A notice to all of
you Central
Floridians
Look for my column
"Function First", in
the Orlando
Sentinel. It will be
appearing monthly in
the Saturday Home
Fix-Up section.
Saving Water Beautifully
Only 3 percent of all water on earth is fresh, and 2 percent of that is
frozen in icecaps and glaciers. Selecting low-flow fixtures helps
preserve this most precious resource. Low-flow fixtures supply less than
the standard 2.2 (sink faucet) or 2.5 (showerhead) gallons per minute and
are offered by many companies, including Kohler® (www.kohler.com),
Oxygenics® (www.oxygenics.com),
Toto® (www.totousa.com), and
Delta® (www.deltafaucet.com).
In the past, some low-flow fixtures provided less-than-acceptable performance. Today,
technological advances have been incorporated into the majority of these fixtures so
they provide a “standard” shower or sink/lavatory use experience.
To make it easy to find and select water-efficient products with good performance,
the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has introduced its WaterSense® program,
a label that’s backed by independent testing and certification.
 WaterSense®-labeled
products perform their intended functions as well as or better than their
less-efficient counterparts. And generally speaking, they’re about 20 percent
more water-efficient. For a list of qualified low-flow products, including toilets,
bathroom sink faucets, showerheads, and weather or sensor-based irrigation technologies,
visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
Here are a few examples to give you an idea of what’s on the market.
 Kohler® offers an extensive line of low-flow fixtures. Its hands-on display of
lavatory faucets at the recent International Builders Show here in Orlando gave
attendees an opportunity to test low-flow lavatory faucets in person. And they
really do feel just like their 2.2-gallon-per-minute counter-parts. I think the
only difference we'll notice as homeowners is the difference in the water bill.
The photo to the right, courtesy of Kohler, shows the company's Fairfax® model.
Photograph copyright © Kohler Co.
 One
option for a low-flow showerhead is offered by Oxygenics®. Their TriSpa™ head
uses an air-induction design that infuses oxygen into the water to produce a more
forceful spray. According to manufacturer, Energy Technology Laboratories, this model
offers three pressurized spray patterns and saves 30 to 50 percent more water than
standard showerheads. The hand-held version pictured here courtesy of Oxygenics®, comes in brushed nickel
($59.95) or chrome ($54.95).
Low-flush toilets (1.6 gallons per flush) have been standard in the U.S. since the
Energy Policy Act of 1992. Even so, it’s estimated that as much as 20 percent of
our household water bill goes right down the toilet – pun intended.
Want to take a chunk out of that statistic and help the environment at the same time?
A dual-flush toilet, which uses .8 or .9 gallons per flush for liquids and 1.6 for
solids, can save a family thousands of gallons of water per year.
 Kohler®
has a number of single- and dual-flush toilets from which to choose. One of their
newest single-flush models, the Kelston Comfort Height™ (pictured here through the
courtesy of Kohler Co.) uses 1.28 gallons per minute. Kohler says this toilet, which
retails for about $275, can save up to 3,200 gallons of water per fixture per year.
Photograph copyright © Kohler Co.
Toto® is another company that has an excellent reputation for commodes, and I’ve gotten
good feedback on their dual-flush model. This technology seems new to us, but
dual-flush commodes have been used for many years in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The United States is definitely behind the times when it comes to water conservation.
Dual-flush commodes usually feature two buttons on the top of the tank (as shown on
the Toto® tank pictured to the right). One is used for flushing liquids at .8 or .9
gallons per flush; the second is used for solids at the normal 1.6 gallons per flush.
Dual-flush technology has the potential to save a family of four up to an amazing
10,000 gallons of water per year. That’s a saving great enough to pay for the fixture
in just a few years. And of course, you’ll continue to save water, for yourself and
the planet, for years to come. I’ve seen prices on the Toto® dual-flush model
from $300 to $435.
Today we have the ability to conserve water without sacrificing either aesthetics
or comfort. As you make your plumbing fixture selections, take a serious look at
low-flow. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Is there a subject
you’d like me to
cover? Let me know
by sending an email
to
tracy@tracystips.net.
All past issues of
this ezine are in
the Ezine Archives
on our web site.
Click here for Ezine
Archives !
Copyright © 2008
Tracy DeCarlo - All
Right Reserved
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