What a Plumber Recommends for Green Bathrooms

The Go Green movement has indeed reached places. It has gone beyond using jute bags and turning off the car engine at the traffic stop and has entered homes. In fact, more and more people all around the world now know that becoming eco-friendly in their homes means more than just installing CFL fixtures. They are now aware of the various water and energy-saving plumbing fixtures and fittings that can be installed in their bathrooms to save valuable resources. From this awareness has risen the need for experienced and efficient plumbers who can inform, guide, and install these modern and water-efficient fixtures and help homeowners become more "green."

Rising environmental awareness has seen markets getting flooded by water-efficient plumbing fixtures for bathrooms. So which one should you choose? Here's what an experienced and knowledgeable plumber would advise you to invest in:

1. High-Efficiency, Water-Saving Toilets: Did you know that most toilets installed before 1994 use up more than 1.6 gallons of water on every flush (gpf), which is considerably more than the prevalent WaterSense standard set by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)? This is a colossal waste of precious water resources and the only way you can counter this, is by installing any one or more these highly efficient and water-saving models: an ultra-low-flush toilet that uses only 1.3 gpf, a composting toilet that uses a minimal amount or sometimes even no water for flushing, or a dual-flush toilet that has separate flush functionalities for liquid and solid waste.

2. Low-Flow Showerheads: Water used during showering accounts for about 20% of water used inside homes. If your plumber is aware about the water usage standards for plumbing fixtures laid down by the EPA, he will advise you to go in for an ultra-low-flow model that uses a maximum of 2 gallons of water every minute (gpm). These fixtures wring in benefits on multiple fronts—you not only get to save on your water bills but also save electricity by cutting down on the water heater usage. There are numbers to vouch for this: according to the findings arrived at by the WaterSense program, a homeowner can save a whopping 300 kilowatts of electricity every year by installing these low-flow plumbing fixtures.

3. Water-Efficient Faucets: Consult an experienced and knowledgeable plumber about the current EPA WaterSense standard for faucets; it stands at a maximum of 1.5 gpm. Then ask him to check the faucets in your house for their efficiency. You should replace them immediately if they are using up more than 2.5 gpm; your plumber might also suggest other ways to save water, say by adding a flow restrictor or an efficient aerator to the faucet.

If you intend to buy a water-efficient plumbing fixture, an experienced plumber is the best person to go to, especially when you are befuddled by the myriad "green" choices beckoning you from the store shelves. So when in need of such a plumber, Costa Mesa (CA) residents turn to the Internet and settle for a reliable service provider.