Brazil looks for "number one" way to save water

Call it the golden rule of water conservation. The SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation, a Brazilian environmental group that works to protect the Atlantic Forest, has launched the "Xixi no Banho" campaign encouraging Brazilians to save water by going number one while showering. (The image is from the ad for the campaign.)

In an amusing, if somewhat perplexing video promoting the campaign—it manages to incorporate the shower scene from Psycho, a tinkling King Kong, and Gandhi (shown), among other elements—the São Paulo-based organization contends that every skipped toilet flush could save more than 3 gallons of water, nearly 1,200 gallons annually per person. According to the site, as of today, 73 percent of visitors to the site go number one while showering.

Were Americans to embrace this change, the per-person water savings could be greater than they are in Brazil, since new toilets sold in this country must use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf). Older toilets consume 3.5 or more gallons per flush.

If you have a thirsty toilet, upgrading to a high-efficiency toilet is an easy way to save water. (It's your call about xixi-ing while showering.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Water Sense program sets an even stricter 1.28-gpf limit for qualifying models. In our latest report on toilets, several low-flush models performed well in our solid- and liquid-waste tests.

Installing a low-flow showerhead is another way to save water and money. Some of today's most-efficient showerheads use 2 gallons per minute or less. Read our latest report on single-setting and multisetting showerheads to find models that balances efficiency with strong flow and steady temperature.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook



Essential information: The October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports includes a feature on alternative energy, which covers pellet stoves and solar water heaters and provides you with strategies to save hundreds on your utility bills and the latest testing results for compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Check out the lively debate on this blog post about whether showers or baths use more water and visit our new Energy Saving & Green Living guide for more ways to save water and energy around the house.

Weekend Project: Install a new toilet

Unless you’re comfortable with plumbing projects and have someone to help with the lifting, you’ll probably want to leave toilet installation to a plumber. Costs vary considerably by location and typically range from about $200 to $450.

To find the best model for your home, read our latest report on toilets (story and ratings available to subscribers), which covers the most water-efficient models and will fill you in on the differences between gravity and pressure-assisted types.

Gravity models are best if you want a quiet, proven design or have low water pressure at your home. These rely on water dropping from the tank into the bowl and trap to move waste down the drain. Pressure as low as 10 pounds per square inch is adequate for some models, since gravity does all the work.

Pressure-assisted models are best if you have a large family since heavy use is more likely to cause a toilet to clog. These create the most flushing power, as pressure created when water displaces air within a sealed tank causes the water to thrust waste forcefully out through the bowl.

Note that pressure-assisted toilets can be loud. Also, these toilets require at least 25 pounds per square inch of water pressure to work well.

A growing number of toilets, both pressure-assisted and gravity models, have a dual-flush feature that uses even less water when flushing away liquid waste.

You will also need to choose a height. Toilets with seats 17 to 19 inches off the floor meet Americans With Disabilities Act standards and are easier to use for most adults.

Before anyone picks up a wrench . . .

• Look for the proper credentials. The plumber you choose should have proper licensing. Membership in professional organizations and several years of experience are a plus. Visit the Contractor's License Reference Site to find out whether a contractor is licensed in your state.

• Verify liability insurance. Ask to see a copy of the certificate of insurance and check with the insurer to make sure the policy is active.

• Position the toilet first. If you’re changing the toilet’s location, decide where the new one will go before you relocate the other fixtures. Toilets require a 3- to 4-inch drainpipe. Relocating it may be more difficult than relocating and installing the smaller drains for showers and sinks.

• Change the lines. Replace rigid chrome-plated copper water-supply lines with braided, flexible stainless-steel lines. Besides easing future repairs, these lines help minimize leaks that could develop with minor movement.

• Check for leaks. See that there are no leaks at the water-shutoff valve that connects to the wall or at the base of the toilet before the pro packs up and leaves.

Essential information: Find out how to save water in the bathroom. Check out our SiteSeeing posts on the how-to sites Instructables.com and Howcast.com.

10 Questions for . . . Dan Holohan, Founder of HeatingHelp.com

In this installment of 10 Questions for . . ., Associate Editor Gian Trotta speaks with Dan Holohan, a former heating-industry pro whose 10-year-old HeatingHelp.com provides plumbing- and heating-related information and lively, active forums for consumers and industry members. Here's his take on how the industry is dealing with the recession; Joe the Plumber; and energy-saving technologies.

Your site is full of history of the industry as well as current plumbing and heating practices. Why the mix?
The history on the site makes people feel a part of something big and important, and it makes problems timeless. I want readers to know they're not the first to have banging pipes. I spent 19 years as a writer and sales-promotion guy in the heating-equipment business trying to get contractors to buy our products. I did a lot of research and realized there's also so much social history tied in with the mechanical engineering of heating. Much of this came out when I started writing books, such as The Lost Art of Steam Heating, in 1992, doing seminars, and publishing newsletters.

Who is your audience?
It's a combination of contractors, engineers, wholesalers, manufacturers reps, manufacturers, homeowners, industrial people—just about everyone who has a heating system or needs to work on one. The visitors are mainly from North America, but we also get people from all over the world.

During the recession, has there been a shift to more maintenance work as opposed to new construction? How has the downturn affected the green part of the business?
New construction has tanked, but people still need heat since Mother Nature makes no allowances for budgets or ignorance. Stuff breaks, so there's a part of our business that's recession-proof. I was seeing a shift toward green things, but this seems to be slacking off since the price of fuel went down. I think there's going to be a huge business in insulation.

Joe the Plumber certainly made a lot of news during the presidential election. What's your take on Joe?
The visitors to our site had a lot of fun with him. Opinions, as you might expect, split along party lines. I think Joe was making the most of his moment, and I'm glad that moment has passed.

What advances hold the most promise for cutting the cost of heating water?
Heat-recovery systems, which recover thermal energy from drainpipes, and small-pipe systems that consume smaller volumes of hot water make sense to me. But I think solar water heaters hold the most promise, and not because the technology is green but because it's simple and proven. I'm also following a new type of hybrid water heater that uses heat-pump technology to extract heat from the air to preheat the incoming water. And some new commercial water heaters are getting efficiencies that are close to 100 percent.

Shower or bath: Which uses more water?

“Take showers instead of baths to save energy,” is an oft-repeated adage of water and energy conservation advocates. But the Department of Energy’s water-heater-sizing pages now list the average shower as consuming 12 gallons and the average bath only 9 gallons of hot water. 

The DOE is also saying that homeowners are using from 15 to 30 percent of their total energy budget just to heat water—up from an earlier 14 to 25 percent estimate. So is soaking instead of scrubbing the way to go?

A spokeswoman for the EPA (which provided the figures to the DOE) says the new figures were based on a study it commissioned in 2000 by independent water-engineering-and-management firm Aquacraft. Ten homes in Seattle were fitted with data loggers on the main water meters a separate meter was placed on the feed line to the water heater and the results measured over two separate two-week periods.

“The nine gallons was actually the actual average draw of water into a bathtub, but you’re talking about an event that can involve more than one draw of hot water,” says Aquacraft President Bill DeOreo. “So that’s not an accurate measure of total average use.”

Consumer Reports’ own experts believe the previous 20 gallons of hot water per bath that the EPA was using (which was in turn based on a studies done by the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association) to be still a better benchmark.

They also stress that the best way to save hot water is to take showers rather than baths, limit the time of showers, use a low-flow showerhead, and turn off any supplemental showerheads in each shower stall.

Many utilities and municipalities are following this advice. The Portland, Oregon Water Bureau has given away over 4,500 1.5- gallon-per-minute showerheads and 4,000 five-minute “Shower Timer” hourglasses to its customers.

“The hourglasses aren’t as functional as the low-flow showerheads and aerators we give away; they’re more of a behavioral tool,” says Sarah Statner of the Portland Water Bureau. “But we get a lot of positive feedback and hear they inspire more conversations about conservation than any showerhead every will.”

Also backing the move for water economy is the popular eco-blogger Crunchy Domestic Goddess, who has issued her own Five-Minute Shower Challenge that’s drawn numerous responses.—Gian Trotta

Essential information: Find out about the wide variety of high- and low-flow spraying options available Showerheads special. Our GreenerChoices.org Web site offers "50 Ways to Save Water." And see our October issue for a special comparing the performance of tankless, or on-demand, and conventional storage-tank heaters.

Kitchen/Bath Industry Show Product Preview: Caroma Sydney Smart 305 toilet

The 1.28-gallon-per-flush Sydney Smart 305 round-front toilet can save the average U.S. household up to 5,242 gallons per year compared with a standard low-flow toilet, claims manufacturer Caroma.

The toilet, which carries the EPA’s WaterSense label, has dual flush buttons, located on top of the tank, in lieu of the typical lever. You push one button to eliminate liquids and paper, the other to flush solids. Despite its miserly water consumption, the toilet is designed to be clog-proof according to the manufacturer, thanks to a trapway that is nearly twice as wide as the industry average.

The Sydney Smart, $349 in white (also available in biscuit), is backed by a two-year warranty and is sold at bath showrooms and plumbing-supply dealers.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Use our expert advice when you’re shopping for a new toilet and refer to our Ratings (available to subscribers) to find the right model for your home.

New toilet seats “bare” watching

Who knew that an ad for a toilet seat could cause such kerfuffle in, of all places, New York City? Bathroom-fixture maker Toto will promote its Washlet toilet seats on new billboards in Times Square starting July 10.

The Clean Is Happy ad campaign is sparking discussion in New York City because of the exposed derrieres that appear in it. (How ironic is it that the controversial bare-bottomed billboards will appear in Times Square, Manhattan’s onetime district of debauchery and sleaze?)

The Washlet line includes the C100, E200, S300, and S400 models. The list price of a white seat ranges from $727 for the C100 to $1,890 for the S400 (shown).

What do you get for all that money? Picture a supersophisticated toilet seat that adds the functions of a bidet, plus a whole lot more. The top-of-the-line S400 provides, among other items of note, cleaning/rinsing with warm water, heated-air drying and a heated seat, massage, an air purifier, and an automatic-opening and –closing lid, according to the Toto site. We haven’t yet tested the Washlet seats. In our 2005 report on toilets, the one-piece, gravity-fed Toto Carlyle MS874114SG, $500, was a Quick Pick.

Toto’s not the only company offering multitasking toilet seats. As we reported in “Thrones of the bathroom” as part of our 2007 International Builders’ Show coverage, Kohler’s C3 seats are also trying to take ordinary commodes to new heights.—Steven H. Saltzman

Essential information: If you’re redoing your bathroom, read our advice for choosing a toilet. For more information on bathroom remodeling, read “Bathroom makeovers: Relaxing retreats for less” and “Toilets: Comfortable and efficient,” both available to subscribers.

Q&A: Do nonchemical drain cleaners work?

What's the best way to clear clogged pipes without using harsh chemical products? I've heard that green products don't work so well, but I'm desperate to unclog my kitchen sink.—Carol A., Hermosa Beach, Calif.

As we reported in our November 2006 report, "Drain cleaners: Take the plunger," you have many options when it comes to clearing clogs. Some chemical cleaners work well, but safety concerns make them a very dangerous products. Biological cleaners pose less of a risk to people and to the environment, but they're not the best clog busters.

The safest, most-effective tool might be a mechanical device, like those featured in the video below. For a roundup of all the drain-cleaning products we tested, see our Ratings (available to subscribers).

If you have questions about drain cleaners or any other home-related topic, send your query to our experts.

Tankless water heater recall

If you are among the increasing number of people using a tankless water heater at your home, check your model to ensure you’re not facing a potential carbon-monoxide problem.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on February 20, 2007, announced a recall of 42,200 Power Vent 199,900-Btu-per-hour tankless water heaters because of the risk of carbon-monoxide poisoning. The CPSC says you should stop using your unit immediately. The water heaters ($800 to $1,300) were sold between May 2004 and December 2006 under the Paloma, Rheem, Rheem-Ruud, and Richmond brand names.

Pieces inside the water heater can move around during transport, causing an air-filter door switch to malfunction, according to the CPSC. If the switch fails and the door cannot close properly, dust and lint can accumulate and lead to a CO-poisoning hazard. As of the recall date, no injuries had been reported.

For more information and to find the model number of recalled units, contact Rheem at 866-369-4786 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET on weekends) or go to www.tankless-recall.com. The company will repair your water heater at no charge.—Mitch Lipka

Essential information: Read  “Protect yourself against carbon-monoxide poisoning” for expert tips on avoiding CO poisoning. Also see our report on CO detectors and our exclusive interactive on smoke detectors. (Both are available to subscribers.)

Thrones of the bathroom

The Kohler C3 Series toilet seats can take ordinary commodes to new heights. See how these innovative bathroom fixtures work in this video report from Bob Markovich, editor of the Consumer Reports Home and Yard franchise, who’s on location at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando.

Kohler unveils lower-flow toilet

While the federal consumption standard for residential-use toilets remains at 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf), the EPA’s new WaterSense specification calls for less than 1.3 gpf. What’s more, California—where, it seems, many environmental efforts are born—might make the WaterSense voluntary specification mandatory for toilets.

In a move to address these developments, Kohler has released the Archer Comfort Height two-piece toilet ($308 to $400). What’s interesting about this 1.6-gpf fixture is that with a simple adjustment of a rod on the flush valve, its flow rate drops to 1.28 gpf.

Kohler eliminated the traditional flapper on the gravity-fed toilet and replaced it with a tower whose casing lifts to let water enter the drain from all directions, thereby decreasing consumption to 1.28 gpf.—Ed Perratore

Essential information: Standard toilets have also undergone a makeover as low-flush technology and styling have improved. Our installtion tips will help the job go smoothly, whether you’re hiring a pro or doing the job yourself. If you’re remodeling your entire bathroom, read our information on toilets,  whirlpool tubs, bathroom design, and bathroom sinks.