades in a new or existing building shall meet the following requirements:

Toilets: All toilets installed must be high-efficiency fixtures. The maximum flush volume for high-efficiency toilets should not exceed 1.28 gallons per flush (GPF).

Urinals: All urinals installed shall be high-efficiency fixtures. The maximum flush volume of high-efficiency urinals shall not exceed 0.125 (GPF)

Faucets: faucets in public restrooms should be self-closing. The flow rate for all indoor faucets must not be more than 2.2 gallons per minute (GPM) except as follows:

• The maximum flow rate for private-use lavatory faucets shall be 1.5 (GPM)
• The maximum flow rate for public-use lavatory faucets shoul not be more than 0.5 (GPM)

Exception: Metering faucets must not deliver more than 0.25 gallons (1.0 liter) of water per cycle.

• The highest flow rate for a pre-rinse spray valve in a commercial kitchen to clean food waste from dishes and cookware beforeprior to cleaning shall be 1.6 (GPM)

Showerheads: All showerheads should be low-flow with a maximum flow rate that should not exceed 2.0 gallons per minute. This requirement does not apply to any emergency showerhead for health or safety purposes.

Leave it to the professionals.

Retrofitting a bathroom shouldn't be done as a DIY project. To ensure the highest quality job and efficient installations, hiring a professional retrofitting company is best.

Some plumbing fixtures may require more skills to install correctly. Moreover, some fixtures have warranties, which may get nullified due to damage during DIYing. Professionals have both skills and experience to efficiently upgrade your plumbing and ensure you comply with the LA state regulations.