No doubt green plumbing products are good for the environment, but they can also be good for business.
Customers like to feel that they’re making a difference by selecting plumbing fixtures that are both fashionable and gentle to the planet. Here are six green plumbing options that hit both targets.
Touchless flushing
Touchless flushing fixtures are a mainstay of commercial washrooms but as relatively utilitarian pieces of plumbing that scream “industrial.” This could and should change with the advent of the Kohler Mach Tripoint touchless toilet flushometer. Equipped with a sophisticated electronic sensor, the DC-powered Mach touchless flushometer only consumes 1 gallon per flush (gpf), which is 22% less water than common flush valves. Available in chrome, nickel, brass, and matte black finishes, the Mach Tripoint comes with a 125-micron filter to protect its internal components, is chloramine and chlorine resistant on all rubber components exposed to water, and is compatible with Kohler commercial fixtures.
Harnessing the power of light for touchless applications
Light is all around us, so why not harness it for commercial touchless plumbing fixtures? That’s the thinking behind Delta Solar Electronic Faucets and Flush Valves. They feature top-mounted solar energy modules that collect ambient light energy in their settings. This energy is then used to assist the alkaline batteries that are powering the units. This allows the faucet or flush valve to respond quickly and reliably in any type of lighting environment.
The two fixtures that use Deltar’s solar assist technology are the Electronic Solar Bathroom Faucet in Chrome and the UR Solar Flush Valve in Chrome. Both are built tough with vandal-resistant features, and can be used in commercial, institutional, and public facilities.
Tankless electric water heaters use less energy
Every time you turn on your shower and then run the tap to get hot water from your hot water tank, you waste water. According to EcoSmart, maker of ECOS tankless electric water heaters, running the tap for only 2 to 4 minutes each time wastes “an incredible 11,461 gallons of fresh water each year per household, the equivalent of 573 full bathtubs (average 50 gallons). Further, an additional 10% of hot water, once it arrives at the fixture, is also wasted during the latter part of those 2 to 4 minutes equating to an additional 2,044 gallons.”
One way to avoid this waste is to install EcoSmart ECOS 12 tankless electric water heaters, which come with a 5-year leak and 1-year parts warranty. Not only are tankless heaters greener than tanks due to their “hot water on demand” model, but they are up to 93% smaller than a standard electric water heater, experience zero standby heat loss when installed near point-of-use, and deliver up to four times the hot water of a standard electric tank per hour.
So not only are your clients saving water each time they shower, but they are also saving energy and enjoying more hot water on tap.
Smart bottle-filling stations
According to HealthyHumanLife.com, “Americans throw away 35 billion empty water bottles a year. Of those, only 12% are recycled.”
That’s not all. It takes three times the amount of water in a bottle of water to make it as it does to fill it, and the production of bottled water also uses a considerable amount of oil.
These reasons explain why installing Zurn Elkay Water Solutions’ Elkay ezH2O smart bottle filling stations are such a compelling green plumbing choice. Designed to provide bottle-filling capabilities wherever public water fountains are located, a single ezH20 bottle-filling station can eliminate up to 15,000 disposable bottles being used annually, thus preventing 327 pounds of plastic from going into the landfill each year. According to Elkay, ezH2O bottle filling stations have prevented over 67 billion plastic bottles from ending up in landfills to date.
Also, the latest generation of connected ezH2O units can help facility managers track water usage, filter status, and bottles saved, along with scheduling their flushing events to help keep lines cleaner. Elkay is also making it possible to retrofit any of its enhanced bottle filling stations manufactured after April 2019.
Solar tubes provide more power for water heaters
Using solar power to heat water is an effective green option over mains-delivered electricity and natural gas. Hydro Solar offers a range of solar water heaters in this category, but they do it using solar vacuum tubes that collect more power than flat solar panels. According to the company, these tubes — which resemble fluorescent light tubes in their shape — collect more energy than flat panels and work better in extremely cold climates, making them ideal for use in Canada and the United States.
“The aluminum headers of the collector, evacuated tube, or vacuum tube prevent heat loss, ensuring that the fluid is heated efficiently,” explains Hydro Solar’s website. “The vacuum inside the tube also helps to insulate the fluid, making it an ideal choice for those looking to maximize their solar energy usage.”
A greener way to plumb water supply systems
The days of using toxic lead pipes to plumb water supply systems are of course a thing of the past. However, there is no reason not to go as green as possible when plumbing them today, which is where something like Aquatherm Green pipe comes in. Made of corrosion-resistant polypropylene, Aquatherm Green pipe is “completely free of heavy metals and toxic chemicals,” according to the manufacturer’s website.
