When it comes to going green, few aspects of your home have more potential than your plumbing. Greening your plumbing can reduce home energy costs, improve your home from a health perspective, and it's easier on the environment. With home plumbing, the truth of the matter is that you're unlikely to spend much more by going green than if you go a more conventional route. And even if you do run into higher initial costs, when you consider that going green will help reduce energy costs and water usage, your investment is almost guaranteed to end up paying for itself over time.

Of course, putting a dent in your monthly utility bills is only the tip of the iceberg. The real value of going green is far higher than any calculations involving dollars and cents can reflect. For example, green plumbing provides cleaner water, making for a healthier home, and it conserves valuable water resources. When you look at it from that perspective, it's safe to say that going green is as much about passing a better world onto your children and grandchildren as it is about you saving a buck or two, and that's a tough thing to put a price tag on.

While thinking green when it comes to the plumbing in your home is a smart choice for your pocketbook, your home, and the environment, it's not unusual for homeowners to feel a little overwhelmed when presented with the full scope of green remodeling options. If you're feeling unsure about how green you're willing to go with plumbing, there's no need to worry. Going green is not an all-or-nothing proposition, and any step you take in a green direction is a smart one, whether you opt for easy-to-install flow reducers on your kitchen and bathroom faucets, or go all out with a new hot water heater, whole house water filtration system, and low-flush toilet.

Here are a couple of ways that Valentine can help your plumbing go green:

• Install Low-Flow Showers and Faucets—Low-flow showers and faucets can reduce home water usage by as much as 60 percent! And since you'll be using less hot water in the process, these easy green upgrades are good for the environment and your pocketbook at the same time.

• Install Low-Flush Toilets—Flushing your toilet accounts for the single biggest water draw in your home, to the tune of about 28 gallons of water per person, per day. A typical low-flush toilet uses anywhere from two to five times less water per flush, depending on the toilet you have installed.

• Install Faucet Flow Reducers—These easy-to-install flow reducers fit on the end of your faucets (where the aerator screws on), and can reduce faucet flow by as much as 40 percent.

• Install a more efficient water heater – We can inspect your water heating system and present options on fuel economy such as conversions to tankless water heaters where you not only can cut your fuel bill by 50%, but you can also reduce emissions into the ozone layer. We also stay up to date on all the latest rebates and credits available for energy efficient conversion.