Learn about Faucet Aerator

Aerators screw onto faucets to constrict the water flow and deliver a mixture of water and air in the stream.

Some faucets already have older, inefficient aerators that can be replaced. Look for Watersense certified aerators; these have a maximum flow rate of 1.5 gallons/minute (5.7 litres/minutes). The U.S. EPA Watersense label ensures that products have completed a third-party certification process, which includes independent lab testing to ensure adherence to EPA criteria.

If you have an older faucet, an aerator may not fit, and it may be beneficial to replace the entire faucet with a low-flow model.

Less water is typically drawn from a faucet with an aerator, reducing the amount of energy required to heat water. Low-flow models can reduce water consumption by 40% compared to older, less efficient aerators and these savings can be much more for faucets that didn't have aerators to begin!

In the United States, approximately 16% of total household water use is attributed to flowing faucets. Low flow faucet aerators are an inexpensive and easy way to reduce water usage and the cost associated with heating water. Costing only $3 to $10, a 1.0 GPM faucet aerators can reduce costs by up to 55%. In contrast, a 0.5 GPM faucet aerator can reduce a faucet operating cost by up to 77%.