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January 16, 2009
Guest Shower Showdown
Q: Ed, I know you're a contractor, but I have read many articles where you give good marital advice mixed in with plumbing advice, and I have such a question. Last week my brother-in-law's house froze up, and he needed to come over our house to take a shower. We have a guest shower in our downstairs bathroom that is just about as nice as my private bedroom shower, so I got that shower all ready for him. But when my brother-in-law arrived, my wife showed him to my private shower! After he left, this triggered a huge argument. She told me that she was not going to be embarrassed by sending her brother to the guest shower. I like my privacy and the guest shower is supposed to be for "guests." What kind of reasoning is this, and how can I get her to send company to the guest shower in the future?
Ted, from New England
A: Ted, I can tell that this is not a joke -- and take comfort in the fact that many couples have had plumbing disagreements just like this one.
First, I do agree that your wife needs to understand that you take comfort in having a private bathroom space, and when that personal space is used by someone outside the home it can be very stressful. However, you need to understand that in her mind, she still looks at her parents, sisters, and brothers, as people who do live in her home. I know this because my wife does the same thing with her family. So, when your brother-in-law came over, she wanted to offer him the "best" shower stall in the house since he is family.
Now that we know the mental side of this issue, here's what you can do to solve the physical side of this problem. You stated that your guest shower was "just about as nice" as your shower, and that's the key. This is going to be a little sneaky, but take it from me, it does work!
Very discreetly you need to upgrade your guest shower stall so it's actually "nicer" than your private shower. You can do this fairly easy with a nice massage shower head and a fancy personal shower set up. Also, a pretty etched glass door can be very enticing. Once the upgrade is completed, use the shower stall yourself from time to time and talk about how good you feel every time you use that shower.
Over time, the guest shower will be imprinted in your wife's mind as the "best" shower in your home, and the next time one of her family members needs to use a shower, guess where they're going?
Like I said this has to be done low-key, so take your time and don't rush into this project. And, for all you married guys out there, take note and start fixing up your second showers as well. If not, the guest shower in your home will always be for your guests, not hers.
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 1:48 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Water Bill Blues
Q: Ed, our water and sewer bills have nearly doubled since we added a new bathroom on the opposite side of the home from where the water heater is located. We waste a lot of water waiting for hot water to finally come out of the faucets and shower. We read up on the hot water circulating pumps, but we're on a concrete slab and a new return line is impossible to run back to the water heater. Are we stuck? What's next?
Wayne, from Kentucky
A: Good news, Wayne! Even though you may not be able to install a separate return line to complete the circulating loop back to the water heater, you do have a second option. If you work with a licensed plumber, they can actually install an "instant hot water system" with a mixing valve and circulating pump that will use the present cold water lines in your home as the return line back to the water heater.
This system has been a major breakthrough in plumbing, and while it's complicated to explain (I won't attempt it in this column), it's a fairly easy and inexpensive system to add on to your present water heater. I recommend talking to your local building/plumbing inspector to see what new systems are approved in your area.
You're now on the right track to lower your sewer and water bills, and installing an instant hot water "demand" system is one solution that will really get you into some hot water very soon!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:37 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 9, 2009
Splitting Hairs on Saving Water
Q: Hello, Ed. You often talk about "saving water," and recently you wrote an article on water-saving toilets. I don't know what is meant by "saving water," but to me, "using less water" best describes what is going on.
I'm an expert in almost nothing, but I recall reading articles by people who should know what they're talking about suggesting that there is as much water, in whatever form, on the planet today as there ever was. I do know that the water running down the drain does not disappear. In urban areas it's collected in sanitary sewers, delivered to water treatment plants, and sent back into the environment. In rural communities, water is returned to the environment by septic systems and is slowly filtered through the earth and eventually finds it's way into the water table.
While I agree the above is a very simplistic explanation, my point is that there isn't any way we can actually "save water." Use less, get a lower utility bill, and that's about it. So how can there be a water shortage? Am I missing something?
-Tom, Pennsylvania
A: Tom, you sound like a very practical guy, and you do bring up some good points that I'd like to address.
First, I am not a scientist myself, so all I can do is back you up to say that I have read some of the same information about how we have as much water today on this planet as when the earth was first formed. As I recall, the information stated that earth's water cannot be created or destroyed. So, you do make a good point.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean all of the earth's usable water is readily available to society anytime its needed. So, the key issue is the "availability" of safe potable drinking water and having enough water stored in our reservoirs to distribute it to our cities and towns across the country.
If you don't believe that water shortages do exist, just ask anyone living in Atlanta. Another example is that the Colorado River no longer flows to into the ocean. Many cities, farms, and towns in the dry areas of the West depend on the water from the Colorado to survive, and once the river gets south of the border there's not much left -- and incredibly, it does dry up before it reaches the ocean. (For more information on the Colorado River, there's an Imax film called "Grand Canyon Adventure / River at Risk" that documents the water shortages facing many areas of the West.)
To get back to your question, in my opinion "saving water" is not about lower utility bills. It's about keeping as much water in our reservoirs as possible. We do this by using "less water," so you and I do agree. With that in mind, instead of telling people to "save water," since as you pointed out, saving water may not be a correct term, from now on I'll try to say "use less water" in all my speeches.
For instance, one quick way we can all "use less water," is to purchase new plumbing fixtures with the new EPA "Water Sense" label on them. The Water Sense program for plumbing fixtures works like the Energy Star program for appliances. If you see a new toilet with the EPA Water Sense label, that toilet has been tested to flush with maximum performance power, while using less than 1.3 gallons per flush. So, if we change our pre 1990 older water guzzling toilets to new toilets with the EPA Water Sense label, we can all "use less water" and help keep our rivers and reservoirs full. Hmm, I do like the sound of that.
Bottom line, I don't care how I have to say it, just as long as everyone gets my message: When it comes to conserving water, it's now time for all of us to step up to the plate... if we want to keep our cups full!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 1:18 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
