Monday, April 22, 2013

April 22nd is Earth Day – Let’s Talk Water Conservation

Today is Earth Day and we’ve had water conservation on the brain.

In Canada, we have 7% of the world’s reusable fresh water and this makes us feel as though we have an abundant supply. Yet, we are using it at a rate that we just can’t keep up with. Already, municipalities must put water conservation bans into place and encourage residents not to use excessive water during drought times.

Did you know that on average 65% of our indoor water use comes from our bathroom habits? Saniflo knows all about bathroom water conservation and we have some tips.

We can reduce our water consumption in the bathroom in many ways, such as changing shower heads and taking shorter showers, but what we would like to talk about today is changing our flushing habits.

1 in 3 Canadians use toilets inappropriately to flush tissues, insects and small garbage down the toilet. It seems like an easy way to get rid of waste but one flush in a conventional toilet can use up to 18 litres of water. This is why 30% of our bathroom water use is flushed right down the toilet. Literally. And if your water usage is metered, then you are flushing money down the toilet as well.

There are a few things you can do to decrease your toilet water consumption:
  • Avoid unnecessary flushing. Use a garbage can for garbage.
  • Check for leaks in your toilet’s tank. A leaking tank will continuously use water. (Use a few drops of food colouring in the toilet’s tank and wait 15-20 minutes to see if the colour spreads to the bowl without flushing. If it does, you have a leak that is costing you water.)
  • A visual check can indicate whether any parts of your toilet are worn and needs replacing. Even a sticking handle can cause water to flow continuously.
  • A low flow toilet can take up to 72% less water than a conventional toilet. Compare our SANIFLO toilets to an old conventional toilet that could use up to 18 litres of water:
o   The SANICOMPACT and SANISTAR toilets use only 4 litres of water.
o   The SANIFLUSH toilets (for use with our external macerators such as the SANIPLUS) use only 6 litres of water.

By simply switching to one of our low flow toilets and changing your flushing habits, you could make a large dent in your bathroom water consumption. 

Friday, April 12, 2013

Saniflo Transformations – The Montreal Condo


Modern condos usually have a powder room and an ensuite bathroom in addition to the main bathroom, but older buildings are often lacking.

The owner of this older Montreal condo came up with the idea of extending his laundry closet and transforming it into a laundry / powder room.

BEFORE


AFTER


The Renovation Challenge: How to install a powder room in a condo where you can’t break-up the floor to install a sewer line?

The Saniflo Solution: The SANITOP.

The SANITOP is a small super quiet unit with a macerating pumping system that sits above the floor. With the use of this unit and the rear discharge toilet, our condo owner was able to add both a toilet and a sink into his laundry room without disturbing the floor.

SANITOP, a simple solution for a condo bathroom renovation that greatly added convenience and value to the space.