Go Green and Healthy in the Bathroom: Simple Tips to Save Water and Energy

                        Bathrooms waste an astonishing amount of both water and energy!                      

If you are interested in going green at home, the bathroom is an ideal place to begin making changes. For such a small room, it uses an incredible amount of both energy and water. Still, there are a number of things you can do to make the bathroom your own little green haven. The following tips will help you cut back on your carbon footprint and improve the look and feel of your bathroom at the same time.

Install a high efficiency showerhead and flow valve

These two great devices, used together, can cut your water bills by 90%! The showerhead can cut your water flow rate from 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) to as little as 1.25, and you’ll likely not notice a difference, thanks to today’s high efficiency/high pressure technology. The flow valve is a turn valve that you can use to turn the flow to a trickle without losing the temperature you want, so that you can soap up and shampoo up without the water running full blast.

Want to install these handy devices? Here’s an article on how to install a high efficiency showerhead and flow valve.

Replace Your Shower Curtain

If you currently have a vinyl shower curtain hanging in your bathroom, think about making a change. These shower curtains are typically made with PVC, a type of plastic that is incredibly toxic. It is possible for volatile organic chemicals to be released in the air from this material, and the chemicals have the potential to cause a lot of damage to various parts of the body, including the liver. Therefore, consider picking up a fabric shower curtain instead. Cotton is a great choice.

Install a High Efficiency Toilet

When consumers think about which appliances are using the most water in their homes, they generally focus on the dishwasher or the washing machine. However, toilets use more than either of these two appliances, which means installing a low-flow version is essential to saving water. This is particularly true if you own an older home that has not undergone any recent renovations.

Remove Wallpaper

If your bathroom has wallpaper, it is best to remove it and simply paint the walls. It is possible for moisture to seep behind the wallpaper, leading to issues with mold. Painting is not the only option, however; materials like stone and tile often last a long time and look great in the bathroom as well.

Install a high efficiency faucet aerator

Faucet aerators are the little attachments below the faucet, where the water comes out. Typically, these are 2.2 GPM, which is very wasteful. Pono Home installs high efficiency aerators as low as .25 GPM, which pay for themselves in weeks with all the water, hot water, and sewer water costs they save. And since the technology for the pressure is so good these days, you’ll likely not even notice.

Engage in Eco-Friendly Behaviors

The easiest way to cut back on your home’s water consumption is to take shorter showers. That is often easier said than done, however. If you are having trouble cutting back, think about purchasing a shower timer. They are easy to install, and most will turn the water off when you reach a pre-determined amount of time. It may be difficult to adjust to at first, but the savings will add up on your water bill!

Put in a New Vent

Most people don’t even think about their vent fans, but these useful little gadgets are a great way to cut back on the amount of moisture in the bathroom. However, if you have a regular fan, it is a good idea to replace it with an Energy Star model. The energy savings will amaze you.

Bathrooms are often the most wasteful rooms in the house, both in terms of water and energy. If green home improvement projects appeal to you, consider switching up your bathroom. There are a number of easy ways you can make a huge difference for both the environment and your household. Start by utilizing the tips above, and then continue working on the bathroom until it is something you can be proud of.

Image Credit: Some rights reserved by Lawrence Whittemore

The True Cost Of Light Bulbs: LED vs CFL vs Incandescent

Thomas Edison (the man who invented the modern incandescent light bulb as we know it) once said “We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles”. While I appreciate the philanthropic nature of his comment, something tells me he never would have predicted just how much it costs to power the light bulbs that illuminate our homes more than a century later. According to the US Energy Information Administration the national average per kWh is only $.10, and while that may not seem like much, I assure you that energy costs can add up quick. To help illustrate this point, let’s take a look at the true cost of light bulbs.

The true cost of light bulbs: LED vs. CFL vs. Incandescent

To begin, take a look at the following chart which breaks down the real costs associated with the three most common types of light bulbs over a seven year period (LEDs, CFLs and Incandescents). Note that this chart was compiled by Scott Cooney, an Adjunct Professor in the MBA program at the University of Hawaii, based on Hawaii’s rates of 34.5c per kWh.

So let’s break down just what this chart is telling us. The breakeven point (the point at which the total long term cost of the more efficient bulb becomes less than that of the less efficient bulb) happens in year one for both CFLs and LEDs as opposed to incandescents. In year 3, the LED surpasses the CFL in long term savings. So if you have a 3 year or longer time horizon, the LED is not only the more eco-friendly option, it’s the most cost-effective, despite the higher upfront cost.

As you can see the upfront costs for all three types of light bulbs are as follows (going from lowest to highest):

1. Incandescent ($2.50)
2. CFL ($3.00)
3. LED ($12.50) *

*(Note that since we created this chart, the price of LEDs has dropped about 30% lower than this, meaning that the ROI is even better)

No wonder so many people opt for incandescents or CFLs instead of LEDs, the price is drastically lower (initially). However, what most people don’t consider at the time of purchase are the long term ramifications of purchasing the cheaper bulb. For example, incandescents and CFLs (lasting 1,200hrs and 8,000hrs respectively) simply won’t last as long as their LED counterparts (which can last as long as 50,000hrs). Meaning, you’ll have to repurchase the “cheaper” light bulb several times before you replace the LED even once! Now if you factor in the cost to actually operate the various types of light bulbs, you’ll see that LEDs will start to pull way ahead of the competition. Here are the real costs of purchasing, using (and replacing) all three types of light bulbs over a seven year period (from lowest to highest):

1. LED – $70.09
2. CFL – $93.88
3. Incandescent – $381.25

So what should all these numbers really mean to you? It’s quite simple actually, LEDs (in the long run) are the cheapest and most energy efficient means by which you can illuminate your home (sorry Thomas, but light bulb technology has come a long way since 1879).

Photo courtesy of the flickr creative commons (lightbulbs)

Simple Health Tip

Rub Your Temples

Tame tension headaches by rubbing peppermint oil, Tiger Balm, or white flower oil into your temples. All three remedies contain menthol, which has analgesic properties.