Page 54 - Green Builder Homeowner's Handbook 2016

The Homeowner’s Handbook SEVENTH EDITION

Faucets & Fixtures10
Technology plus behavior change saves water.

Faucets and fixtures are more Durable Faucet Features

miserly than ever before, Faucet Body and Finish
Solid stainless steel is durable,
but your behavior plays an hygienic and resists chipping
and scratching. Physical Vapor
important role, too. Deposition (PVD) finishes, which are
molecularly bonded to the surface,
T HE FAUCET AND fixture industry has consistently are durable.
delivered the eco-friendly goods. Their products Inside the Faucet
get more efficient and more durable almost every Stainless steel components will last
year, yet remain remarkably affordable. Every year, much longer than plastic. Ceramic
bath, kitchen and laundry gadgets help us reduce disc cartridges are far superior to
water usage by about 5 percent. But as a nation, compressed rubber seals and are
we’re still slipping—using about the same volume of fresh water standard on most faucets.
every year. Why? Because the U.S. population grows at about 5 Spray Hoses
percent per year. If your faucet has an extender, make
sure the hose is made from braided
The problem, says author and water expert Robert Glennon, is stainless steel rather than plastic.
that the total amount of fresh water available is getting smaller.
Some sources have become polluted. Groundwater that takes IMAGE: MGS SPIN D FAUCET
decades to replenish is being drained like there’s no tomorrow.
Dry times lie ahead, unless we all change our habits along with leaks within a year or two of installation, possibly because other parts
our fixtures. It’s time to treat fresh water like blue gold. of the assembly are not as tough. Fortunately, many faucets—even
low-cost ones—now come with limited lifetime warranties that cover
It’s important to make sure all the faucets, fixtures and showerheads all part failures for the original owner. Still, who wants to chase down
in your home are on their best behavior. That means installing the warranties? The easiest solution: Spend a little more up front for a
most durable, water-stingy, appropriately priced models available. If brand that cares about its reputation, and chances are you’ll get a
you’re not sure how to recognize these parameters, here’s a quick better made, more durable product.
overview.
The Stealth Toilet
FAUCET FUNCTION
Better Technology The Stealth toilet from Niagara Conservation
In modern faucets, ceramic washers have largely replaced rubber uses less than one gallon (0.8 gallons) of water
ones. These diamond-hard discs should last forever. But in our per flush compared to the average toilet, which
experience, that’s not always the case. We’ve seen less expensive uses 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush. The technology
faucets and shower handles, even ones with ceramic discs, develop behind the Stealth system combines five water
conservation products that deliver maximum
VISION HOUSE® AT MARIPOSA MEADOWS PRODUCT performance and provide maximum water and
energy savings—40,000 gallons of water per
KOHLER Leaf Vessel Sink year per bathroom. The toilet can be installed in
This elegant above-counter bathroom sink homes and in building types with plumbing that
features pleasing natural curves that suggest requires a residential-style toilet.
a fallen leaf. Made from durable fireclay www.niagaracorp.com
material, the sink comes in three subtle color
choices: white, biscuit and almond.
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