About a decade ago, water conserving faucets and low-flow showerheads were the bane of contractors and homeowners alike. But over time, trial and error has led to better product design, education and installation. If your kitchen or bathroom faucet is fairly new, it will probably have an aerator in it. New faucets today typically have 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm) aerators, whereas conventional faucets typically use 4 gpm. If your faucets are more than ten years old, odds are they’re water hogs. Aerators provide a low-tech solution that not only make the flow more forceful, but provide more effective wetting and rinsing. Consider installing an aerator with a lower flow, such as 1.5, 1.0, or the lowest option available to date: .5 gpm.   

To help you decide which aerator to purchase, first you’ll need to determine the flow rate of your faucet. If it takes less than five seconds to fill up a one-quart container, your faucet uses more than three gallons per minute. If it takes ten seconds to fill up, your faucet uses 1.5 gpm. Once you know your existing faucet's approximate output, take along your old aerator or faucet screen to the store to make sure your new one will fit. If you have an old faucet with no threads in the tip for screwing in an aerator, you will not be able to use one, and should consider investing in a new faucet. Imprinted on the aerator, in tiny numbers, is its rate flow of gallons per minute. They typically cost between $0.50 and $3.00. You’ll be hard pressed to find a wiser three-dollar investment.

If you already have an aerator installed but are experiencing weak water pressure, you may just need the aerator cleaned. Another symptom of a dirty aerator is an irregular spray pattern or stray stream of water going off at an odd direction. Cleaning or replacing the aerator is very easy and you should be able to do it with just a set of pliers. All you need to do is unscrew the aerator from the spout, disassemble it and soak the screen and aerator disks in vinegar for an hour or more. After soaking, you may want to scrub them with a small brush to remove lingering residue. Reassemble the aerator and thread the assembly back onto the spout. Tighten it with tape-wrapped pliers to avoid marring the finish.

In early 2008, the EPA began to expand their WaterSense Program by developing criteria for water-efficient new homes. These homes must meet both indoor and outdoor water use criteria in order to be considered a WaterSense labeled home. The specification for bathroom faucets under the WaterSense Home Program requires that all bathroom faucets installed be WaterSense labeled faucets. The spec sets the maximum flow rate of faucets and aerators at 1.5 gmp, tested at a flowing pressure of 60 psi. The spec also includes a minimum flow rate of 0.8 gpm tested at a flowing pressure of 20 psi to ensure performance across a variety of different household conditions. Currently, kitchen and utility faucets are not addressed since the different uses (e.g., pot filling) and users expectations (e.g., fill the pot quickly) may not be adequately addressed with low-flow faucets. This specification will be revised as new aerators are labeled under the WaterSense program. For more information on how to find a WaterSense labeled product, visit WaterSense: Find a Product.