Water efficiency / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...efficiency standards, low-GWP refrigerant shifts, and the significant green home energy efficiency tax credits and rebates available for domestic hot water this year. Understanding heat pump water heater technology Uniform energy factor and performance in 2026 Installation space and venting requirements Top performing...

...water heater only: The preheated water is fed into the cold water inlet of the water heater. Preheating the shower only: The preheated water is sent directly to the cold side of the shower's mixing valve. The balanced approach: The preheated water is split, feeding both the water heater and the shower's cold water inta...

...efficiency plumbing and water fixtures Clean water is essential for life, but most people in North America don't think much about the water they use for drinking, food preparation, and sanitation. Freshwater scarcity manifests itself in the depletion of groundwater, and the drying up of rivers and lakes upon which peop...

...water The most crucial prerequisite to designing a successful autonomous home water system is to reduce consumption. For example, this house includes a toilet that consumes only 6 liters per flush, which wasn’t mandatory until 2014. Water reuse is critical as well - wastewater from washing machines, showers, bathtubs a...

...water heat recovery What is drain water heat recovery?  Before entering your water heater, the cold water feed goes through thin copper pipes wrapped around the drain. Heat from the draining water therefore warms the incoming water before it enters the water heater. This is another big money and energy saver worth the...

...water efficient toilets, learn more about home water and energy efficiency solutions in the following pages and in the Ecohome Green Building Guide. DIY video of aftermarket bidet installation to toilet Do low flow showerhead work well? Best energy saving tips for green homes - 10 tips How to reduce hot water u...

...water heat recovery that looks quite promising.  If you aren't familiar with the term, greywater heat recovery devices, as their name suggests, are used to recover heat from drain water before it is discharged from homes. In order to work they require water tanks to be filling while hot water is draining, so the functi...

...water? Or indeed grey water! The term 'gray water recycling' refers to all domestic waste water that is drained from sinks, showers, bathtubs and washing machines. While gray water can be reused, water from kitchen sinks or dishwashers is generally not recycled as it contains substantial amounts of grease and organic m...

...water heat recovery:  One of the most overlooked ways energy leaves a home is from hot water going down the drain, taking your money with it. The concept of grey water heat recovery is to reclaim that heat before it leaves your house. It simply involves your cold water feed taking a short detour before entering your wa...

...water; factory-installed heat traps that allow water to flow into the tank but present unwanted flow of hot water out of the tank. Some advantages of tankless water heaters: Since tankless water heaters do not include a tank, they heat water only when a faucet is opened. In their most rudimentary form, tankless water ...