Archive for water conservation
JADO Stoic Collection: Elegant Bathroom Faucets that are Built to Last
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If you are looking to add a sophisticated touch to your bathroom, the Professor strongly recommends the JADO Stoic collection of luxury bathroom faucets. Inspired by the elegant look of modern jewelry styles, the collection is available in four distinctive handle options and three signature hand-buffed finishes. The Professor finds that the wide variety of styles allow the faucets to fit any number of different stylistic settings, easily complementing more minimal bathrooms or gracefully contrasting with more transitional ones.
Underneath the beautiful finishes and delicate-looking shapes lie solid brass construction for durability and ceramic disc valve cartridges, which ensure a lifetime of drip-free performance as well as noticeably smooth handle control. Stoic sink faucets are also WaterSense-certified and feature the exclusive JADO Luxury Speed Connect Drain, an innovation that radically simplifies drain installation, something that even certified experts like the Professor can appreciate.
Learn more about the new faucet collection, or view the complete JADO Stoic Collection.
Water-Saving Plumbing Products on the Profile Series
Posted by: | CommentsThe Professor isn’t much of a television junkie, but when segments featuring high performance, water-saving plumbing fixtures are airing, it’s a different story. Plumbing manufacturer American Standard recently produced a few short videos for the Profile Series of quality educational programming that focused on the company’s commitment to conserving water without sacrificing style or performance.
The one-minute segment posted above aired on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC last week but if you missed it – or, like the Professor, you’d rather watch the full-length director’s cut – you can view the more detailed and interesting eight-minute version below.
Congratulations to the Profile Series and American Standard for a job well done. The availability of high-performing water-saving faucets, showerheads, and toilets is a message that still needs to get out there, and the Professor believes that well-made television segments like this one are a great way to reach consumers.
American Standard Design Center Visit: Innovation with a Side of Toilet Humor
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Design bloggers tour the American Standard Design Center. To see more photos of the trip, click the photo.
Earlier this month, the Professor was fortunate enough to spend a day at the American Standard Design Center in Piscataway, NJ with a select group of the movers and shakers of the design blogger world. It is a pleasure to share their insights, reflections, humor, and excellent photographs of the trip:
Paul Anater, who blogs at Kitchen and Bath Residential Design, was especially impressed with some of the company’s unique and functional designs and the fashionable digs the bloggers enjoyed in New York.
For J.B. Bartkowiak of Building Moxie, the trip offered opportunities to reflect on design, innovation, performance, and the impact that brands can have when they build intimacy with customers.
Meanwhile, the engineering department’s space age 3-D copier was a big hit with Laurie Burke of Kitchen Design Notes. (The Professor also appreciated the occasional plumbing pun she threw in for good measure, naturally.)
Andie Day (and her photographer’s eye) especially loved the great views and fashionable setting of the rooftop of the Standard Hotel, where the bloggers gathered the night before their Design Center tour.
American Standard’s many green initiatives, including the eco-friendly Design Center and strong emphasis on water conservation, were particularly appreciated by Saxon Henry of Roaming By Design.
Saxon and her business partner Rich Holschuh also wrote about the company’s fixture fixation, the “stylish verve” of the American Standard design team, and shared a video of a portion of the tour on the site for their social media consultancy, Adroyt.
Great shot of everyone: Laurie Burke, Rich Holschuh, Saxon Henry, Andie Day, Paul Anatar, J.B. Bartkowiak. To see more photos from the trip, click the photo.
Many thanks to everyone who attended! The Professor had a marvelous time getting to talk plumbing with everyone and truly appreciates everyone’s thoughtful commentary.
Saving Water & Looking Great
Posted by: | CommentsSwitching out an outdated faucet can do wonders to perk up your bathroom, but there are other great reasons to upgrade to a stylish new model – like conserving fresh water resources, for instance. Many of the most attractive faucets on the market right now are WaterSense certified. Watch the video below for more info, or start shopping for water-saving faucets now!
Water-Saving Toilets: New Hands-Free Dual Flush Toilet
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There is no question that dual flush toilets are a simple and increasingly popular way to reduce water use at home. Now, thanks to a recent innovation from American Standard, a new line of hands-free, dual flush toilet valves are bringing the same water-saving technology to commercial applications.
How does it work? The new Selectronic dual flush toilet valve releases a light flush, or 1.1 gallons per flush (gpf), when motion is detected for less than 60 seconds. A standard 1.6 gpf volume is used when motion is detected for 60 seconds or longer.
All in all, the Professor is impressed by the ingenuity of this new line of commercial flush valves, which require 20 percent less water than standard toilets. The valves were designed to work perfectly as a retrofit for use with existing plumbing, so it’s easy for commercial facilities to make this water conservation-friendly upgrade. Here’s to an eco-friendly and very high tech future!
Saving Water Without Sacrifice: Nature Conservancy Interview, Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsEarlier this week, the Professor posted video clips from a recent interview with Brian Richter, the Director of the Global Freshwater Program at the Nature Conservancy. Just in time for Earth Day, here are the remaining segments of the interview.
In this clip Brian discusses rates of water use on a national level and both he and the Professor share their recommendations for how to save water at home without sacrificing performance or style.
Next, Brian talks about how his interest in water conservation developed on a personal and professional level.
Brian concludes by sharing 3 sensible tips for saving water around your home and explains the connection between saving water and saving electricity. He and the Professor talk about replacing toilets, faucets, and showerheads and agree that most modern water-saving products are designed to be easy to install without the help of a professional.
The Professor would like to thank Brian Richter for sharing his knowledge and insights, and sends Earth Day wishes to everyone at the Nature Conservancy.
Water Conservation: Earth Day Interview with the Nature Conservancy
Posted by: | CommentsThe Professor frequently writes about the importance of saving water at home, so it was a real treat to interview Brian Richter, Director of the Global Freshwater Program at the Nature Conservancy. Segments of video from the interview will be posted over the course of this week, but the first two clips are already online for your viewing pleasure. In these clips, Brian talks about why water conservation is such an urgent and important issue, and about the challenges we face as the earth’s population continues to increase while groundwater levels drop.
Earth Day is on Friday, so why not celebrate by incorporating new ways to conserve water into your routine? From installing water efficient products to trying out new water saving tips around your house, a few small steps can do a world of good.
Update 4/22: Part 2 is now up. Click here to view it.
Dual Flush Toilets Make it Big in the Big Apple
Posted by: | CommentsGreat news out of New York City, where the City Council just passed a bill aimed at improving water efficiency in the five boroughs. One provision of the bill, which is expected to save a whopping 1 billion gallons of water per year, has the Professor especially excited: all homes and apartments that are being built new or remodeled would be required to install dual flush toilets.
A recent post on Gothamist, the ultimate NYC Blog, celebrates the announcement by posting one of the ever-entertaining videos of a flushing demonstration of the H2Option from American Standard.
The Professor offers a tip o’the hat to the City Council for taking this bold action to improve water efficiency in New York, and hopes that all NYC residents enjoy the dual flushes in their future!
Shower Systems, Water Conservation and the DOE
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing a new interpretation of the term “showerhead” in the DOE’s regulations related to the energy conservation program for consumer products.
The proposal will re-define showerheads as shower valves, allowing only a single showerhead using no more than 2.5 gallons per minute of water per showering compartment. Unless challenged, the new definition would take place by June 18. (Source: Supply House Times).
American Standard is all for water conservation and we back many federal, state and local government initiatives, such as the EPA WaterSense program.
This action, however, is a significant step backwards from everything we now know about safe bathing for people of all ages, heights and abilities. Smart shower systems designed by experienced professionals have controls for different showerheads in the same shower enclosure, set at different heights for children, aging-in-place and universal accessibility.
The new definition also threatens to increase costs to build schools and other institutions that require multiple showering areas, since separate shower valves will be required for every showerhead.
Professor Toilet urges everyone to contact the DOE re: Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-NOA-0016
1. Leave comments for the DOE.
2. Send an email.
3. Write to: Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-NOA-0016, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20585
PS: Professor Toilet would prefer to see government action along the lines of “cash for flushers.” (Of course, the Professor brings it back to toilets.) Water conservation rebates implemented in many cities and counties around the nation have encouraged many homeowners to replace old water wasters with toilets that perform better on less water.
WaterSense Products a Key Element in Green Rebuilding Efforts
Posted by: | CommentsOn May 4, 2007, the town of Greensburg, Kansas was destroyed by an EF5 tornado. Ninety-five percent of the town was leveled by the storm and 11 people lost their lives. In the wake of this tragedy the residents of Greensburg chose to take advantage of what they realized was an historic opportunity and began to rebuild their home into the first LEED Platinum town in the country.
Today, on the 3rd anniversary of the Greensburg tornado, the Professor gives a tip of the hat to the resilient residents of Greensburg for their amazing accomplishments.
Most of the news coverage has focused on Greensburg’s wind farm, rainwater harvesting efforts, recycled building materials, and LED-powered streetlights. However, one other important feature in the town’s new, environmentally-friendly plan includes the installation of WaterSense-certified plumbing products in the reconstructed homes.
To help residents conserve water, American Standard Brands donated a number of products, including several low-flow Cadet 3 and FloWise toilets, both of which use 20% less water per flush than standard toilets. Several Greensburg homes also received water-saving Reliant 3 faucets and FloWise bath and shower kits.
Making use of clean energy technologies and reclaimed building materials are truly laudable actions, but as always, the Professor is especially pleased to see that water conservation is a key aspect of Greensburg’s low-impact lifestyle.
