Page 56 - Green Builder Homeowner's Handbook 2016

The Homeowner’s Handbook SEVENTH EDITION

Fittings have improved, problems are rare, and most plumbers have Waterproof Tile Installation
come to embrace the technology. Standard grout is not waterproof! It must be
coated every two years or so to keep water—and
From a green perspective, tubing made from high-grade plastic is mold growth—out of walls. Behind the walls and
a welcome alternative to vinyl-based PVC pipe. And from a practical floors, a waterproofing system such as the one
perspective, PEX is ideal for tricky retrofit jobs, because the flexible shown below from Schluter (www.schluter.com)
tubing can snake around obstacles, so you can avoid unnecessary can add many years of leak-proof performance to
demolition. a shower and/or floor.

SUPER TOILETS Avoid Toxic Cleaners
Water Misers Keeping highly toxic
cleaners such as bleach
The toilet efficiency race has been a big win for the environment. and clog removers under
We’ve seen models with water usage of less than .8 gpf in dual-flush your sink is a good way
models, and a 1-gpf single-flush model. Flush technology is probably to pollute your bathroom
approaching its bottom limit. air. Purchase non-toxic
cleaners instead, and
But other approaches may squeeze water savings. For example, make your bathroom a
graywater-fed toilet tanks are now on the market (ones that use friendly place for kids and
lavatory water to fill the toilet tank), along with hand-washing faucets pets—as well as adults.
built right into the top of the tank.
IMAGE: VISION HOUSE® TUSCON
Manufacturers will continue to tweak toilet efficiency, no doubt, (LATHAMARCHITECTURAL.COM)
but the biggest gains could probably be made by simply adjusting
our behavior: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow.” GB

The Benefits of Bidets

Bidet toilets work by using water, rather than toilet paper, to clean the nether
regions. Bidets save more water indirectly by eliminating the need for toilet
paper, the manufacture of which is a water-intensive process. But is a bidet really
a better choice than, say, a water-efficient dual-flush toilet?

Annual toilet paper use in the U.S. tops out at 36.5 billion rolls. This equals
473,587,500,000 gallons of water and 15 million trees—and that doesn’t account
for the additional water required to treat and dispose of toilet paper waste. As
the chart shows, a bidet attachment in combination with an efficient toilet saves
about 200 gallons of water annually, compared to a dual-flush toilet. Other
advantages? Water cleans better and is less abrasive than toilet paper, and bidets
keep hands free—and clean.

If you’re ready for a hands-free toilet, you don’t have to purchase a new one;
instead, you can opt for a bidet seat attachment. Depending on the model
you choose, the money saved by crossing toilet paper off the grocery list will
potentially pay for the bidet seat in a matter of months.

Annual Water Use in Gallons (Per Person)

Water required to Water used by toilet
manufacture toilet paper

1.6-gpf Toilet
0.8-gpf Dual-

Flush Toilet
Bidet with 1.6-

gpf Toilet

0 600 1,200 1,800 2,400 3,000 3,600 4,200
Gallons of Water

Water Savings? For this analysis, we assumed bidet users would still
require 20 percent of the toilet paper used by “conventional” toilet users, and
would require 0.125 gallons of water per use, in addition to the water
required for flushing.

54 GREEN BUILDER The Homeowner’s Handbook 2016