Thomasville Branch

Water Conservation, Its Challenges and Solutions

To celebrate Earth Day 2011, Professor Toilet, American Standard’s online Flushologist, videotaped an interview with Brian Richter, Director of the Global Freshwater Program at the Nature Conservancy, a leading conservation organization. American Standard divided the interview into five clips and posted them for easy access.

In the first two clips, Brian talks about the urgency of water conservation, and the challenges we face as the population increases while ground water levels decrease.

In the next three clips, Brian and the Professor discuss national rates of water usage, and suggest how to save water without sacrificing performance or style.

And when it comes to replacing toilets, faucets and showerheads, they both agree that the most modern, water-saving products are easy to install. So, no excuses!

Learn more here.

Check Points for Hydrotherapy Baths

1. Ergonomics. Simply put, if you’re not comfortable and properly positioned in a bath, those hydrotherapy jets are not going to do you any good. If you’re very tall, make sure the bath is long enough for your complete comfort. If you’re petite, an ergonomic footrest can help you adjust to ideal therapeutic positioning.

2. Control. All hydrotherapy baths will have some sort of control panel – many will offer remotes. Look for controls that are simple, clear and understandable. Pre-programmed jet sequences can also make the entire experience as carefree as possible. While each Aquatic series is different, all of their hydrotherapy control panels are designed for the optimal user experience and maximum control.

3. Engineering. Beautiful as they may be, a hydrotherapy bath is also a feat of engineering. Look for signs of high quality such as rigid heat-bent PVC piping, which ensures a proper drain angle for optimal hygiene. Self-draining jets are another quality marker, along with a run-dry safe pump, which protects against damage in case you accidentally turn on the jets in an empty bath. These features are standard on all Aquatic baths.

4. Warranty. Look for the strongest warranties you can get for structural integrity, the interior surface and all support equipment. At Aquatic, we stand behind our products with the industry’s best limited lifetime warranty.

For more hydrotherapy tips, check out Aquatic’s website.

Bath Time is Fun for Kids and Parents

American Standard turns bath time into playtime for small children, thanks to the innovative FunBath temporary tub conversion kit. With its 37-inch height, there’s no more stooping when bathing little ones – that’s fun time for parents!

Designed for kids up to age five, the award winning FunBath fits over most standard 60-inch bathtubs to make bathing children safer and easier. Its apron front allows parents to decorate the FunBath with removable wall decals from RoomMates, featuring popular children’s characters, or selecting charming Princess Castle or Fire Truck design.

The acrylic FunBath includes an integrated seat, hand shower and grab bar, and ties into exisiting plumbing with little effort and can be easily removed when outgrown. Now that’s kid’s play!

Design Inspiration

Design inspiration is all around – if you know where to look. Go beyond your favorite remodeling magazines or websites and draw ideas from things that really speak to you:

1. Review your snapshots from a favorite hotel or spa. What did you love about it? What made it unique and special? Look for the details that made a difference including color, texture and finishes.

2. Think of a destination you’ve always longed to visit. Paris? Bali? Marrakesh? Use the web to seek out imagery from those places. Maybe you can use wrought iron sconces or incorporate tropical woods and golden-orange textiles. You could even lavish the floor with a tile mosaic.

3. Shop your closet or the latest designer clothes collections. What colors do you like to wear? Are you understated elegance or bohemian chic? A favorite belt could inspire trim work. Your husband’s tweed jacket could sway you toward a terrific tile color.

4. Visit a museum and take notes on what you see. Or pick up a book at your local bookstore (you might even have a few on your coffee table) and browse through the pages until inspiration hits you.

5. The great outdoors can be an easy and every changing source of inspiration. From the color of fall leaves to the first blooms of spring, to various terrains and waterways, mother nature has plenty of ideas that translate to the bath perfectly.

No matter where you draw inspiration, we will be happy to help you craft the bath of your dreams. Be sure to stop in our showroom and let one of our associates turn your inspiration into reality.

For more design tips, visit Aquatic’s website.

The Gift to be Simple

Today, there’s a noticable attraction to simpler, less-cluttered way of urban living.

With this trend in mind, American Standard has created the Studio Faucet Collection with clean lines, straight-ahead functionality, and rock-solid performance, perfectly reflecting the contemporary, no-fuss lifestyle.

The comprehensive new collection comprises single-control and two-handle widespread sink faucets, a deck mount tub filler and a bath/shower faucet.

The collection’s great looks are matched by such superior benefits as lifetime drip-free operation, high-quality construction for extra durability and water saving performance that meets strict WaterSense® certification standards.

These faucets reduce water consumption as surely as they reduce clutter – which is simply modern.

Read more about the Studio Faucet Collection by American Standard.

WaterSense® is a registered trade mark of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Loews Hotel: The Champion of Hotel Toilets

As the high end Loews Hotel chain knows, there is nothing luxurious about blocked or overflowing toilets. Yet overflows have been a big problem for Loews and other hotel chains since conservation-minded building codes began requiring toilets to use less water per flush.

Loews Solution – the Champion 4 toilet from American Standard. The top-rated flusher has already has already been so successful that it made headlines in both USA Today and The Economist.

As they report, the Champion 4 is such a powerhouse that it has reduced the number of guest calls about blockages by an astonishing 80%!

To get the same great results in your home, check out the many style options with the Champion 4 flushing platform.

Save Water On Your Pre-Holiday Fix Ups

Provide your customers with the best of the best this holiday season! Upgrade to WaterSense^®-certified fixtures. Last fall, American Standard provided these low-flow, water efficient toilets, faucets, and showerheads to 21 households near Atlanta, Georgia.
Participating households experienced an average reduction of 27 percent in total water use, without any noticeable differences in water pressure or performance. In fact, user satisfaction was higher than 99%; not one family requested to go back to their old water guzzlers.

Studies also show if one in every 10 American homes upgraded their bathroom to WaterSense^®-certified fixtures, the U.S. EPA estimates a savings of 74 billion gallons of water and about $1.5 billion nationwide per year. The proof is in the numbers, using these toilets, showerheads and faucets save your customers money. Ensure customer satisfaction, invest with HD Supply today.

Testimonial: Thomasville, NC

As an independent Interior Designer for the past 30 years, I seek out professionals and businesses that I can use as a source for both my new construction and remodel jobs. I have had the pleasure of working with the staff at HD Supply for the past 15 years and I continue to rely on them for the best product and information available in the plumbing industry. Their showroom is always well appointed, and Showroom Manager Jill Smith not only accommodates my clients’ needs, but constantly exceeds my expectations regarding service and knowledge of her product. She is always professional and eager to address the needs of any project, large or small. I never hesitate to send my clients in on their own, with full knowledge that she will take care of them and manage the project on all levels.

With a client base of 50 plus at any given time, it is often difficult for me to spend time cultivating new sources. When I find one that works, meets the needs of my client base and meets my high standards of excellence, I look no further. That has been the case with HD Supply. Why look elsewhere when you already are working with the best.

Lorraine H. Nicholson

Interior Designer, Owner

Specialty Interiors, Lexington, NC

Testimonial: Thomasville, NC

Dear Jill,

I hear so many people complain about the lack of customer service in the business world today. So it is a real pleasure to find a business with real customer service. When we decided to redo one of our baths, we really did not know what we wanted other than a large shower to replace our tub. I had some health issues that made a shower seem more compatible with my needs. Your suggestion of using a shower with two seats and an extra handicap bar have really made it easier for me. The Alsons personal shower head is much easier for me to use than the standard one my daughter prefers.

Your knowledge and assistance while we were there has been appreciated every day. I have recommended you and your company to friends. It is rare to find someone that actually knows what customer service is. I will be back if we need anything. Keep up the fine work.

Yours truly,

Mary Alice Teetor

Consumer