greenHo.ws

This is the final piece of our three quick and easy energy saving projects. We have already covered air infiltration and energy saving lighting, now we are going to address high efficiency (low flow) toilets. Because toilet use is the largest proportion of indoor water used in a household, high-efficiency toilets achieve real water savings. Since 1992 all toilets sold in the US have had to meet the water conservation standard of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf). A change to low flow toilets alone, reduces toilet water use by over 50% and indoor water use by an average of 16%. This translates into a savings of up to 20,000 gallons per year for a family of four. So if you have a toilet that was manufactured prior to 1992 it would be very worthwhile to install one of the new low flow toilets.

This is a fairly easy and straightforward project. There are a number of sites that detail the step required for this project, some of the better ones are listed below.

This Old House - Toilet Install

Lowe’s - Toilet Install

Are you tired of having to dress in a HazMat suit to avoid being overcome with the itches? Dow has introduced a new line of insulation that finally gets rid of the itch factor. It comes in both R-13 and R-19 batt insulation form. It has the same look and the same insulating properties as traditional fiberglass insulation. They have replaced the fiberglass fibers with polyester fibers which are non-irritating. It has no formaldehyde binders, no acrylic binders and no borates, which are found in many other traditional insulation products, SAFETOUCH Fiberglass-Free Insulation is better for your family and for the environment. Despite the lack of borates, the insulation is formulated so that it does not provide a food source for mold.

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