Bahco tools are spectacular. They offer a wide variety of ergonomic hand tools, and have even registered the word "ergo" as a brand name. They beat everyone to the punch, and they deserve to. Recently I bought a Bahco 3/8 socket wrench set, and it is a work of art. According to the manufacturer:

The low profile ratchet with one piece handle is designed to get into tight spaces. Features a thermoplastic comfort grip for better control even in wet and oily conditions. The Supertorque design contacts fasteners on the flats, reducing the chance of rounding. Includes both standard and deep well sockets.

Basically, it means that you have a really comfortable ergonomic handle which functions very well. When I used it to tighten a bolt, it ratcheted down so easily that I began compressing the wood beneath the washer without realizing it. This little tool is powerful. Secret: you can get this socket set online from Amazon.com for $39.99. That is a $100 savings from the list price. I hope to offer these tools on Ergo-Eco.com one days, but I doubt that I would be able to beat that price. I should probably get a partnership with Amazon, because their selection and prices can't be beat. But I would urge you to go to your local hardware store whenever possible for your tool and hardware needs.

Tankless water heaters are a revolutionary idea in home water heating systems. They use less water, they use less energy, and they create less waste. Takagi is a Japanese company that has been around since 1946, creating their first tankless water heater in 1952. Takagi USA was established in 1995. I remember having a tankless water heater in my apartment in Spain in 1995. It was tiny and ran on very little gas and served all our hot water needs. It is very uncommon to find a house with a tankless water heater in the USA. Here is some information from the Takagi website that might turn some heads and change some minds about that big hulking water heater in your house:

Since a tankless water heater has neither a storage tank to keep heated all day, nor a pilot light, it burns gas only when you need hot water. This eliminates standby heat loss, which can be as high as 3-4% every hour for storage tank type water heaters. This higher efficiency can allow you to save up to 50% off your utility costs.

Tankless water heaters are small (2.2 cubic feet), light (60 pounds), efficient (a 0.81 to 0.94 energy factor rate), environmentally friendly (the only product of its kind to receive SCAQMD (Southern California Air Quality Management District) approval for it's low emissions (CO, Nox)), and functional (delivering between 200 gallons and 500 gallons of hot water every hour on demand). In addition to all this, through the year 2007, high-efficiency water heaters are eligible for a $300 tax credit. For more information about buying and installing a tankless water heater in your home, please contact abdi@ergo-eco.com.

Today I installed a Toto Aquia dual flush toilet in my bathroom. My old toilet was developing some serious cracks in the bowl and in the base, it was ready to be retired. I took out the old toilet and set about the business of installing the Aquia. This toilet has a dual flush feature, which means that it has two flushing buttons. One button uses .9 galllons (3.4 liters) of water per flush for liquids, the other flushes 1.6 gallons (6 liters) for solids. These dual flush toilets have long been available in Asia and Europe, but are just starting to make their presence felt in the U.S.A. For those of us living in drought-prone areas (such as Los Angeles and Southern California), this is good news. The water savings over the course of a year are impressive. According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power,

A dual-flush toilet allows the user to select either full or half flush. The amount of water saved with dual-flush toilets depends on the frequency with which the full and half flushes are selected. On average, dual flush toilets are estimated to use 20 % less water than standard efficiency 1.6 gallon per flush toilets.

By using a dual flush toilet, you are saving water without sacrificing the performance of an ultra-low flush toilet that uses 1.6 gallons per flush. While the installation of the Aquia is slightly different than that of a standard toilet, it is still surprisingly easy. I would recommend this product to anyone who is interested in conserving water and saving on their water bill. I think that the design of this product is very attractive as well, with a small footprint and clean, curving lines. It is definitely modernist in its design. If you are interested in getting a low-flush toilet for you home or apartment, please contact abdi@ergo-eco.com. Although the LADWP stopped giving rebates for dual flush toilets last year, you'll find that they are still competetively priced with conventional 1.6 GPF designer toilets. And they are doing much more for the environment and your pocketbook as well.

Today Ergo-Eco has officially come into being. All the necessary lines were waited in, all the necessary forms were filled out, and all the necessary palms were greased. Ergo-Eco now legally exists as a business in the County of Los Angeles. Hooray for the Ides of March!