School restrooms go high-tech with touch-free washbasin
Problem: The Agnews Campus in the Santa Clara Unified School District serves 3,000 students in San Jose, California. The district worked with LPA Design Studios to design the schools with a high-tech aesthetic — even in the restrooms. “Our main goals for the restrooms were to maximize ease of use, clean and modern aesthetics, and maintenance,” says Alice Kim, project interior designer, LPA.
Solution: The design team chose the all-in-one WashBar with Verge washbasins from Bradley Corp. as the standard for all 136 campus restrooms. With touch-free soap, water and hand dryer in one chrome-plated component, the WashBar makes handwashing easier, more accessible and hygienic. A total of 147 WashBars were specified.
Result: “With combined and integrated functions, the WashBar met the needs of easy access and usage, as well as clean aesthetics,” says Kim. The basin and the WashBar hand dryer are designed to work together to eliminate water dripping onto the user, walls or floor. “The units eliminated facility personnel’s concern of dripping water from sink basin to hand dryer, which could result in slip/fall hazard,” Kim says. 800-272-3539; www.bradleycorp.com
Pressurization unit keeps boiler running efficiently
Problem: During a recent routine boiler check, the maintenance team at Marian Village, an assisted- and independent-living community in southwest-suburban Chicago, discovered water pouring from the top of the pump and flooding the room.
Solution: The Mikrofill 3 is engineered to help facility managers avoid that type of problem. It is a direct-type pressurization unit intended specifically for sealed, low-pressure hot-water and chilled-water applications. Able to fill any heating or chilled water system from empty without using a pump, the product also delivers commercial backflow protection with no RPZ valves. The leak and flood protection derives from the unit continuously monitoring system inlet and operating pressures through pre-commissioned sensors that automatically maintain system presets. By recognizing a change in cold-fill water pressure, these sensors open the valves to top off the system, stopping the fill once the required pressure has been reached.
Result: Installer Rich Friedman’s smooth installation at Marian Village validated the unit’s effectiveness and efficiency. This has led to further plans for additional installs in the community’s boiler system. www.mikrofill.com
Hotel stages efficient conversion of 900 bathtubs to step-in showers
Problem: Located in downtown Houston, Hilton Americas-Houston aimed to convert 900 bathtubs into step-in showers for their elite guests, including star athletes and celebrities. Mechanical contractor Way Engineering faced challenges coordinating the plumbing rough-ins with the drain openings in the preformed shower pans and accommodating the hotel’s post-tension cables without compromising its structural integrity.
Solution: Way Engineering discovered QuickDrain, a versatile system, at a local Houston ASPE event. The ShowerLine linear shower drain system proved ideal. Its modular design and flexibility allowed for easy adaptation to existing conditions, eliminating the need for material handling and additional expenses. Its integrated PVC drain body, combined with a pre-sloped PET shower panel and waterproofing sheet membrane, represents a total shower solution for effective and efficient drainage. The drain system features a fully sloped trough where water exits through either a vertical or a side waste outlet, making it easy to accommodate existing plumbing.
Result: With QuickDrain’s system, Way Engineering successfully converted 900 bathtubs into elegant, modern showers at the Hilton Americas Houston Hotel. The system’s ease of installation and compatibility with various job site conditions maximized productivity and minimized disruption to hotel operations. The project was completed efficiently, allowing the hotel to maintain high occupancy rates and generate revenue, without inconveniencing guests. 866-998-6685; www.lrbrands.com/quickdrain
Contractor saves costs and hassle with above-floor plumbing solution
Problem: Robert Hightower and his wife planned to renovate their master bathroom in their luxury high-rise condo in Marietta, Georgia. However, they faced a significant challenge due to building association rules that required anything embedded in the concrete floor to remain intact. This meant that conventional below-floor plumbing was not an option, jeopardizing the structural integrity of the building. Raising the floor was also not feasible as it would have been costly and inconvenient.
Solution: Hightower sought advice from his neighbor, Lester Crowell, who had successfully used Saniflo’s above-floor plumbing in his own condo renovation. Danny Glass of Cool Air Mechanical recommended the installation of the one-piece, dual-flush Sanicompact Comfort toilet. This compact, self-contained toilet system could be installed without the need for traditional below-floor drainage, saving cost and space. Its dual-flush system (1.28 gpf for solid waste; or 1 gpf for liquid only) conserves water and lowers utility bills. In addition, the system does not require external venting to function properly. The one-piece unit is powered by a 0.5 hp motor, which allows it to discharge effluent up to 9 feet vertically and/or 120 feet horizontally. The discharge line extends 8 feet vertically from the Sanicompact and 2 feet diagonally into the ceiling where it is connected to the drainline. The toilet is mounted on the wall, which saves space and makes cleaning easy.
Result: Installing the unit took a few hours, but the entire project was successfully completed in just under three days. “We were able to swiftly and effectively install the Sanicompact Comfort, and Robert and his wife were thrilled with the outcome of their bathroom renovation project,” says Glass. “There are numerous advantages to using this product. I can’t think of many reasons why you wouldn’t want to go with it. It’s a no-brainer compared to breaking up a slab or dealing with the unknowns of a multistory unit.” 800-571-8191; www.saniflo.com
