New Boden Bathroom Reading: BOTTLEMANIA

This just off the press: Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It, by Elizabeth Royte (248 pages, Bloomsbury, $24.99.)

We haven't had a chance to check it out properly yet, but the review in this weekend's New York Times (Distilled From Water, Designer or Tap: High Anxiety) suggests to us that it's worth a look - so we've added it to the official Boden Bathroom Reading List.

This book covers topics we've blogged about more than once: tap vs. bottled, the safety of drinking water, privatization of public water supplies for profit, the glut of throw-away plastic water bottles, not to mention the high cost of convenience. Goodness. How did water go on sale and just why are we buying it?

From Michiko Kakutani's review in the Times:

In her fascinating if not terribly comprehensive new book, “Bottlemania,” Elizabeth Royte looks at the water wars: between bottled water and tap water, between big corporations and local water interests, between consumers who say they want the convenience, cleanliness and even status of bottled water, and environmentalists who condemn bottled water as “the moral equivalent of driving a Hummer,” producing tons of plastic bottles, racking up huge transportation fees and leaving behind a significant carbon footprint.

And by "not terribly comprehensive" it seems he means that she doesn't "profile a full array of bottled waters" nor "delve into details of water battles around the world." Instead she uses examples to illustrate her points.

That seems OK to us. It's not necessarily exhaustive proof that will make us change our habits regarding water use. A good water filter at home and reusable water bottle could help, though.

If you'd like to learn more about the need for clean drinking water around the world - and maybe help out, start with UNICEF's Tap Project. There's a lot to learn - and a lot we can all do to make a difference.

***
Boden Plumbing primarily serves Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and the Petaluma area. We provide a full range of residential plumbing repairs and services.
866-663-7477
www.nodrips.com

Dry Sonoma Valley Urged to Conserve

The latest heat spell to hit Sonoma Valley reminds us all just what a dry spring we had this year. With temps above 100 degrees again this week, vegetation is looking like it's late August instead of early July.

On June 30th, at the end of the water year, the Sonoma County Water Agency urged its customers to voluntarily reduce water use. Rainfall was just 24 inches last season, well below the 31-inch average recorded over the previous 30 years - and the majority of the rain came in the fall and early winter months. After an even drier 2006-2007 water year, SCWA anticipated the necessity for reduced releases from Lake Mendocino coming into the hot summer months and called for reductions in line with what everyone came through with last season (15 - 20%).

And let's be honest - reducing unnecessary water use doesn’t just make for good karma, it saves you money on your water bill! Are you doing all that you can to conserve water?

First and foremost - stop the leaks
You’d be surprised how much water goes down the drain as a result of leaking faucets and connections or running toilets. If you need the cold hard facts, visit this USGS website to find out just how much one leaky faucet can set back your water budget. Check it out.

Also, it’s a good idea to have a separate shut-off for your irrigation system so that if leaks develop outside – and they often do – you can shut your system down until repairs can be made without affecting the house supply.

Replace your old water-hungry toilet
The toilet is certainly the largest water user inside your house, so take advantage of the Sonoma County Water Agency’s rebate program and replace any old non low flow toilets. The water agency will reimburse Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District customers (sewer customers, not septic users) $150 for each high-efficiency toilet installed in a residence and $260 for each low flow toilet installed in a business – when you are replacing an old non low flow model. Not bad!

...and water-hungry clothes washer
Rebates are also available for installing water efficient clothes washers; check with Valley of the Moon Water District (996-1037) or City of Sonoma (938-3681) for more info on what appliances qualify for rebate. On septic? You may still qualify for the same rebates if you are a Valley of the Moon Water District customer or get your water from the City of Sonoma. Check with your water supplier for details.

Choose appropriate plants
Customers in our service area enjoy a Mediterranean climate, which means hot dry summers. With so many wonderful choices available, there's really no excuse for watering plants adapted to a different climate. Reducing turf area to a sensible minimum and growing plants best suited for your area automatically reduces your irrigation use.

...as long as you follow thru and water less, that is
Duh! But you'd be surprised - you might even surprise yourself. Seriously, remember to adjust your watering schedule to match your new heat- and sun-loving landscape. Also, include plenty of hose bibs in your outside set-up for easy hand watering and spot watering.

Would you like more information? And, even better, how about some free help evaluating water use at your home? If you are a customer of City of Sonoma or Valley of the Moon Water District you can call the Water Smart Home Program and a representative of the Sonoma County Water Agency will visit your home or apartment building and provide free water saving tools to help you use water more efficiently. For single family homes, the service even includes evaluation of your outdoor irrigation system. An appointment takes about an hour and a half and can be scheduled weekdays during daylight hours. To find out more and to schedule an appointment, call 547-1910.

More links...

:: Visit SCWA website for their top ten tips.
:: Visit www.h2ouse.org for more details on wise water use.

***
Boden Plumbing primarily serves Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and the Petaluma area. We provide a full range of residential plumbing repairs and services.
866-663-7477
www.nodrips.com

Boden Plumbing + Green Plumbing

Boden Plumbing has always been interested in finding healthy, energy efficient, and water-saving solutions to common plumbing requirements.

We have been introducing our customers to BioSmart for awhile. It's a product that really works when it comes to keeping drain lines clear and septic systems healthy - and it eliminates the use of caustic drain cleaners.

We also offer trenchless sewer repair, which not only tends to be less expensive than traditional dig methods but also reduces site disruption and erosion. We think it's a good thing.

Naturally we provide all of the low flow toilets (dual flush or otherwise) that are required these days, and we just added a new tank-style water heater to our arsenal - the Vertex™ from A.O. Smith. For homeowners looking for a step-up in energy efficiency who don't want to - or can't - do the retrofit for a tankless unit, the Vertex™ is a real good option. Even with the energy savings, it promises "endless" hot water. Nice.

Sustainability in everything is what's on the horizon as far as we can see, and so Boden Plumbing continues to look for new techniques and products to offer to our customers. We recently began taking advantage of the resources of GreenPlumbers® USA. Terry Boden has received their training in solar hot water technology and water efficient technologies, and he expects to continue working his way through their program.

The two workshops Terry's attended to date covered the following topics:

Solar Hot Water Technology

• Rebate information
• Retro-fit sizing and installation
• New Technology

Water Efficient Technologies

• Recycled Water
• Rain Water
• Graywater
• Septic Tanks/Wastewater Treatment Systems
• Environmental/Public Health/Safety Regulations

So we're still looking. There is probably no end to the improvements that can be made to current practices when it comes to use of recycled and recyclable materials, energy and water savings, and elimination of toxic building materials. If you are looking for green options yourself, give us a call at the office. We'd love to give you some recommendations. 707 996 8683

***
Boden Plumbing primarily serves Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and the Petaluma area. We provide a full range of residential plumbing repairs and services.
866-663-7477
www.nodrips.com

Happy Independence Dayfrom Boden Plumbing

Have a very happy and safe Fourth of July everyone!




(Both photos courtesy of the Hornblower Cruises website. What a way to see San Francisco, huh? Thank you!)

***
Boden Plumbing primarily serves Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and the Petaluma area. We provide a full range of residential plumbing repairs and services.
866-663-7477
www.nodrips.com

Save Money with Filtered Tap Water

It seems many people have reached that point when they realize that paying more for bottled water than what we're whining about paying for gas is just plain goofy.

Whew, finally.

According to a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, people are giving up the bottle in noticeable numbers and, with the economy the way it is, the price is a big reason why. "Measured in 700-milliliter bottles of Poland Spring, a daily intake of water would cost $4.41, based on prices at a CVS drugstore in New York. Or $6.36 in 20-ounce bottles of Dasani. By half-liters of Evian, that'll be $6.76, please. Which adds up to thousands a year.

"Even a 24-pack of half-liter bottles at Costco Wholesale Corp., a bargain at $6.97, would be consumed by one person in six days. That's more than $400 a year."

And tap water? Of course that will vary depending on water rates in your area, but we're talking pennies a year for the same amount of drinking water from the tap.

What are you waiting for? Get yourself a healthy, ecologically appropriate (no plastic!) reusable bottle and fill 'er up!

But maybe you're not so confident in the quality of your tap water? Have your water tested if you have your doubts. If you live in Boden Plumbing's service area, we included a list of labs in our recent post Clean Drinking Water a Major Concern. You can start there.

And then maybe a water filter is in order. We try to steer people away from R/O (reverse osmosis) systems. They are big water wasters. But there are different options out there. We like the Nature's Miracle whole-house system because it gets the chlorine out of the bathing water as well as the drinking water, but there are good point-of-use filters available as well.

If you have questions - or would like more information, call the Boden Plumbing office at 707 996 8683. We're here to help.

:: SF Chronicle article on the switch to tap.
:: Sea of Trash in the NY Times.
:: Boden Plumbing's blog posts on water filtration.

***
Boden Plumbing primarily serves Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and the Petaluma area. We provide a full range of residential plumbing repairs and services.
866-663-7477
www.nodrips.com

Knock Knock

Who's there?

It's the plumber!

***
Boden Plumbing primarily serves Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and the Petaluma area. We provide a full range of residential plumbing repairs and services.
866-663-7477
www.nodrips.com

Vertex™ from A.O. Smith:New Improved Tank-style Water Heater Rivals Tankless

A.O. Smith, in partnership with one of the nation's leading design engineering firms, has developed a 76,000 BTU tank-style water heater that boasts a 90 percent thermal efficiency rating and promises "endless hot water." Here at Boden Plumbing we're pretty excited about its possibilities. Just imagine: the reliable tank style heater that just about every house is already fitted for with the energy savings of an on-demand heater - plus that seemingly endless stream of hot water we all dream about.

The development of the Vertex™ was part of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) project. With an average 78 percent thermal efficiency, the conventional tank-style water heaters left some room for improvement. The Vertex™ jumps to 90 percent thermal efficiency and still provides an estimated 127-gallon first hour delivery and a 93 gph recovery rate. It's like getting the output of a 75-gallon water heater without the gas bill you'd expect.

Lower operating costs for the homeowner and fuel savings for everyone concerned - it's all good.

The Vertex™ gains by replacing the standard straight vertical flu tube with an internal helical heating coil. This increases the surface area over which heat is transferred to water in the tank and allows the unit to accept 76,000 BTU. "Higher input with more efficient combustion produces much more hot water, with lower operating costs," A.O. Smith.

The other big plus from Boden Plumbing's perspective is the simplified install for a high-efficiency energy saving unit over what's often required when switching from a tank-style water heater to a tankless unit. We have a lot of people asking about on-demand water heaters these days, but the retrofits necessary to match needs with the existing infrastructure in the home often makes the switch logistically or financially prohibitive. If you are replacing a 40- or 50-gallon tank style unit, the change over to a Vertex™ is seamless. In addition, the Vertex™ power vent design means a simpler and less expensive venting system compared to what's required for tankless units.

We'll be able to tell you more once we've tried the Vertex™ out for ourselves. Terry Boden will be installing one in his home soon so that when it comes to guaranteeing the A.O. Smith Vertex™ to his customers, he can be confident in his recommendation. He did the same with a tankless water heater, which is why he's a good source of advice when it comes time to replace a water heater in your home. Give him a call, he'd be glad to help you out with more information.

:: HGTV on Vertex™ water heaters
:: A.O. Smith's details on the new Vertex™ water heater.

***
Boden Plumbing primarily serves Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and the Petaluma area. We provide a full range of residential plumbing repairs and services.
866-663-7477
www.nodrips.com