Want to green your shower routine? Get the EcoDrain. Did you know that getting hot water is one of the single biggest energy costs in a typical house, and therefore possibly one of the biggest sources of your home's carbon emissions? And when that hot water hits the drain, it's still pretty warm. Enter EcoDrain. EcoDrain works as a small heat pump, using the leftover heat from "used" water to help warm the incoming stuff. It doesn't mix clean and dirty water but squeezes out the extra heat that would otherwise help warm your city sewer system.EcoDrain cuts energy use for a normal shower by almost 50%.

The downside: It's an extensive installation, since it's hidden in the floor under your shower. For more information, visit http://dvice.com/archives/2008/11/10_best_ideas_f.php

And another thing, if you want to get shower curtains that won’t off-gas into your bathroom for the next few years, fabric ones are much healthier than vinyl curtains. Better still are ones made from organic cotton or hemp. You can find fabric shower curtains on pristineplanet.com, Gaiam, Rawqanique etc.

You can also make your own shower curtain out of cotton fabric lying at home. All you have to do is to hem it to the appropriate length and add twelve grommets to the top. Since it is cotton, it dries quickly and is easy to wash.

For more ideas on improving air quality at home, read:

http://www.creativecitizen.com/solutions/980-Improving-Air-Quality-At-Home

reference link: http://www.greenstrides.com/2008/01/15/the-eco-friendly-shower-curtain

1 Comment

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argam says:

Wow, what a great solution.  This is a great example of a closed loop system where you recycle energy and heat.

posted 11/26/08 at 09:43 PM

 

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