Greening Your Bathroom

Greening Your Bathroom

Today, more and more people are taking steps to make their homes environmentally friendly and reduce overall global warming. With the average American household consuming over 100,000 gallons of water and generating over 22 tons of carbon dioxide each year, every little thing we do to reduce our impact on the environment makes a difference.

If you want to live in a green home, there are several changes you can make. They range from the simple things like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs to conserve energy, to the more involved like a remodeling project with an eco-friendly focus. The good news for consumers is that whether you are looking to make environmentally-friendly changes to your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or living room, you have a larger selection of products from which to choose.

If you are planning a bathroom remodel or are building a new home and would like it to be eco-friendly, there are several things you can consider incorporating such as water-saving showerheads, taps and appliances, grey water recycling systems, under floor or exteriors, rainwater tanks, composting toilets and eco-friendly finishes and flooring.

Showers & Showerhead Accessories
With over 75% of water used in the home being attributed to the bathroom, a few simple changes in our water usage can make a world of difference. One such change to consider is in how we shower. Yes, we love our showers. Unfortunately, showers are one of the three largest home water hogs. By switching to a low-flow, efficient shower head, you can receive the same quality shower, while using less water per minute.

Bathroom Sinks & Faucets
By installing a low-flow faucet aerator in your bathroom sink, you can save water as well as energy usage to heat the water. In a typical household, installing a low-flow faucet aerator can save up to 2.4 gallons of water a day.

Toilets

Toilets have the notorious distinction of being the single largest user of water in the home. In fact, older models can use up to five times as much water as newer versions. To save on water consumption, consider a low flush toilet. One such example is the Toto Elongated Aquia™ Dual Flush Two Piece Toilet. This dual-flush toilet effectively reduces water consumption by providing the right amount of water for the specific task (0.9 gallons for a liquids flush and 1.6 gallons for a solids flush). It also received the EPA’s WaterSense® rating for high efficiency.

Another option is a composting toilet. Composting toilets were developed over thirty years ago in Sweden. Since then, they have evolved and become even more efficient for everyday household use. They require little to no water and rely on unsaturated conditions which allow aerobic bacteria to break down waste. These toilets are designed to contain, immobilize, and destroy pathogens. This in turn reduces the risk of human infection to acceptable levels without contaminating the environment. Those interested in composting toilets should consider products like the SunMar Excel - High Capacity Poolside Toilet.

Water Heaters

Water heaters not only use large quantities of electricity and water to operate, but also give off a significant amount of carbon dioxide. Tankless water heaters help save on energy usage, water and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. An added bonus is that many of the new tankless water heaters qualify for the current energy tax incentive credit which potentially can save you up to $300 if purchased in 2007. Products like the Takagi Flash Water Heater Direct Vent unit can provide 250 gallons of hot water per hour every hour on demand, while eliminating standby heat loss and lowering your energy bill.

Lighting Options
Compact fluorescent bulbs are great if you prefer electric lighting. However, another option if you plan on going all out in your bathroom would be to install a skylight. Skylights allow natural light to flow in thus cutting back on energy usage.

Making your home eco-friendly may seem like a challenge, but it’s a worthwhile one. The important thing to remember is that no matter how “green” you decide to go or what your budget can afford, you are going to make a difference in terms of ensuring that clean water and clean air are available to all Earth’s inhabitants for years to come.