To setup your home to save water by design the following are easy upgrades.
Change your toilet to a dual flush system. What is dual flush? In essence you have two buttons to use the appropriate amount of water based on liquid or solid waste. We use significantly more liquid waste and the “half flush” reduces the water used by about 40%. This setup will reduce the amount of water you use for flushing by 40% overall. My favorite brand of dual flush is Caroma (www.CaromaUSA.com) but there are others that do the trick as well. I recommend Caroma, because they also use a different trap system that reduces the possibility of clogging.
Dual Flush Buttons
If your fixture is still in good shape or you cannot spend the money on a new system, consider a retrofit kit, such as Eco Flush (www.EcoFlushToilet.com ). They range from $50 to about $80. This is the system I have installed in my house and is working very well. It takes a mere 20 minutes to switch out the old for the new and the savings will last… (it is also a great conversation starter and educator for visitors).
The other quick fix is to replace your showerhead. I have installed 2 different ones on my house and like the head that Kohler is providing (http://www.us.kohler.com/savewater/products/residential/showerheads.htm ). It will reduce flow rate of water passing through, thus saving water every shower. If you like a higher end product, look at HansGrohe (http://www.hansgrohe-usa.com/cps/rde/xbcr//SID-3F57E8CC-B64043AF/us_en/publications/US/hg_cromaecoair_press.pdf ).
For fixtures, look for the Water Sense logo to easily identify water waving options when purchasing your new faucet of showerhead. This program by the EPA works similar like the Energy Star program.
EPA Water Sense logo
Contact me with any questions or comments.
You could also try adding a smaller o-ring (under $5) in the shower head to reduce water flow.
If you are serious about saving water, want a toilet that really works and is affordable, I highly recommend installing a Dual Flush toilet. Caroma toilets offer a patented dual flush technology consisting of a 0.8 Gal flush for liquid waste and a 1.6 Gal flush for solids. On an average of 5 uses a day (4 liquid/ 1 solid) a Caroma Dual Flush toilet uses an average of 0.96 gallons per flush. The new Sydney Smart uses only 1.28 and 0.8 gpf, that is an average of 0.89 gallons per flush. This is the lowest water consumption of any toilet available in the US. Caroma, an Australian company set the standard by giving the world its first successful two button dual flush system in the nineteen eighties and has since perfected the technology. Also, with a full 3.5″ trapway, these toilets virtually never clog. All of Caroma’s toilets are on the list of WaterSense labeled HET’s (High Efficiency toilets) http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/find_het.htm and also qualify for several toilet rebate programs available in the US. Please visit my blog http://pottygirl.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/what-you-should-know-about-toilets/
to learn more or go to http://www.caromausa.com to learn where you can find Caroma toilets locally. Visit http://www.ecotransitions.com/howto.asp to see how we flush potatoes with 0.8 gallons of water, meant for liquids only. Best regards, Andrea Paulinelli
If you are serious about saving water, want a toilet that really works and is affordable, I highly recommend installing a Dual Flush toilet. Caroma toilets offer a patented dual flush technology consisting of a 0.8 Gal flush for liquid waste and a 1.6 Gal flush for solids. On an average of 5 uses a day (4 liquid/ 1 solid) a Caroma Dual Flush toilet uses an average of 0.96 gallons per flush. The new Sydney Smart uses only 1.28 and 0.8 gpf, that is an average of 0.89 gallons per flush. This is the lowest water consumption of any toilet available in the US. Caroma, an Australian company set the standard by giving the world its first successful two button dual flush system in the nineteen eighties and has since perfected the technology. Also, with a full 3.5″ trapway, these toilets virtually never clog. All of Caroma’s toilets are on the list of WaterSense labeled HET’s (High Efficiency toilets) http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/find_het.htm and also qualify for several toilet rebate programs available in the US. Please visit my blog http://pottygirl.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/what-you-should-know-about-toilets/
to learn more or go to http://www.caromausa.com to learn where you can find Caroma toilets locally. Visit http://www.ecotransitions.com/howto.asp to see how we flush potatoes with 0.8 gallons of water, meant for liquids only. Best regards, Andrea Paulinelli
Funny you tagged me with this on Twitter, just yesterday, we installed an Eago dual flush toilet in my house (bought it because it’s green and BEAUTIFUL….as toilets go, that is). Well…the installation was really REALLY difficult!! But I’m sure it will be worth it – I’ll let you know how it goes.