Don’t forget efficiency
When remodeling a bathroom, look for ways to improve energy efficiency along with the aesthetics and features.
Courtesy of American Standard
Q: I plan to remodel and modernize my bathrooms. What steps should I consider to make them more energy efficient in the process?
A: Bathrooms can be responsible for a significant amount of your home’s monthly utility bills, and a remodeling project is the perfect time to make upgrades that will reduce the energy needed to heat water and power lights, fans and all the appliances we’ve come to expect in a modern home.
Since people normally associate a bathroom with water usage, let's start there. Flushing a toilet is the major cold-water consumer in most bathrooms, and the toilet typically is replaced when remodeling. During winter, all the cold water which comes indoors when the toilet is flushed draws heat from the house as the water in the tank warms up. This can be a significant hidden energy loss.
The maximum water usage allowed for new toilets is 1.6 gpf (gallons per flush). Most major plumbing fixture manufacturers also offer 1.28-gpf super-efficient standard-flush and dual-flush models. Since fewer of these super-efficient toilet styles are available, select the toilet first and then match the other fixtures to it.
Showerhead design impacts both cold and hot water consumption. The maximum water flow rate is 2.5 gpm (gallons per minute) for showerheads, but some low-flow showerheads use half this much. If you have tried older low-flow showerheads and were dissatisfied, the new ones provide a more forceful shower.
Much hot and cold water is wasted trying to get the shower temperature where you want it. If there’s room in your budget, consider manual or electronic shower valves which allow the user to set a precise temperature. The correct temperature is reached quickly with less water wasted down the drain.
If it takes longer than 30 seconds to get hot water to the shower or sink, you could be wasting as much as two gallons of water every time you turn on the tap. Handy homeowners can easily install a do-it-yourself hot-water recirculating kit underneath the sink. When hot water is needed, a high-volume pump draws it quickly to the faucet, reducing waste.
Bathroom heating is another energy consideration because you want the heat quickly, but only for a brief period. A simple 120-volt or more powerful 240-volt radiant heater can make you feel comfortably warm after a shower or bath without having to heat all the air in the bathroom.
Radiant floor or wall heating is an appropriate choice for spot heating on cold winter days. Decorative or mirrored radiant wall heating panels warm up and produce heat quickly, so they are ideal for unplanned times in the bathroom. Electric infloor radiant heat is very comfortable for a bathroom and easy to install under tile. Since it takes somewhat longer to warm up, put it on a timer for typical bathroom usage times.
A high-quality bathroom vent fan with humidity- or motion-sensing controls is an efficient and affordable option for most bathroom renovation projects. It runs only as long as it is needed so excessive indoor air is not sucked from your house.
Select a vent fan with a light fixture and install efficient LED bulbs for general lighting. I would also consider an adjustable multi-LED lighting fixture with daylight and high-CRI (color rendition index) LED bulbs to show truer colors. These fixtures can be particularly useful for applying makeup and shaving.
Send questions to Energy Q&A, South Carolina Living, 808 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033, email energyqa@scliving.coop.
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