Water running out amok from the faucet is a pretty common sight in our everyday life. In most cases, as you turn on the tap, the water comes out with full force.
It takes you some moments to adjust the flow rate. In the meantime, the water ricochets off the sink and wets your clothes. And the water gets wasted.
Researchers demonstrate that about 6,000-10,000 gallons of water go to waste every year. A significant portion of this happens due to scattered water flow from the faucet.
Surprisingly, installing a single device on the tap water pathway can drastically reduce this wastage. And, the device is a water aerator.
In this post, we’ll be discussing all you need to know about the aerators, how they work and how those help you control the flow rate of water through your taps. So, stay tuned.
What are faucet water aerators?
Water aerators are sieve-like fittings that we attach at the end of a water tap to have a controlled flow rate. It enables you to get a steady, laminar flow out of the sporadic tap water.
If you’re a resident of California, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky, or any other state in the US, you’re probably already familiar with water aerators.
Over the years, these devices are gaining popularity all over the world. That’s because these help you lower the rate of water going to waste.
As you know, the crisis for freshwater is condensing all over the world. The water aerators can be a creative reply to this problem.
- With its strained outlook, the water aerator will provide you a steady flow of water. Moreover, you will also be able to higher or lower the flow rate by adjusting its settings.
Now, let’s learn more about water aerators and what it does. Let’s go.
How do faucet water aerators work?
By directing the influx of water through its cavities, a water aerator divides the flow into tiny mini streams. Thus, the air gets mixed with water. The mini streams get pointed in a single direction altogether. Therefore, you get a steady, laminar flow of water from the faucet.
Sink aerators or faucet water aerators come in various shapes and sizes. But, the underlying goal is to gain better control over the water flowing through the different sources.
As you can guess from the name, a water aerator is a device that mixes air with water. As a result, the density of water goes down.
Any faucet or tap water aerator out there runs on the same principle. There are various ways to mix air with water. Any modern water aerator consists of four components.
- The first one is the fitting or housing of the aerator, which clings onto the tap.
- The second component is the swivel-like joint. It would enable the aerator to have a 360-degree rotation. As a result, it would be able to cover any part of the sink.
- The third component is the aerator chamber, where the incoming water enters. There the water gets multiple rounds of rotation. Consequently, the water slows down, and more air would automatically mix with the water.
- The final component is the sieve-like formation with tiny holes in it. The pores will divide the mainstream of water into multiple mini streams. There will be a separation between the mini streams filled with air.
As a result, the volume of water coming out will lower down further. In this fashion, the faucet water aerators work. As you can see, to control the flow rate, air molecules get added two times.
In most water aerators these days, there will be another valve-type component. It would allow you to adjust the flow rate further.
What are the benefits of having a faucet aerator?
In typical households these days, you will find an aerator attached to every tap. Let’s find out why water aerators are so beneficial.
Faucet aerators save more water.
By restricting the amount of water flow coming out of the tap, the water aerators drastically reduce the wastage of water and hence, save your money at the same time.
In the absence of an aerator, water will flow out at its regular pace. In general, the flow rate of water through various taps and faucets in our houses tends to differ.
With its porous outlook, the aerators give your cruise control over the water flow. In the meantime, it will scale down the volume of water coming out.
- For instance, about 3-4 gallons of water will come out every minute through the kitchen faucets having no aerators. We do not need the whole amount of water while washing the dishes.
As soon as you attach the aerator to the tap, the flow rate will get down to 1.5-2.5 gallons per minute. Some aerators will decrease the flow rate even further.
So, you see, you can save a significant amount of water by applying aerators in your faucets, taps, showers, and wherever. Study shows that using a water aerator will save you 30-50% of water usage.
Tap water aerators to save your money.
By lowering down the water usage, the aerators will save a significant portion of your water bill. That’s not all. It will also reduce your electricity usage as well.
Whether you live in Texas, Florida, California, New York, or any other state, there is a 90% probability that you have a water heater in your house.
Using aerators in your kitchens or showers will lower down your usage of hot water. As a result, the heaters will have to warm a truncated amount of water than before.
It will heavily influence your day-to-day electricity usage. On average, it takes about 10-20 minutes to take a shower. As the duration remains the same, you will now use less hot water.
So, you see, the aerators will save you a significant amount of money over time.
Water aerators improve water pressure.
By diverting the water stream through the porous structure, water aerators will improve the water pressure. As the density lowers on the outside, pressure increases proportionally.
In general, the tap water pressure may be anywhere between 40 to 100 PSI in municipal regions. But, the value might go down during peak hours.
That’s when the aerators will come in handy. As water passes through the tiny holes, it will mix with air. As a result, the density will get reduced. On the other hand, the pressure will increase.
Consequently, you can wash your dishes faster. The improved pressure also makes sure you take a comfortable bath any time.
Faucet water aerators work as sediment filters.
Another excellent thing about faucet aerators is that those work as a simple sediment filter. Like a filter, an aerator will screen the influx of water and get rid of the dust and rust.
The water we get from municipal water treatment plants goes through a variety of purifying processes. But, as they travel to our taps, some forms of debris, dust, or rust get mixed on the way.
That’s why we all have reverse osmosis water filters in our homes. The tap aerators will give you an additional advantage. The outgoing water will have little to no sand particles as it goes through the aerators.
So, you see, water aerators help you control the flow rate and cleanse the sediment particles simultaneously.
Tap aerator reduces splashing and noise.
Apart from all the advantages, the water aerators also reduce the splashing of water into the sink. As a result, there will be less noise as you get a laminar flow instead of a turbulent one.
As you already know, the water gets divided into numerous mini streams due to the aerator. When these mini streams fall on the sink, they create an individual splash each.
But, we will only observe the splashes from streams that remain at the border. A splash in the middle will get undone by the streams at its surroundings.
- As a result, you will get more stratified water flow out of the faucet. The noise will also go down as there will be fewer splashes. Also, you won’t have to worry about a sudden splash to ruin your outfit.
Final Thoughts
Every day millions of gallons of water get wasted in our houses. A significant portion of this happens due to uncontrolled water flow.
With the usage of a simple attachment to your faucet, you can contribute to the conservation of freshwater every day.
Whether you have an old faucet or a new one, buy a tap aerator and attach it to the tap. It will not only save you some bucks but also give a wholesome experience.
To find out how to pick your aerators, you can check out our post here. If you have any more questions about faucet aerators, you can let us know in the comments.
Also, don’t forget to share this article with your friends. You can check out more informative posts like this on our blog page here. Cheers!!!
