Water Saving Technology

Sustainability. This is a major goal of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense Program. WaterSense is meant to make "it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment." The EPA even notes that "many products are available, and don't require a change in your lifestyle." Essentially, the WaterSense mark shows that plumbing manufacturers finally understand that even the most water conscious American needs a few minutes to wash a well used pot or pan...and it's nearly impossible to turn off a faucet with one's elbows while holding a pan full of hot water in one hand and a soapy sponge in the other. Sometimes, you just have to let the water run to get the job done right -- and you are left with a guilty conscience due to all the water you wasted.

One solution to this dilemma is to have less water come out of the faucet or shower head. Sounds like a good idea, right? "But," you say, "I need high pressure to remove those baked on stains! Less water coming out at any given moment means I'll have to run the faucet longer. Doesn't this defeat the purpose?" Simply put, no!

Most of the faucets and shower heads will compensate for the difference in water by inducing air into the water stream. Think of it this way: A pessimist will say the glass is half empty. The optimist will say the glass is half full. WaterSense says the glass is completely full -- half water, half air! What this means is that your current faucets and shower heads use approximately 2 to 2.5 gallons of water per minute. EPA WaterSense faucets and shower heads, on the other hand, will use between 1.7 and 1.5 gallons per minute; an estimated average water savings of 30%. In order to keep the same feel or pressure the faucets and shower heads will have better aerators and cartridges. Honestly, who really wants to feel 30% less water or experience a 30% more difficult time rinsing the soap off when they shower? Well, we can have our cake and eat it, too!

PaulSupply.com recommends taking a look at a few of the following manufacturer's webpages to really get a better feel for what products are available for the environmentally conscious water user:

Grohe WaterCare: Enjoy less water, more!

hansgrohe EcoRight: The "Green" behind the Green Logo

Kohler: Conservation Innovation

The Kohler WaterSense section has a particularly useful Water Use Calculator which will allow you to compare your water use habits with those of the average American. Now you can see exactly how many gallons of water you use per day; and how many gallons you could potentially save!

K/BIS -- Best of Show & Products to Watch For

We spent this past weekend traipsing around the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (K/BIS) at the McCormick Center here in Chicago. If you have not had the chance to explore this building, rest assured -- IT IS HUGE! There were easily 50,000+ vendors and attendees at any given point; the place seemed empty. Suffice it to say, if it was not at the K/BIS show, it probably doesn't exist.

There is no point in delaying the inevitable. Common (at least what we think would be common...if this were a real-time dialogue) questions might be: What were the best products? What was unique? What did people say, "Oooohhhh! Aaahhhhh!" about? What was the absolute coolest thing at K/BIS?!?!

Settle down! We'll tell you...right...NOW:

Hands down, the best looking item at K/BIS is part of a new line from Grohe. The line, called Ondus (think...wave), is not entirely new (Grohe unveiled the Ondus collection in Germany last year). A quick Google search will show you that people have been talking about it for almost a year now. However, this was the first time the public could touch and feel Grohe's newest creation

The plus side to the Ondus line: Unbelievable style. Every person who walked past Grohe's Ondus display was compelled to touch the faucets and shower units. Why shouldn't they? There are almost no night-black faucets on the market, let alone highly stylized ones. The faucets and shower units would certainly make the highlight reel of any home tour.

Another nice feature of Ondus: The controls are rather intuitive. Clear pictures denote whether one is affecting the shower head, body spray(s) or hand-held shower head units. Merely touch the picture of where you desire water to pour from and, VOILA! Water! Want hotter water? The digital display allows you to control water temperature to within half a degree! Ease of use of the digital display and control panel is comparable to an I-Pod.

However, PaulSupply.com's Best in Show Award is reserved for the Kohler Zofa toilet seats. Stop rolling your eyes... Most people have experienced a standard, hard plastic toilet seat as well as the occasional padded toilet seat. "What," you may be thinking, "could make any toilet seat stand out? Especially at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show? There must have been ten thousand items which are better than a toilet seat..." And right you would be, except the Zofa will make any toilet a true throne.

Kohler's Zofa toilet seats (Model # K-4673 for an Elongated, K-4674 for Round/Regular size) is neither a plastic seat nor a padded seat. It is, in our estimation, the first ever soft toilet seat. The difference being the Zofa seats have substance to them -- they won't compact so much so that they no longer offer any padding, yet they are hard enough that ripping should never be a concern.

Kohler, in a February 13, 2008 press release, stated: "The Zofa seat features closed-cell foam that does not require a separate material to act as a cover, compared to competitive soft seats wrapped in vinyl. This soft seat is warmer to the touch upon initial contact, and the contour of the seat is ergonomically designed for optimal comfort. The polypropylene ring frame prevents cracking, and is equipped with KOHLER Quick-Release™ and Quiet-Close™ technology." (Click Here to Read Entire Press Release)

Stay tuned and we will let you know when we acquire our first shipment!