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THE INSIDE SCOOP
GREEN BUILDER RECOMMENDS

For faucets, choose established brands with single or double cartridge mechanics. Select a product with a good warranty and either a high-tech warrantied finish or a long-lasting chrome finish. Spend a little more for a better built faucet. For new construction, install only dual-flush, ultra-low flush toilets; if retrofitting, upgrade existing low-flow toilets with a kit. Replace any old water guzzlers. Ask your plumber to use PEX or copper for supply-side plumbing. It’s time to phase out PVC.

The introduction of dual-flush technology is the latest leap forward for toilets. It’s part of a new trend in water saving that puts the onus on the end user to save more water. Existing low-flow toilets can be retrofit with a dual-flush kit relatively easily. For example, the HydroRight system (shown at right) installs in about 10 minutes. www.gomjsi.com

 

SUPER TOILETS SQUEEZE SAVINGS
The next toilet efficiency race has been a big win for the environment. We’ve seen models with water usage of less than .8 gpf in dual-flush models, and a 1 gpf single-flush model. Flush technology is probably approaching its bottom limit. But other approaches may squeeze water savings. For example, graywater-fed toilet tanks are now on the market (ones that use lavatory water to fill the toilet tank), along with hand-washing faucets built right into the top of the tank. Manufacturers will continue to tweak toilet efficiency, no doubt, but the biggest gains could probably be made by adjusting our behavior: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow.”

 

GRUNDFOS HOT WATER RECIRCULATION SYSTEM
Running the shower or faucet while waiting for hot water wastes thousands of gallons in the average home. This recirculation system eliminates that waste with a closed loop system that typically costs less than $1,000 installed. www.grundfos.com

FREERAIN TURNKEY RAINWATER SYSTEM
One way to conserve water is to collect it from nature. This company takes all of the planning and guesswork out of your hands, offering complete rainwater harvesting systems customized to your climate and your home. www.freerain.com

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