hellobeautifulcreatures

T ankless water heaters have been in use all over the world for fifty years, largely because of smaller homes and higher energy costs outside the United States. In fact, tank water heaters are only used in the U.S. As natural gas and LP prices rise (as they have for the past decade) it will cost consumers more to heat water. Imagine cutting water heating costs by 50 to 70 percent – think tankless water heaters . Tankless water heaters – often called “on demand” water heaters – only heat water when needed. Tank water heaters , on the other hand, keep the water hot all of the time and, when on standby, loose about 6 degrees an hour. Heat in the form of Btu’s also escapes up through the flue pipe constantly . Tank water heaters are incredibly inefficient and yet are used in the majority of American homes. Tank water heaters have a life expectancy of around 10 years, depending on incoming water quality . Tankless water heaters , on the other hand have a life expectancy of 20 plus ye...

According to research carried out on behalf of Irish Water, more than 80% of people misjudge how much water they use on a daily basis. According to current estimates, each person consumes approximately 150 litres per day — equating to almost two full bathtubs of water per person per day, or 54,750 litres per person each year. Most of this water is flushed away every day. Showers are one of the biggest consumers of water in households. The average seven-minute shower uses up to 49 litres of hot water, while power showers can use up to 175 litres in the same period. Some 65% of those surveyed have a power shower at home, indicating that a large number of people are individually washing away more than 63,800 litres of water — or 112,456 pints — each year on showering alone. Irish Water said cutting your shower time by one minute could save up to 9,000 litres of water a year. Brushing your teeth with the tap running is one of the most common ways of wasting water, with about six litr...

Pretty much since I learned to walk, I have had an unusual disdain for waste. I noted the inefficient route of the school bus and wondered why it couldn’t just pick us up at a few centralized locations. Tracked my allowance with multi-year forecasts and kept the dollar bills organized in a photo album. Always cast a fiery eye towards a fridge or a front door left open , a car left idling , or a credit card bill left unpaid . This odd condition has proved to be profitable over the years, as I have naturally sought out ways to use less energy and waste less money, with very positive side effects like getting to spend more time outside and retiring from work relatively early. This is the reason the concepts of money and energy efficiency mingle so freely on this supposedly-financial blog: you can look at your energy consumption as a very close measure of the wastefulness of your life. The ideal life, even a very modern one, will require you to spend very little of your earnings buying ...

Our pick Delta In2ition 58480 This efficient showerhead combines the benefits of a handheld with a full- featured traditional model to give you a unique set of advantages, like richer spray patterns and easier installation, than some competitors. *At the time of publishing, the price was $130. The Delta In2ition 58480 combines the simplicity of a wall-mounted showerhead and the utility of a handheld—switching between them is a matter of holstering or drawing the handheld unit. At 2 gallons of water per minute, it meets the strictest federal efficiency guidelines , yet delivers satisfying results on multiple spray settings , from a gentle “rainshower” to a powerful massage. The 58480 replaces this guide’s former handheld pick, the similar Delta 58471, an excellent product many of our readers and a few editors use and love. This new Delta is more efficient than the other one’s 2.5 gpm, and its gentler spray options are more comfortable, which really helps when bathing kids or pet...

Alamy When David Maher, a financial adviser in Cleveland, bought a raw condo space in a downtown building earlier this year, he decided to install a spa shower to make his new home a special place. Maher paid attention the details in his master bathroom and upgraded to a Moen- brand luxury shower unit called the ioDIGITAL. The spa- style shower unit comes complete with remote controls, a digital touch pad to pre- program water temperature , and an array of shower heads ranging from a rain shower to four body sprays and a hand-held wand. "I never had these things before and going into a new place I wanted something luxury and high end," Maher, 43, says. Like a growing number of homeowners, he has replaced a ho-hum shower with a more spa-like one that includes shower heads that can mimic raindrops or a waterfall or pelt the body like a massage. Although such spa shower units represent less than 5 percent of the overall market, they have grown in popularity over the pa...

Your bathroom is one of the only rooms in your home that relaxes your cares away and can invigorate you to start anew the next the day. There is nothing better than bringing new innovations into your bathing and pampering experience and this year at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Las Vegas,  Nevada there was no lack of cool gadgets and gorgeous finds. Whether you are thinking about remodeling your bathroom or you just want to start creating your “wish list” here are 10 spectacular bathroom innovations for your modern home. Collect this idea Image via: Kohler Faucets 1. Traditional Materials in Innovative Applications: Bathrooms have always been a room where we can relax our cares away from the world and there is nothing like showcasing beautiful finishes in your bathroom. There is definitely a return to showcasing traditional materials such as wood, rock, seashells and other organic finishes in sinks such as Kohler Faucets above, countertops, backsplashes and more. Wh...