Water Saving Plumbing

Changes in lifestyle mean we are using 55% more water now than we did 25 years ago. As water usage and its costs continue to rise, architects, planners and environmentalists are searching for new alternatives.

We offer a range of water saving plumbing products, developed by market leaders Ideal Standard

Ideal Standard - Armitage Shanks

WCs

Using dual flush technology can save over 25% of the water used against a standard 6 litre cistern.

Dual flushing

Because you don't always need a full flush every time you go to the toilet, all Ideal Standard and Armitage Shanks push button close coupled WCs have dual flush cisterns as standard. These cisterns have two buttons– the small button delivers 4 litres for a short flush, the large button delivers 6 litres for a long flush. This saves over 25% of water vs a 6 litre cistern.

Environmental Agency research indicates that the average domestic toilet is used 5 times a day, with 4 uses requiring a short flush and 1 use requiring a long flush.

Water saving cisterns

Flushing with a smaller cistern is one of the most effective ways of saving water. Current water regulations require WCs to flush on a maximum of 6 litres. However over 60% of WCs installed in the UK still have cisterns that flush on 7.5, 9, 11 or even 13 litres.

By installing a 6 litre WC and cistern you could save anything from 20% to 50% of water per year.

New delayed flush cisterns

To ensure maximum savings we have developed delayed flush cisterns. This technology prevents the cistern from filling with water before the flush is complete, guaranteeing no additional water is wasted. This is particularly suitable in high water pressure situations.

Baths and Showers

Showering and bathing accounts for around 20% of the water we use.

Low capacity baths

Baths come in many shapes and sizes. Typically an average Ideal Standard 1700 x 700mm bath will hold between 175 and 210 litres of water to the overflow. The Alto water saving bath only needs 149 litres of water to the overflow. That saves 15-28% of water. Of course to have a luxurious bath you only need to fill the bath approximately 2 thirds below the overflow, allowing for average adult displacement of water.

Shower baths

Where space is limited, shower baths are designed to allow you to have a shower and a bath in the same area. These have a dual water saving advantage. The opportunity to have a water saving shower combined with a low capacity bath.

Showering

Taking a shower often saves water compared to having a bath. Water usage is dependent on the type of shower (e.g. conventional vs power), water pressure, size of valve and the length of time in the shower. Some showers use a high volume of water - anything from 10 to more than 30 litres of water per minute.

One way to save water whilst keeping the benefits of a good shower is to fit a shower restrictor. Our restrictor is designed to give you a maximum of 9 litres of water per minute up to a pressure of 3 bar (Note you need a minimum pressure of 0.3 bar to achieve 9 litres per minute). The restrictor is fitted between the shower valve and the shower hose set. We only recommend using this restrictor with Trevi or Ideal Standard Showers and they are not suitable for use with Trevi Boost.

Taps and Mixers

Click cartridge technology can save over 5,000 litres of water per year in an average bathroom.

Click technology

Click technology gives you easy control over how much water you want to use. The user lifts the lever until they feel a slight resistance. This indicates that the fitting is using 50% of its flow. Applying greater pressure results in a click giving 100% flow.

Ceramic disc cartridges

Apart from being annoying, a dripping tap can waste a lot of water over a period of time.

Taps with ceramic disc cartridge control water with impeccable precision. The ceramic disc is extremely durable and eliminates the waste of a dripping tap. A dripping tap that wastes 1 litre of water per hour is the equivalent of wasting 1460 full WC flushes a year.

Flow restrictors

Fitting a water restrictor allows you to control the amount of water a tap uses. Water usage is determined by water pressure and the size of valve in the tap.

So where you have particularly high pressure a tap could be delivering many unnecessary litres of water per minute. Our mixer tap restrictor is designed to give you a maximum of 6 litres of water per minute up to a pressure of 3 bar. The restrictor is screwed onto the tap outlet and has an airated nozzle. This gives the user a fine airated spray of water - both softer to the hand and perfect for quickly lathering with soap.

More information:

Ideal Standard Water Saving Innovative Solutions (PDF, 1.93B)