Green plumbing is an environmentally conscious approach to creating eco-friendly products, systems, and services that reduce the consumption and waste of natural resources and fight climate change. Developing ideas that use less water and energy is the primary focus of green plumbing. However, sustainability also involves finding better ways to manufacture, distribute, and promote water-based plumbing products.
While eco-friendly plumbing business initiatives are still in their infancy, green plumbing solutions are very much at the forefront of the industry, as professionals from corporate executives and design engineers to certified plumbers recognize the need for more change in the plumbing field. Below are some innovative green plumbing solutions:
Green Plumbing Fixtures – Efficiency Faucets
The most used fixture in homes and businesses is the faucet. The average flow rate of a faucet is 1.5 to 3 gallons per minute. That can add up to several gallons per day. When you install an efficiency faucet in the home, you can reduce the flow rate by up to 30 percent with an average decrease of 2.2 gallons per minute. That is a drastic reduction in water consumption.
Efficiency faucets are an easy sell to homeowners when bidding plumbing jobs because they save energy, meaning homeowners will pay up to 50 percent less in annual water bills. A standard-efficiency faucet can pay for itself within the first year of installation. These faucets are a small green plumbing solution that makes a big difference in both residential and commercial spaces.
Green Plumbing Fixtures – Low Flush Toilets
Low flush toilets, also known as low flow toilets, have been around since the mid-80s and are a water saving that decreases how much water is used by toilets, uses less energy, and makes toilets more efficient. Low flush toilets solve a big problem in the home. Regular toilets flush almost seven gallons of water down the drain with each use. The average family uses the toilet 12 to 15 times per day, meaning that a household’s daily water consumption can exceed 100 gallons daily.
Low flush toilets are more efficient and only use one to two gallons of water with each flush. Homeowners can see water savings of up to 80 percent of their typical daily use, conserving thousands of gallons of water annually. Installing a toilet is a crucial step toward eliminating water waste in homes and businesses. A low flush toilet is one of the best and most affordable eco-friendly plumbing solutions for the environment today.
Green Plumbing Fixtures -Low Flow Showerheads
According to the EPA, showers are responsible for nearly 20 percent of all water use in the home. While showers are more efficient than baths, they still require a lot of water. Finding a green plumbing solution for reducing the amount of water usage during a shower is vital to saving every drop. The answer: a low-flow shower head.
Low flow shower heads reduce water volume by 30 to 70 percent, depending on the head you install. Some low flow shower heads have a flow rate of fewer than two gallons per minute, which is an average of about five to ten gallons saved during a 10-minute shower. In a house with four people, that’s a savings of up to 40 gallons of water per day.
Eco Friendly Plumbing – Brain Pipes
Brain pipes work by automatically detecting leaks and other issues in a plumbing system. As soon as there’s a problem, the system shuts off the water supply (stopping water damage in its tracks) and sends a message to the homeowner that something is amiss. The message will tell them exactly where the leak is so they can quickly contact your company for help. It’s a cool technology, but the science behind it is actually quite simple. This green plumbing solution constantly monitors water pressure, and if there’s a drop in that pressure without any need for water, an alarm will sound.
Brain pipes do more than just check for leaks. They also can generate a monthly report on the home’s water consumption so the customer can see where exactly their water is going. This makes it a lot easier for them to cut back on their energy usage — saving their own money and protecting the environment.
Eco Friendly Plumbing – Recirculating Hot Water Pumps
Of all the plumbing fixtures in a building, hot water pumps are by far the most inefficient. This pump flushes excessive water through a water heater and out the plumbing system. It is a major contributor to high water bills and wasted water. An eco-friendly plumbing solution to a hot water pump is a recirculating hot water pump.
A pump recirculates old hot water flow and stores it back in the water heater tank. The system creates water that is already hot. So, the user has an endless supply of hot water. Once you install a recirculating hot water pump, your customers will love the results and appreciate you taking the extra step to reduce water waste and help them save money.
Eco Friendly Plumbing – Tankless Water Heater
Tankless water heaters can be an integral part of helping to reduce both water and energy usage. Standard water heaters will store hot water in the tank, even if it’s not being used. A tankless water heater, however, will save more water by only heating it when the hot water tap is turned on. Don’t worry, just because it only starts heating the water as soon as the tap turns on doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck waiting for your shower to get steamy.
On average, this green plumbing solution can reduce both water and energy usage by 24 to 30 percent, but the cost savings don’t stop there. Your customer will gain additional cost savings from this green plumbing solution’s lifespan, which outpaces normal water heaters by 10 plus years.
Eco Friendly Plumbing -Pressure Reducing Valves
At the heart of green plumbing solutions is pressure reduction. The concept of water pressure is simple: if you stick a pipe in the ground and it reaches the waterline, there is enough natural pressure that causes the water to flow through the pipe. The higher the water pressure, the higher the flow rate, the greater the water usage.
A pressure-reducing valve decreases the water flow rate by controlling the amount of water that flows through the plumbing system. Pressure-reducing valves are inexpensive and easy to install – most jobs can be completed in an hour or less. Once you install the valve, homeowners have more control over their water flow.
Eco Friendly Plumbing – Greywater
We’ll admit, the name greywater certainly doesn’t sound appealing. However, its impact on your customers certainly is! Many customers complain about the high cost of their water bill and wish they could reduce their water waste.
Water-recycling systems, with greywater as the star, are the new rage in plumbing. Rather than flush away this less-than-perfect resource, water flows into gardens or lawns instead. While taking a swig of greywater may not seem appealing to you, plants actually love the stuff. It provides them with the nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong.
In addition to helping your customers save money, recycling greywater also helps reduce pollution. When you keep it contained in a flower bed or other localized garden, greywater can be a nutritious resource. However, when it spreads to local lakes, rivers or estuaries through a septic tank or sewer, it can contaminate these clean sources and make them unsafe to drink.
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