Going Green in the Bathroom – Eco-Friendly Bathrooms
Eco-friendly bathrooms take advantage of water conservation products to help save water. Bathroom systems are available which can be of significant benefit to the environment whilst maintaining top standards of luxury and excellence in craftsmanship. The word eco-friendly is often associated with negative stereotyping of life without electricity or any home comforts. With the new innovations available from leading bathroom fitting manufacturers, this is definitely not the case.
Recycle grey water
Recycling grey water is an important part of eco-friendly bathroom products. Grey water is the used water from baths, showers, wash basins and sinks which can be re-used for flushing toilets or watering the garden.
Previously, in order to use recycled grey water, the used water underwent chemical treatments to sterilise it. This was and still is very harmful to the environment due to the harsh and damaging chemicals used in the sterilisation process.
Contemporary eco-friendly bathrooms do not use harmful chemicals. The waste water from baths, showers and basins undergoes a four-stage cleaning process using UV light instead of chemicals to sterilise the water by killing germs and bacteria. Thus is it possible to save water while enjoying the luxury of modern bathrooms.
Saving water and money using grey water
The average shower uses 18 litres of water every five minutes. Innovations such as shower heads which expel water mixed with air can save up to two thirds of the water consumption. Recycling grey water can cut water consumption in half. By recycling grey water, fresh drinking water is conserved. Fitting a system to a bathroom that enables grey water to be recycled can save up to 50,000 litres of fresh water per day.
Water conservation products have also begun to focus on saving electricity to lower costs. Automatic thermostat controls and timers on geysers are used to ensure that water is heated to a constant temperature and that, while residents are out during the day, the geyser isn’t running unnecessarily. Most geysers are heated to about 60 degrees Celsius. This is hotter than is necessary and energy consumption can be nearly halved by turning geysers down to 38 degrees. This has little to no effect on the shower as the water is still perfectly warm and the pressure is not affected. A cooler hot water temperature also greatly reduces the risk of scalding.
It is not only domestic use of water conservation products which have become instrumental in saving water. Hotels and offices are benefitting from eco-friendly bathrooms, as is the environment. Devices such as automatic taps, which are fitted with sensors that read the proximity of a person to the fitting, only turn on when someone is close to the tap. Not only is this more hygienic in a public bathroom because it’s not necessary to touch taps, but it also means that taps are never left open and minimal water is used.
Small changes, big results
Whether using an eco-friendly bathroom system or not, every person can help to conserve water and the environment.
Everyone should try to use water sparingly in their bathroom. Some good tips include things like not running the tap while brushing your teeth. A dripping tap leaking ten drops per minute will leak 170 litres in a month so leaky taps should always be fixed as soon as possible. Taking a shower instead of a bath saves an incredible amount of water – a quick shower uses 50 litres of water instead of a bath which uses 150 litres. A water-saving shower head can be fitted to prevent heavy water flow and saves a lot of water per household.
Installing an economy flush on a toilet is a good idea as it allows the toilet user to select a light or heavy flush, instead of always flushing a large amount of water each time it is used. The cistern of the toilet should be checked regularly because leaking seals can also waste massive amounts of water.
Water resources are wasted at an alarming rate worldwide. It is vital to ensure that the environment and especially water resources are protected. The promotion of water-wise behaviour within the home and work environment is one of the best resources towards slowing the worsening problem of water shortage and pollution. Eco-friendly bathrooms and water conservation products are a significant aid to saving valuable drinking water.
Recycle grey water
Recycling grey water is an important part of eco-friendly bathroom products. Grey water is the used water from baths, showers, wash basins and sinks which can be re-used for flushing toilets or watering the garden.
Previously, in order to use recycled grey water, the used water underwent chemical treatments to sterilise it. This was and still is very harmful to the environment due to the harsh and damaging chemicals used in the sterilisation process.
Contemporary eco-friendly bathrooms do not use harmful chemicals. The waste water from baths, showers and basins undergoes a four-stage cleaning process using UV light instead of chemicals to sterilise the water by killing germs and bacteria. Thus is it possible to save water while enjoying the luxury of modern bathrooms.
Saving water and money using grey water
The average shower uses 18 litres of water every five minutes. Innovations such as shower heads which expel water mixed with air can save up to two thirds of the water consumption. Recycling grey water can cut water consumption in half. By recycling grey water, fresh drinking water is conserved. Fitting a system to a bathroom that enables grey water to be recycled can save up to 50,000 litres of fresh water per day.
Water conservation products have also begun to focus on saving electricity to lower costs. Automatic thermostat controls and timers on geysers are used to ensure that water is heated to a constant temperature and that, while residents are out during the day, the geyser isn’t running unnecessarily. Most geysers are heated to about 60 degrees Celsius. This is hotter than is necessary and energy consumption can be nearly halved by turning geysers down to 38 degrees. This has little to no effect on the shower as the water is still perfectly warm and the pressure is not affected. A cooler hot water temperature also greatly reduces the risk of scalding.
It is not only domestic use of water conservation products which have become instrumental in saving water. Hotels and offices are benefitting from eco-friendly bathrooms, as is the environment. Devices such as automatic taps, which are fitted with sensors that read the proximity of a person to the fitting, only turn on when someone is close to the tap. Not only is this more hygienic in a public bathroom because it’s not necessary to touch taps, but it also means that taps are never left open and minimal water is used.
Small changes, big results
Whether using an eco-friendly bathroom system or not, every person can help to conserve water and the environment.
Everyone should try to use water sparingly in their bathroom. Some good tips include things like not running the tap while brushing your teeth. A dripping tap leaking ten drops per minute will leak 170 litres in a month so leaky taps should always be fixed as soon as possible. Taking a shower instead of a bath saves an incredible amount of water – a quick shower uses 50 litres of water instead of a bath which uses 150 litres. A water-saving shower head can be fitted to prevent heavy water flow and saves a lot of water per household.
Installing an economy flush on a toilet is a good idea as it allows the toilet user to select a light or heavy flush, instead of always flushing a large amount of water each time it is used. The cistern of the toilet should be checked regularly because leaking seals can also waste massive amounts of water.
Water resources are wasted at an alarming rate worldwide. It is vital to ensure that the environment and especially water resources are protected. The promotion of water-wise behaviour within the home and work environment is one of the best resources towards slowing the worsening problem of water shortage and pollution. Eco-friendly bathrooms and water conservation products are a significant aid to saving valuable drinking water.
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