Honestly, I’ve seen this happen a lot—people get frustrated with low-flow fixtures and just end up running them longer, which kind of defeats the purpose. It’s tricky to predict what folks will actually tolerate. Sometimes it’s about knowing your client or the people who’ll use the space. For example, families with little kids almost always complain about slow-filling tubs. Other times, you just have to accept there’ll be some trial and error. I wish there was a magic formula, but it’s usually a mix of common sense and experience... and sometimes just asking people what bugs them most.
Title: Choosing Between Energy Efficiency Or Water Savings For Green Building Points?
I ran into this exact issue when we built last year. We went with low-flow everything, but honestly, the shower feels underwhelming and the tub takes forever to fill. If I had to do it again, I’d probably focus more on energy efficiency—at least with insulation and HVAC upgrades, you notice the comfort and savings right away. Water savings are great, but if it annoys you every day, it’s not really worth it.
Yeah, I get where you’re coming from. When I built my place, I obsessed over the same thing. Ended up prioritizing blown-in insulation and a variable-speed heat pump. The comfort difference was huge, especially in winter. Tried low-flow toilets, but honestly, had to flush twice half the time... kind of defeats the purpose. Energy upgrades just felt like a better long-term win for me.
Funny you mention the low-flow toilets—I’ve had clients complain about the same thing. I remember one project where we swapped them out after a year because, honestly, they just weren’t cutting it for a family of five. But then I wonder, have you looked into dual-flush models? I’ve seen those work a bit better, though maybe not perfect. Curious if you felt the insulation and heat pump made a difference in your utility bills, or was it more about the comfort factor? Sometimes I feel like the numbers don’t always match the hype...
Sometimes I feel like the numbers don’t always match the hype...
I hear you, but in my experience, the insulation and heat pump combo actually did move the needle on our bills. It wasn’t dramatic overnight, but over a year, the difference was clear—especially in winter. I’d take that over swapping out toilets any day, honestly. Dual-flush is a step up from standard low-flow, but still not perfect for bigger households.