Four Favorite Eco-Friendly Plumbing Innovations - 3 Mountains Plumbing

One of the benefits of being a blogger is hearing from insightful industry folks around the world.  Today's Bath Week Four Favorites guest post comes from 3 Mountains Plumbing, a fully-licensed and bonded plumbing contractor in Oregon.  I love their suggested products for greening your bathroom.  I know I'll be looking at these for my next home.


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When you talk about plumbing, words like “groundbreaking” and “cutting edge” probably don’t leap to mind. Yet modern plumbing is indeed innovative – manufacturers are constantly working to develop products that make home plumbing more efficient and earth friendly. 


Toilet/Sink Combos 


Your average toilet flushes pure water – i.e., drinking water – which 11 percent of the world’s population can’t access. Toilet/sink combos conserve by using the same water twice; first, the fresh water is sent through the faucet, and then it is stored to flush the toilet later. Unfortunately, the “ick factor,” as one Nashville manufacturer put it, has limited demand and hampered elegant design for this plumbing innovation. Caroma’s Profile Smart 305 Round Front Plus is the exception, saving both space and water in style. 

Perfect for a smaller powder room and smaller water bill
(Photo Courtesy:   Caroma )

Hybrid Hot Water Heaters 


Tankless water heaters are already a buzz item among green-minded designers, builders and consumers. But the next best thing – the hybrid water heater – is already here. Hybrid heaters are even more energy efficient, so they save the average family $320 per year, as opposed to $100 per year savings with a tankless water heater. Plus, you can get a $480 federal tax credit for a hybrid heater, such as GE’s new hybrid model. 

Another hybrid for your garage!
(Photo Courtesy:   GE )

Programmable Showers 


A 10-minute shower sends, on average, 25 gallons of water down the drain. One way for homeowners to reduce their water usage is to install a programmable shower faucet. These devices allow precise control over temperature as well as the amount of water used, offering a luxury spa-like experience without the wastefulness. If this sounds too good to be true, keep in mind that the StyleTherm from California Faucets has been found to comply with the California Green Building Standards Code, the nation’s first statewide green building code. 

Programmable shower delivers eco-luxury
(Photo Courtesy: California Faucets)

Flow-Optimized Faucet Aerators 


The key to an eco-friendly bathroom faucet is to decrease water waste without sacrificing pressure. The solution: a flow-optimized aerator, which injects air into the water stream. This helps maintain water pressure while cutting down the flow rate from 2.2 gallons per minute to 1.5. Moen bathroom faucets with flow-optimized aerators, for example, can cut the water that comes from your bathroom tap by 32 percent.

Save water stylishly with a flow-optimized faucet
(Photo Courtesy:   Moen )

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3 Mountains Plumbing  specializes in plumbing services and remodeling for both homes and businesses in Portland, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Wilsonville, Dundee and surrounding communities.