Cut Water Use in Your Home

Water in Idaho is under the gun. We are going to see more requirements in Idaho for water efficiency measures. Did you know the average family uses 400 gallons of water each day? Toilets represent a whopping 26% of all home indoor water use!!!!

Kohler, as well as many other companies, are making a commitment to being a leader in this area. Eight Kohler and Sterling toilets bear the Water Sense label for choosing an efficient toilet. Here are some tips to make your home more water efficient.

1. Choose a high-efficiency toilet. Look for gravity-fed models fitted with 3-inch diameter flappers or flush valves as they tend to outperform models fitted with the more traditional flappers.

2. Pressure assist models tend to perform well and deliver consistent water savings over the long run, but they are louder and sometimes more expensive

3. Performance and price do not go hand in hand. Some inexpensive models perform very well. conversely, some costly models perform very poorly.

4. Rely on MaP test results for flush performance. Ignore the less meaningful claims that you might hear at a trade show from sales personnel. A statement such as "This model can flush 30 golf balls" or "This model has a fully glazed trap way" is usually little more than a marketing gimmick.

5. Consider specific models rather than specific manufacturers. Many manufacturers offer both high-performance and low-performing models.

What about your faucets? You can buy inserts that take faucets down to 1.5 GPM for most faucets. More options coming up all the time.