The easiest water-saving upgrade you'll ever make. 5 minutes of work, $30-80 in annual savings, and you won't notice any difference.
Average savings from installing aerators on all household faucets. Higher savings in homes with older, high-flow faucets.
Source: EPA WaterSense Program
A faucet aerator is the small screen-like piece screwed onto the end of your faucet spout. It's that thing you unscrew when you're trying to clean it.
What it does: Mixes air into the water stream to create the sensation of higher pressure while using less water. The result is a fuller, softer flow that feels normal but uses 30-50% less water.
The Magic: A modern 1.5 GPM aerator feels almost identical to an old 2.2 GPM faucet, but saves you hundreds of gallons per month. You literally won't notice the difference in daily use.
Faucets account for about 19% of indoor water use - roughly 26 gallons per day for an average family.
| Faucet Type | Flow Rate | Daily Use (Family of 4) | Annual Water Use | Cost/Year ($5/1,000 gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-1992 Standard | 3.0-5.0 GPM | 35-40 gallons | 12,775-14,600 gal | $64-73 |
| Current Standard | 2.2 GPM | 26 gallons | 9,490 gallons | $47 |
| WaterSense (1.5 GPM) | 1.5 GPM | 18 gallons | 6,570 gallons | $33 |
| Ultra Low-Flow (1.0 GPM) | 1.0 GPM | 12 gallons | 4,380 gallons | $22 |
Based on EPA data for average household faucet usage patterns
Real-World Example:
That's a 200-300% return on investment in the first year, then pure profit after that.
Not all faucets are equal. Kitchen and bathroom faucets have different usage patterns and requirements.
Kitchens need more flow for filling pots, rinsing dishes, and food prep.
Recommended: 1.5-2.0 GPM aerators
Why: Good balance of water savings and practical functionality
Savings: $10-20/year per faucet
Bathrooms primarily use faucets for handwashing and tooth brushing - tasks that don't need high flow.
Recommended: 1.0-1.5 GPM aerators (can go as low as 0.5 GPM)
Why: Handwashing and brushing teeth work fine with lower flow
Savings: $8-15/year per faucet
Bathroom faucets can handle ultra-low flow (1.0 GPM or even 0.5 GPM) without any functional issues. You're just washing hands and brushing teeth - you don't need high flow. Kitchen faucets should stay at 1.5-2.0 GPM for practical use.
This is legitimately the easiest home improvement project you'll ever do. No tools required for most faucets.
That's it. You just saved $30-80/year in about 5 minutes of effort.
Old aerators can get stuck from mineral buildup. Solutions:
Here's what to look for when shopping:
| Model | Flow Rate | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neoperl Perlator | 1.5 GPM | $4-7 each | Best overall - reliable, WaterSense, widely available |
| Delta Faucet RP330 | 1.5 GPM | $5-8 each | Kitchen faucets - good flow for cooking tasks |
| Niagara Conservation N2915CH | 1.0 GPM | $3-5 each | Maximum savings - bathrooms only, excellent quality |
| Danco 10522 | 1.5 GPM | $3-6 each | Budget pick - basic but effective, easy to find |
| HOMEDEC Dual-Function | 1.5 GPM | $8-12 each | Swivel feature - adjustable spray angle |
All models are WaterSense certified and tested for performance
If you're doing your whole house, buy a multi-pack online:
Spend $25 once, save $30-80 every year for the next 5-10 years. That's $150-800 in total savings.
Want to know how much water you're currently wasting? Test it:
Quick reference: If your faucet fills a 1-liter bottle in under 12 seconds, you're using more than 1.5 GPM and should upgrade to a WaterSense aerator.
If your home already has low pressure (below 40 PSI), you might worry aerators will make it worse.
Actually, they can help: Many people confuse flow rate with pressure. A 1.5 GPM aerator can feel stronger than a worn-out 2.2 GPM aerator because the air mixing creates perceived pressure. Try it - you might be surprised.
Mineral buildup clogs aerator screens faster in hard water.
Solutions:
Some pull-out/pull-down kitchen faucets have built-in spray heads instead of traditional aerators.
Options:
Aerators need occasional cleaning to maintain performance:
Keeping aerators clean ensures they continue saving water effectively. Clogged aerators reduce flow unevenly and can actually waste water.
Sometimes the aerator isn't the problem - the whole faucet is outdated or damaged.
Replace the entire faucet if:
New WaterSense certified faucets come with 1.5 GPM aerators built in, have better warranties, and look nicer. Budget $60-150 for quality bathroom faucets, $100-300 for kitchen faucets.
Many water utilities give away free aerators. Seriously - FREE.
What utilities offer:
How to get them:
If free aerators are available, get them. Even if they're basic models, they're better than old 2.2 GPM aerators. You can always upgrade to better ones later if you want.
Let's run the full financial analysis for a typical 3-bedroom home:
Total Investment Analysis - Whole House
A $20 investment (or $0 if free from utility) that returns $35-45 every single year. This is one of the best ROI upgrades in your entire home.
See exactly how much you'll save based on your number of faucets and current flow rates.
Use Our Calculator →This Weekend:
Next Weekend:
Total time investment: 1 hour
Total monetary investment: $0-25
Annual return: $35-45/year
Effort to maintain: Almost none
Most people don't notice any difference in daily use. The aeration creates a fuller stream that feels normal. In blind tests, most people can't identify which faucet has the low-flow aerator.
About 95% of faucets use standard thread sizes. The main exceptions are some pull-out spray faucets and very old faucets with damaged threads. For oddball sizes, universal aerator adapters exist.
Quality WaterSense aerators last 5-10 years with normal use and cleaning. They're cheap enough that even if one fails, you just replace it for $4-6.
Yes! They unscrew in seconds. Keep your old aerators and swap back if you're unhappy (though this almost never happens).
Maximize your faucet-related savings by combining strategies:
Total potential savings: $110-130/year from better faucet habits.