Page 30 - Advanced Technology for Energy and Water Saving

As Brondell.com explains, “One person needs to
purchase about 81 rolls a year, spending $243 a year on Slower flow. Believe it
toilet paper. After the initial investment of a bidet seat or or not, some 1.5 gpm
bidet attachment you will enjoy a savings of $182 a year. showerheads still feel
like a real shower.
Now multiply that by a family of four, and you have some
serious money savings.”

CLOTHES WASHING: SPEED IS OF THE ESSENCE
One of the unsung virtues of the latest water-saving clothes
washers is cycle speed. Faster washing generally means
less water consumption.
Like toilet makers, clothes washer designers have tried
just about everything to squeeze performance out of less
energy and water. Along with additional cycles that attempt
to partially air dry clothes by slowly spinning them after
the wash is complete, they’ve discovered that many loads
require only a quick wash—not a multiple rinse and repeat
scrubbing. This can reduce water use by half or more. FAUCETS AND SHOWERS: AERATE AND MONITOR
Here are some of the fastest washers we were able to Showerheads and faucet aerators are now available that
identify: reduce water use another 60 percent beyond what’s re-
LG TurboWash WM8000HVA quired in low-flow products. Unlike their predecessors,
GE GTW680BSJWS (31 Minutes) these newer units have mastered the art of comfortable
Kenmore Elite 31462 (41 minutes) conservation. Showerheads that use just 1.5 gallons per
minute have clever nozzle designs, so they don’t seem stin-
gy, and faucet aerators can reduce bathroom sink waste
down to .5 gpm.

Speed matters. Faster Teenager ready. Smart shower controller from Moen allows you to set
cycling machines like this timed showers.
one from Whirlpool reduce For a higher-tech water-saving option, companies such
water use.
as Moen now offer “smart” shower controls that can be
As expected, much of the energy used by clothes washing programmed and controlled with a smartphone. You can
is water heating. Newer models rarely require hot water to set showers to shut off after a certain time period, among
get clothes clean. Educating users about this fact is part of other features. They promote it as ideal for parents of
the path to greater e‘ciency. teenagers.
Of course, another way to reduce water waste from
clothes washing is simply to do laundry less often. Does a LEAKS: NEW DETECTIVE TOOLS
shirt you wore once really need laundering? Examine the Undetected water leaks typically account for about 20
actual need for laundering an item before you simply toss percent of a home’s water use, but that figure can easily
in into the load. go much higher, particularly in homes with underground

30ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION