Water Sense

Don talks about Water Sense and shows you ways to save money and water.

5 Cheap Ways to Go Solar

Going solar doesn't have to cost through the roof.

Green Guilt

Riddled with green guilt? Bombarded with environmental messages to do more? Better debunks some of the green myths.

Ten Ways to Conserve Water in Your Home

Water is a precious resource and even though it flows readily whenever we turn on a faucet, it's important to conserve. Water is vital to the environment, and conserving water helps our critical ecosystems, but saving water also saves you money. You don't have to make major lifestyle changes to conserve water in your home; there are easy ways to accomplish the environmentally friendly task.

1. Don’t flush water and money down the drain. Fix leaks promptly. It has been shown that leaking faucets and toilets account for 14 percent of all indoor water use, which can add up to 20 gallons of water per person per day. Don’t forget to check outdoor faucets, pipes and hoses for leaks too, before winter sets in.

2. Take shorter showers by setting a time limit for yourself. Also, try and be aware of the amount of water you are using by turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth and washing your hands.

3. Faucets with one-piece waterways can minimize the places that leaks can form because there are minimal joints. Delta Faucet Company’s Diamond Seal Technology reduces leak points with its unique one-piece construction comprised of an integrated diamond-coated valve and InnoFlex waterways.

4. Look for water-efficient lavatory faucets certified by the EPA’s WaterSense program. Lahara bath suite by Delta flows at 1.5 gallons per minute at 60 pounds per square inch, saving about 30 percent more water than a standard faucet, which flows at 2.2 gallons per minute.

5. If your toilet was installed before 1980, install a toilet dam or filled bottle to save water during each flush (make sure operating parts are not affected by these installations). Consider installing a new toilet that uses less than 1.6 gallons of water per flush.

6. When shopping for showerheads, look for models that save water without compromising the shower experience. The Water-Efficient Showerhead with H2Okinetic Technology by Delta actually changes the thermal dynamics of the water, and delivers larger water droplets while using 36 percent less water than a standard showerhead.

7. Landscaping accounts for 20 to 50 percent of all residential water use, so choose drought-resistant and low water consuming plants. Your local home extension service can be found online and can help you choose plants appropriate to your geographic region.

8. Use a landscape watering guide to calculate how long and how frequently to water your plants for optimal growth. A calculator can be found at www.wateruseitwisely.com.

9. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk and save up to 80 gallons of water each time.

10. Check out other water-saving tips by visiting Responsible by Nature at www.deltafaucet.com/green.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Performance Meets Style as Products Go Eco-chic in the Bath

While the green movement has hit mainstream America, there are still a number of homeowners who think going green means sacrificing performance and style -- especially in the bathroom. They think creating a green bath means using a weak showerhead with very little pressure, installing a toilet that won’t flush and drying off with towels that are scratchy and uncomfortable.

Thankfully, manufacturers in the bath products arena have made great strides to create products that are not only stylish, but also offer superior performance and quality ... all while offering sustainable benefits. Learn how to incorporate these new products into your bath -- whether you’re looking for a simple facelift, or a complete remodel.

Eco-Indulgent ... Liquid Luxury

From our toilets to our tubs, roughly 60 percent of a home’s water consumption takes place in the bathroom, according to the California Urban Water Conservation Council. So when creating a green bathroom, begin by looking at eco-friendly products that dispense water efficiently -- from toilets and showerheads to faucets and more.

* Toilets -- One of the biggest culprits of high water usage in the bath is the toilet, accounting for nearly 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption and most of the water wasted in American homes. Thankfully, a new program has recently been introduced which makes finding an efficient toilet easier than ever. A toilet with the WaterSense label from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies that the product is not only water-efficient, but is also high-performing. Only high-efficiency toilets that complete a rigid third-party certification process can earn the WaterSense label.

* Tankless Water Heaters -- You’re used to on-demand TV, so why not an on-demand water heater? When hot water is turned on in your home, a tankless system immediately flash heats the water at two to five gallons per minute (gpm). When the water is turned off, the system stops heating the water; unlike a standard hot water tank which keeps working until the water has reached a certain temperature. While this may be a costly investment in the short run; a tankless system can last more than 20 years -- allowing the energy and replacement savings to outweigh the initial costs.

* Faucets -- Think an efficient faucet means it lacks style? Think again. The new Fina bathroom faucet collection from ShowHouse by Moen features soft modern style cues and is WaterSense labeled, indicating the faucet has met the EPA’s guidelines for water-efficient products. Highlights of the Fina bathroom faucet collection include its high-arc spout, lever handles and contemporary-shaped base. And while the faucet itself is remarkably designed, it’s the story inside the faucet that is equally as important. The widespread and wall-mount lavatory faucets incorporate a flow-optimized aerator, allowing the faucet to flow at a rate of 1.5 gpm, versus traditional aerators which flow at 2.2 gpm.

“We are very cognizant of the fact that today’s luxury-minded homeowners are not only concerned about a product’s style, but also the impact it has on the environment,” says Patti LaPorte, ShowHouse brand manager. “The Fina bathroom faucets accomplish this task beautifully -- by offering a stylish faucet with eco-friendly benefits. And the new flow-optimized aerator will not cause any noticeable change to conventional flow performance ... so homeowners will still be able to conduct their normal bathroom activities while saving water.”

* Showerheads -- Following in the footsteps of eco-friendly faucets are water-efficient showerheads. Last year, Moen launched its first Flow-Optimized, Water-Saving showerhead, which reduces the flow of water to 1.75 gpm (vs. the industry standard of 2.5 gpm) -- up to a 30 percent water savings. Not only is this savings significant in reducing water consumption, but it also reduces energy costs since it uses less water. And best of all, a homeowner can still experience a high-performance shower.

Green Bathroom Bling

Once you’ve curtailed the major culprit of inefficiency in the bathroom, it’s time to look at a few other small ways to turn your bathroom green -- while still keeping a bit of the “bling” you so desire.

* PVC-Free Shower Curtains -- Ditch your standard plastic shower curtain and replace it with one made from hemp. This new fabric curtain will spice up the decor of your bath with an upscale look and will stop water from spraying outside of your shower without the need for a plastic liner. And, not only is the material eco-friendly, but it also resists mildew, meaning you won’t need to continually replace it.

* Eco-Friendly Wallpaper -- Today’s wallpaper isn’t like it used to be. New eco-friendly and highly stylish wallpaper options now feature water-based inks and materials from sustainable forests. Plus, companies such as Graham & Brown also feature nature-inspired patterns with names like Fossil and Rainforest -- to continue the “green” theme to your bath or powder room.

* Organic Cotton Bath Linens -- For the finishing touch to your new luxuriously green bath, organic cotton bath towels are extremely absorbent and naturally hypoallergenic since they are processed and finished without chemical ingredients, toxic bleaches or formaldehyde.

Finally, after you’ve created your eco-friendly bath, it’s time to sit back, relax and unwind.

For more information on the Fina bathroom collection, visit showhouse.moen.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Honda Civic Hybrid vs. Honda Fit Sport Comparison

They're not fast, they don't corner hard and they're certainly not the most pulse-quickening cars we've ever tested at Inside Line. But if fuel-efficiency and utility are priority items in your next car purchase, then the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid and 2009 Honda Fit Sport are unbelievable machines.

Illuminating the Future of Kitchen Lighting: Energy Efficiency

It doesn’t matter if you live in a home with a modern kitchen that has all the fancy upgrades, or one that just has a single overhead light in the center of the room. If you’re not using the latest generation of energy-efficient bulbs, it’s time for a lighting upgrade.

“Kitchen lighting has made great strides in the past couple of years, not just from a design standpoint but with regards to energy efficiency. So upgrades are definitely worth looking into,” says Joe Rey-Barreau, the education consultant for the American Lighting Association (ALA) and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design. He travels the country tracking trends and one he’s noticed lately is the focus on energy conservation.

“Lighting manufacturers are spending a considerable amount of time, and dedicating a lot of resources to developing fixtures capable of using more energy-efficient light sources than the standard incandescent,” he says, “And it’s no coincidence that this trend is growing in popularity at a time when energy costs are on the rise.”

As recently as two years ago, the only fixtures available for the kitchen that used the most energy-efficient light sources available today -- fluorescents and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) -- were not aesthetically pleasing. In today's marketplace, however, decorative energy-efficient fixtures are available in every product category, whether you’re looking for something traditional, modern or artsy.

“We know consumers want to capitalize on the fact that compact fluorescent bulbs are approximately three to four times more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and LEDs can be three to ten times more efficient, so we’ve dedicated a lot of resources to developing new fixtures that utilize the technology,” says Scott Roos, vice president of product design for Juno Lighting Group. “We’ll be introducing an LED under-cabinet unit in the fall that requires just eight watts of energy to provide the same illumination as an 80-watt halogen light source. Our new LED down light will be 40 percent more energy efficient than a compact fluorescent and 75 percent more energy efficient than an incandescent.”

Holtkoetter International, Inc., a manufacturer of residential lighting fixtures based in St. Paul, Minn., plans to release several models of fixtures that use LEDs early next year. But energy saving products are nothing new for Holtkoetter. “We’ve been offering fixtures that take halogen IRC bulbs, capable of improving energy efficiency by 50 percent, for the last five years,” says company president Paul Eusterbrock. Infra Red Coating (IRC) bulbs are designed in such a way that the heat they generate can be recycled and turned into light.

Hubbardton Forge, a lighting manufacturer out of Chandler, Vt., meantime has concentrated its efforts on developing decorative fixtures that take compact fluorescents. “We have offerings in every category for decorative fixtures that really enhance what you get out of a compact fluorescent,” says company president George Chandler.

No matter which of the new technologies you choose to go with, when shopping for energy-efficient fixtures, Rey-Berreau says it is important to look for the Energy Star label. In order to qualify for one, the product must meet specific performance criteria for energy-efficient performance set by the U.S. Department of Energy.

As for concerns people may have about the quality of light given off by compact fluorescents and LEDs, “in the past, color rendering may have been a concern, but that is no longer a problem,” says Rey-Berreau. “Consumers can rest assured the quality closely matches that of incandescents.”

Today’s advancements are quite impressive, but what does the future hold? Rey-Barreau expects the lighting industry to work hard at getting more products on the shelves that use the most energy-efficient technology developed to date -- LEDs. “Right now LEDs are still kind of expensive, but once they become more readily available, cost will come down significantly,” he says.

For more information about kitchen lighting or to find a local American Lighting Association (ALA) showroom, contact ALA at www.americanlightingassoc.com or call (800) BRIGHT IDEAS.

Courtesy of ARAcontent