- We just finished a reno with a rainwater setup for flushing, and honestly, I wish we’d paid more attention to airflow.
- Ended up with a weird musty smell in the laundry room because we got so focused on water stuff.
- If you’re already opening walls for pipes, adding a vent or two isn’t that much more hassle.
- Not sure it’s overcomplicating—feels more like future-proofing, especially if you’re in a damp spot.
I get why you’d want to add vents while the walls are open, but I’m not totally convinced it’s always worth the extra hassle (and cost). We’re in a small place, and I was worried more holes would just make things drafty or mess with the insulation. Ended up just using a dehumidifier and opening a window when needed—so far, no musty smells. Maybe it depends on how damp your area is? Sometimes simple fixes work too, at least to start.
I hear you on the “keep it simple” approach. When we redid our bathroom, I debated adding a vent, but honestly, the combo of a window and a $30 box fan has kept things fresh. Our place is tiny too—felt like cutting more holes would just invite in cold air and squirrels (don’t ask). Sometimes low-tech wins, especially if you’re not swimming in humidity.
Rainwater toilets and greywater showers: City tries new water-saving tricks
I get what you mean about keeping things simple—sometimes the “old school” fixes just work. That said, I’m always a sucker for a good gadget or a new hack, especially when it comes to saving water. We tried a basic greywater setup for our garden last summer (think buckets under the shower), and it was way less complicated than I expected. Not sure I’d want to reroute pipes in my bathroom, though... that seems like a headache in a small space. Still, it’s wild how much you can save with just a few tweaks, even if you’re not going full sci-fi with it.
Totally relate to the bucket-under-the-shower move. We did that for a while too, and it’s surprising how much water you collect just from warming up the shower. Honestly, I looked into the more “official” greywater systems, but between the cost and the plumbing hassle, it just didn’t seem worth it for us right now. Still, even those low-tech fixes add up—watering plants with leftover bathwater feels weird at first, but you get used to it. Kind of wild how much goes down the drain otherwise.