Nowadays it seems there’s ways for every room in your home to high-tech, and that includes the bathroom. From smart mirrors that help you look your best, to showers that turn on and off with voice command, to high-tech faucets and toilets that save your money, it’s easy to turn your bathroom into a state-of-the art oasis. 

It’s safe to say, Allied knows bathrooms and we’ve seen a lot of trends come and go, but here are some high-tech bathroom trends we think are here to stay. 

Smart Mirrors
The latest bathroom mirrors don’t just offer you a reflection, but also lighting features that can be controlled by motion or your voice, and embedded sockets for electric razors and toothbrushes. Some even include hidden cabinets and drawers that can really optimize space, especially in smaller bathrooms.    

Many of these smart mirrors include adjustable lighting to help you apply make-up, or dim to work as a night-light of for ambient lighting for relaxing in the bathtub. Other smart mirrors feature heating and cooling capabilities to keep them from steaming up, while others offer weather and news alerts and even personalized beauty advice. 

Smart showers
It’s no fun to fiddle around with the faucet to get the water temperature just right for your shower or bath, and now you don’t have to thanks to smart technology. Today’s responsive digital shower controls feature LED lights that change color to indicate the temperature of the water. And that keeps it safe, especially when you’re warming up the bath for small children and infants.    

Another way color is getting incorporated into today’s showers and baths is with chromatherapy, which uses color to affect your mood. Many smart showers include radiant heating that make you feel like you’re at a spa. And, like smart mirrors, many smart showers have voice activated features like stereos and even televisions.    

High-tech taps and faucets
Many of today’s modern bathroom feature taps and faucets that save water and are  economical, too. These new taps are sensor operated so the water runs only when hands are under the faucet, or through voice activation. This helps save money and conserve water when performing daily tasks like brushing your teeth. You can also set the faucets on a timer, so the water only runs when you really need it to.

Modern toilets
Think of them like a modern-day bidet. Today’s toilets eliminate the need for toilet paper by using an oscillating shower spray that can be customized for your body. One of the reasons these toilets are gaining in popularity is because they allow you to do your business without, well, touching your business. So between a smart toilet and smart faucets and taps, you’ll keep things more sanitary. 

Newer model toilets also include heat warming sensors—perfect for those who live in cooler climates. And several also feature a sensor that will raise and lower the lid depending on if it’s in use or not. You’ll never have to argue about someone not closing the lid on the seat again. 

Setting up your smart bathroom
Features like heated toilet seats are easy to purchase and install yourself, while supplementing your bathroom with voice activated lighting is a matter of connecting your lighting system with voice prompted devices like Amazon’s Alexa. And many shower systems are smart-phone compatible. 

We recommend starting with what you can do simply and economically. Then, if you want to take your bathroom completely high-tech, work with a professional that can install more elaborate interfaces.  Call or Contact the at Allied Reddi-Rooter, 513-396-5300.  We always come highly recommended and have earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau for our expert quality of service.

The new year is the ideal time to make positive changes, and while most of us will focus our New Year’s resolutions on personal improvement or checking off something fun on the bucket list – like a trip of a lifetime, it’s a great time to consider making changes to your plumbing.

One of the best improvements you can make to your home’s plumbing is to make it more eco-friendly, which not only helps the health and quality of your life and your family’s too, but it also helps the planet and can save you money.

You don’t need to completely redo your home’s plumbing to make it green. In fact, there are ways you may be already helping the planet in your home with your own water and energy saving solutions.

Take a look at our four easy ways to make your home’s plumbing a little better for the environment and your pocketbook, too.

Reduce your energy 

Make sure to insulate any pipes, because unprotected ones can mean heat loss as water flows from the hot water heater to faucets. Also, invest in an on-demand hot water pump that can generate hot water in seconds and only when you need it, rather than letting hot water sit in the tank unused, which costs money. You could also invest in a new hot water heater if more than 15% of your home’s energy is being spent heating water.

Keep your water clean 

First, test your home’s water with a kit you can buy at your local home improvement store or through a professional tester. Also, make sure you’ve got a chlorine filter on your showerheads, as chlorine can cause dry skin, rashness and itchiness. This will save you a little money on moisturizers, even.

You could also install a charcoal filter or reverse osmosis filter, which can really help if you live in an area with poor water quality. Additionally, you could invest in a filtration system for your entire home, which not only keeps your water free of scary things like chemicals and micro-organisms, but it will keep your pipes from corroding too.

Save water, save energy 

When going green, think less is more. You want to use less water overall, which saves energy.

This is pretty easy to do. First, start in the kitchen,  you should turn off the faucet in the kitchen sink when you’re cooking and preparing meals as much as you can. Always put food scraps in the wastebasket, not in the sink.

The same goes for the bathroom. Turn off your faucet when you’re brushing your teeth, and never use the toilet as a waste basket. Also, conserve water by taking showers instead of baths. And, in the laundry room, wait to do laundry until you’ve got a full load.

Green solutions in the bathroom (and elsewhere) 

This year, consider installing a low-flush toilet that greatly reduces your water use. In fact, it can save you about 30 gallons of water per day. You can also easily install faucet flow reducers.

In the bathroom – and your entire home – invest in a device that you can buy at your home improvement store that will alert you when there are leaks present in your faucets and pipes, and upgrade to energy efficient toilets and appliances.

A wise frog once said, “It’s not easy being green.” But it’s easy to go green when it comes to your home’s plumbing. Follow these tips and you’ll save money and better the planet and your health in no time.   Call or Contact the at Allied Reddi-Rooter, 513-396-5300.  We always come highly recommended and have earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau for our expert quality of service.