Page 49 - The Homeowner's Handbook 2017

Exteriors / Roofing / Structure / Insulation / IAQ / Windows & Doors / Heating & Cooling / Lighting / Appliances / Plumbing / Finishes / Cabinets & Tops / Alternative Energy

Glossary of Terms
FLEX HOUSE SPONSOR Know the Lingo
Nexus eWater Recycle
Ready Assembly
The easy-to-install Recycle Ready ■ ■ Low-Flow Toilet: Also known as a low-consumption toilets,
Assembly, a pre-assembled these fixtures typically using a maximum of 1.6 gallons per
graywater collection system, flush.
captures two out of every three
gallons of indoor water for reuse in ■ ■ Ultra-Low Flush: Another term to describe low-flow fixtures,
landscaping and for toilet flushing. this may also refer to a single- or dual-flush model that uses
www.nexusewater.com as little as .8 gpf.

■ ■ Aerator: Small screened device that fits inside a faucet nozzle,
mixing air into water so less is required to do the same chore.
■ ■ Widespread Lavatory Faucet: Refers to the style of faucet,
surface treatments, alternatives to chrome (one of the longest lasting typically one with two separate handles, 8” apart.
finishes) make more sense. In some cases, metals such as bronze
■ ■ Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD): High-tech finishing
and brushed nickel are simply protected with a polymer coating. technique that allows for faucets with many different looks,
In others—Delta’s “Brilliance” finish comes to mind—the coating including “metal on metal” surfaces that are extremely
emulates a metal such as brass. corrosion and wear resistant.
The green angle? Durability. When faucets corrode, people throw ■ ■ PEX Tubing: Crosslinked polyethylene plastic pipe.
them away, whether or not the mechanics still perform properly. Increasingly popular as a replacement for PVC or
Tossing functional hardware in the landfill is not a green choice. copper plumbing.
■ ■ Cartridge Faucet: Most modern faucets contain ceramic
PLUMBING cartridges that allow water to flow, whereas older faucets
Think Flexible used compression—squeezing a rubber o-ring that would
Flexible PEX (crosslinked polyethylene) plumbing has become widely eventually wear out.
accepted as a substitute for other standards of household plumbing.
Fittings have improved, problems are rare, and most plumbers have

Daily Residential Indoor Water Use (Before Conservation Measures)

Other
5.3%

If all U.S. households installed water-
Leaks
13.7% Toilet saving features, water use would
26.7% decrease by 30 percent. This would save
an estimated 5.4 billion gallons of water
per day, resulting in daily dollar-volume
savings of $11.3 million, or more than $4
billion per year.
The largest daily user of water in the
home is the toilet. By replacing this one
product with a high-efficiency toilet
(HET) you can greatly reduce a home’s
total water use.
The next step would be to install a
Clothes bidet, which would cut overall residential
Washer Shower water use by hundreds of gallons a day
21.7% 16.8% (what it takes to make toilet paper).

Faucet SOURCE: AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION RESEARCH FOUNDATION,
“RESIDENTIAL END USES OF WATER”
15.7%

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