Photo via John Loo on Flickr.
GTA REAL ESTATE – During a home showing, faucets and fixtures are always a standout – especially if they are high-quality and feature a material and finish that complements the design of the surrounding furnishings.
In the case of showerheads, however, trading up to a better fixture can save you money on energy bills, while reducing your overall water consumption and increasing your home’s efficiency and attractiveness. Most Ontario residents take warm or hot showers most of the year, so a low-flow showerhead can give your hot water heater a bit of a break, where the energy savings comes in – and it’ll look great when prospective buyers tour your home.
According to the City of Toronto, shower use accounts for one fifth of a person’s total water use at home – so this is a great place to start if you want to make your home a little bit more resource-efficient. It’s also a growing trend, and Ontario residents are leading the way – Statistics Canada reports that the percentage of efficient water-saving fixtures in our province rose from 46 per cent in 1994, to 61 per cent in 2006.
What makes a shower head more water efficient?
BC Hydro’s excellent guide on the subject offers a thorough explanation on the difference between low-flow showerheads and standard ones. In essence, the water emerges through much smaller apertures – reducing the overall amount that is used while increasing the velocity of the spray. This results in a shower that is not only more invigorating, but also uses less water.
The efficiency of any showerhead is measured in “flow rate” – the amount of water that comes out per minute. The BC Hydro guide’s numbers indicate that low-flow showerheads only use 9 to 11 litres of water per minute – a huge savings compared to traditional heads that typically use anywhere from 18 to 27 litres per minute.
The City of Toronto’s guidelines state that a shower head is considered “water efficient” has a flow rate at or below 10 litres per minute.
Choosing a Low Flow Showerhead
If you are still using the showerhead that was included with the washroom when you bought your home, you might be pleasantly surprised by the range of water-efficient showerheads that are available today. Consumers can choose between massaging heads or rain showers; between aerated and non-aerated water flow.
Whichever type of head or material you use, the settings and the material are entirely up to personal taste – these are unlikely to affect the flow rate, which you should take a look at before you make your purchase.
Manufacturers producing attractive, functional low-flow showerheads include:
- Moen, whose Eco-Performance showerheads consume up to 30 per cent less water than traditional heads;
- Waterpik, who have added environmentally-friendly EcoFlow showerheads to their impressive range of water products.
- Levaqua’s range of cutting-edge digital showerheads includes several “Eco” offerings allowing up to 20 per cent reduction in water use. They also have Pause settings – so you can halt the flow of water when you don’t need it.
A good selection of the above brands’ showerheads should be available at your local hardware store, or home furnishings retailers such as Bed, Bath and Beyond.
[…] What place in your residence can be redecorated nearly entirely for modest funds? The answer is the …et as well as a few sheets to make a new shower curtain, a matching curtain for the bathroom window and a wrap-around for the wastepaper container. Toss in several gallons of paint for the wall surfaces to add the finishing touch. Whilst refurnishing the bath with new linens is the foundation for a new look and feel, decorators say it is just the beginning. To create a pro look without going above the cost, follow some fundamental design pointers. Before you buy anything at all, determine a general style for the room ( contemporary, country, classic) and take into account the dimensions of the room, and its architectural pluses and minuses. In case the room is not so big and darker, consider colors which are light to lighten up the space. Create a shower curtain out of a full-size sheet employing a vinyl curtain as a liner. Or, should you wish to hide an ugly tub or do away with the cluttered look in your bathroom, make a bathroom divider with sheets hung from a tension rod positioned near the ceiling several inches in front of the shower pole. In the event that more than one sheet is required, seam together at selvage. The key to decorating is color coordination. Since the shower curtain is the largest item in the bathroom defining color, start with choosing a design for this, and choosing the established colors in your towels, bath pad and rug. To illustrate, in case your shower curtain is a blue and white stripe or floral, select blue and white towels, introducing a color or red as the accent color. Consider a reversible curtain for the windowpane, with a print on one side, and a solid on the other. Or create a balloon curtain, utilizing the same materials and style as the shower curtain. In one of the modifications for your bathroom, allow your children a turn. Humorous dogs designs are turning up in sheets and shower towels and can be employed as a foundation for a bathroom for the children. Now to accessories. As soon as the colors have been confirmed through the paint or wallcoverings, the shower curtain, carpets and towels, build up on this color design by selecting cleaning soap, toilet paper along with pictures for the space to improve the colors. You should also consider buying new plumbing fixtures. If you are new to DIY plumbing, it may be a great idea to contract a specialized plumbing engineer to undertake the work for you […]