Water Use in the Bathroom

Water savings in the bathroom include:

• Different types of toilets
• Low flush toilets
• Dual flush toilet
• Air flush/pressure assisted flush toilets
• Composting toilets
• Toilet-sink lid
• Low flow shower head
• Shower timer
• Aerator tap
• Point-of-use water heater

Low Flush Toilets

Low flush toilets use 1.6 gallons (11 liters) or less water for each flush. Before 1994, toilets used up to 7 gallons per flush. In the US, in 1995 the National Energy Policy Act (H.R. 776) required all toilets to flush with less than 1.6 gallons.

The initial problem with these toilets is that they clog very easily because manufacturers often reduce water used without changing the tank, bowl or flushing mechanisms. This means there isn’t as much water savings because people often have to flush 2 or 3 times.

Some changes manufacturers have made to fix this include using pressurized flushes and changing from a 2 inch flush valve to a 3 inch flush valve. There are still problems with the low flush gravity toilets. Proper maintenance and picking the right toilet paper are two things you can do to ensure good flushing.

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Data source: http://www.toiletology.com/low-flow.shtml

Links to check out:

http://www.toiletology.com/low-flow.shtml

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/
0,,213021,00.html

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/08/
the_best_low-fl.php

http://www.toiletabcs.com/toilet-water-conservation.html

Dual Flush Toilets

Dual flush toilets are toilets which have two buttons on top, one for... uhhh... one and two for 2. They range from
US$ 244.00 to $3,565.00.  I have found some people saying they are easy to install!

The Toto uses 0.9/1.6 GPF (gallons per flush),
and the Carmon uses 0.8/1.6 GPF.

Dual flush toilets were invented in Australia and as you can see in our survey, they are very popular in Brisbane.

Click here to see the survey results for bathroom technologies

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Links to check out:

http://TOTOlogy.com

http://www.caroma.com.au/innovate/idea_1.htm

Air flush / pressure assisted toilet

Pressure assisted toilets look like normal gravity toilets but they have a different tank.  Inside the tank is a sealed black inner tank that holds the water.  When they fill up, the force of the water compresses the air inside the black inner tank. When the toilet is flushed, a valve opens, releasing the pressurized water causing a powerful flush.

Links to check out:

Flushmate has some interesting videos about how they work at:http://www.flushmate.com/HowItWorks/

Also: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-pressure-assisted-toilet.htm

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1. Water Flows To Vessle
2. Vessle Ready To Flush
3. Air Pressure Empties The Valve

Composting Toilet

Composting toilets are like normal toilets but instead they have a storage area in the bottom that makes the compost. Some are easy to install and only require easy to do maintenance once a month.The toilet in the picture is electric and it’s US$1695.00. But there are composting toilets that don’t use energy to compost! The downside is that they take 3 months to 3 years to produce the compost.

Most companies claim that compost toilets do not have any smell if they are maintained properly.

The C. K. Choi Building is a 30,000 square foot building that is part of the University of British Columbia and it uses composting toilets which lower its water usage down to 132 gallons per day (gpd) from 1850 gpd (which is what a normal building this size uses). You can read more about this building and see a diagram of how these toilets work at:

http://www.metaefficient.com/architecture-and-building/office-building-composting-toilets.html

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Links to check out:

http://www.naturum.fi/english/index_e.htm

http://weblife.org/humanure/chapter6_5.html

http://www.envirolet.com/

http://www.cityfarmer.org/comptoilet64.html 
           

Toilet Sink Lid

A toilet sink lid is a lid for the toilet that has a sink on it instead of the normal flat surface. When you flush the toilet, water comes out of the spout and goes into the toilet bowl or tank (depending on the type) to refill the tank. All water (approximately 48 ounces) flows through the spout. This means that all water is used twice: once to wash hands and once to flush the toilet (in that order).

The benefits are that it saves water (up to 1 gallon per person per day or 70% water savings compared to an 11 liter single flush toilet/hand basin combination), there are no faucets to turn on so there is improved hygiene, and people are more likely to wash hands because the water flow is immediate and convenient. The toilet sink lid can also save water by help detecting a leak in your toilet, because the sink will only run when the toilet is filling up the bowl.

Toilet sink lids come in two types: integrated hand basin like the Caroma Profile Toilet (which is one built into the toilet). And, the tank lid sink like the SinkPositive (which is just a lid of a toilet tank that has a sink on it.)

We hear they are quite easy to install.

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Low Flow Shower Head

Most low flow shower heads look almost exactly the same as normal shower heads, but some look completely different. Low flow shower heads can save 50 to 70 percent on water use for the shower and are priced as low as $8.

You can tell if you have a low flow showerhead by holding a 1 gallon bucket up to the shower and timing how long it takes to fill up. If it takes more than 23 seconds to fill up then you have a low flow shower head!

One way you can save water in the shower is by buying a adjustable water restrictor and then purchasing an amplifying shower head. The Delta Amplifying Shower Head produces a 2.5 GMP feel with a 1.6 GMP use, and the adjustable water restrictor can lower the use further.

Another way to save water is the Roadrunner low flow shower head. You turn the water on as normal and then once it gets to 95F degrees it shuts itself off. Then, (once you’re ready) you can pull the cord attached to the shower and the water will turn on again at 95 degrees. This makes sure there is no wasted water. It also only uses a 1.59 GPM water flow!

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Links to check out:

http://www.hometips.com/cs-protected/guides/
showerheads/whatis_lowflow.html  

  http://www.fypower.org/res/tools/
products_results.html?id=100160

Shower Timer

Shower timers can reduce the amount of water you use while taking a shower. They can be complex, digital and quite expensive or as simple as a sand timer which is usually inexpensive. Reducing your shower time from 7 minutes to 4 minutes can save over 3,000 gallons per person per year.

Information about the Shower Timer can be found at:

http://www.showertimer.com.au/

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Aerator Tap

Aerator taps can be attachments for your current faucet or come as part of the faucet itself. They save water by putting air into the water so it comes out with the same pressure but uses less water. Aerator taps are relatively inexpensive and can save . The “On/Off Tap Saver” shown has a lever to decrease the flow. It comes in different flow amounts of 2 gallons/minute, 1.5 gallons/minute and a new “ultra water efficient” 1.0 gallon/minute version. As a comparison, older taps had 7 gallons/minute and the newer taps have a flow of 3.5 gallons/minute.

Links to check out:

http://www.sbwater.org/HomeConservation.htm

http://www.amconservationgroup.com

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Point-of-Use Water Heaters

Some Point-of-use water heaters can be stored in closets and cupboards where others are as big as a normal water heater. They provide warm water faster than if your water heater if it is at the other side of your house.

For more information, including a map of the US showing which ones are more appropriate in different locations, check out this link:

http://www.gotankless.com/point-of-use-water-heater.html

and:

http://www.essortment.com/home/pointofusewat_shds.htm

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