 For a modern plumbing solution to be considered "green", it not only has to conserve precious resources, like water or energy, but it also has to be user friendly, offering a comfort and ease of use that people will find attractive and compelling. How many of us remember the "super saver" showerheads of the past? While delivering a mere one gallon a minute flow, to bathe under one of these heads felt like showering in a mister, they provided a spare and miserable showering experience - few but the most hardy of us used them for long.
Today's "green" plumbing solutions have much more to offer. At The Lunt Marymor Company, we have dedicated ourselves to discovering the most efficient and comfortable products available, and these we promote to our Clients. To do this, we literally "field test" each of these products in our office and in our homes. We pass showerheads around from one plumber to another for use at home, and we have a constantly changing high-efficiency water closet model installed in our staff bathroom -- we're looking for products that perform well and that we like to use.
 | | Condensing Storage Water Heaters
by Jim Lunt
Journal of Light Construction
July, 2009
In my 30-plus years as a plumbing contractor,
I’ve replaced countless water heaters. Our
company, which works in the San Francisco Bay
area, installs three basic kinds: conventional
gas models, tankless models, and — increasingly
— condensing storage heaters. Customers
who want to save energy nearly always ask for
a tank less water heater. >>MORE |
4 Steps To Save Thousands Of Gallons Of Water
The following are several water and energy saving solutions that The Lunt Marymor Company thinks make the best sense for our Clients:
The "Evolved" Showerhead
Water Savings Calculation: If we assume each person in your household takes a ten-minute shower once a day, that's 9,125 gallons/year of water down the drain, per person. The Evolved showerhead will lower the water usage 36%, saving 3,285 gallons per person. Turn your shower on, water will flow from the Evolved showerhead until it senses that the water is hot; then it will dial itself down to a trickle. Go ahead, finish brushing your teeth, making your bed, ironing your shirt or feeding the dog! Reach into the shower, reset the small lever on the head, and your full body spray is standing by, steamy and hot, just the way you like it, and you saved all of that extra hot water otherwise lost during stand-by time from going down the drain. How cool is that!?
The "Eco-Drake" High Efficiency Toilet
Water Savings Calculation: If we assume each person in your household flushes the water closet four times a day, that's 2,336 gallons/year of water down the drain, per person. The Eco-Drake will lower the water usage 20%, saving 467 gallons per person. The Lunt Marymor Company finds that bowl clogs are infrequent, and the optional SanaGloss finish keeps this toilet much cleaner than other models.
Special Note:
Certified by the EPA's WaterSense program, this advanced flushing system saves 20% more water than 1.6 GPF toilets.
EBMUD customers can receive rebates for purchasing WaterSmart high-efficiency toilets (HET). The rebate amount is $150 or up to the total toilet cost (not including sales tax), whichever is less for a qualifying HET. For rebate program details, visit: EBMUD's website.
The "On-Demand" Hot Water Recirculation System
Water Savings Calculation: Did you know that each linear foot of ¾" copper pipe between your hot water heater and your bathroom contains .023 gallons of water. When you go to wash your hands or shower, you have to open your tap and let the water run until all of the cold water that has been standing in your pipes is purged and the hot water from the hot water heater tank arrives. Let's assume there are twenty feet of pipe between your tank and your sink: you've just wasted nearly ½ a gallon of water every time you open a tap. You can do the rough calculation for your own unit, just estimate the length of pipe needed to run down your wall from the hot water heater, across the floor and back up to your furthest sink or shower.
Here's a simple system that will provide hot water on demand whenever you walk into your bathroom.
The Hot Water On-Demand System consists of an electronically controlled pump and valve assembly that allows for the rapid delivery of hot water to plumbing fixtures without the loss of cold water down the drain. The On-Demand System is activated when someone creates a demand for hot water by activating the pump with any one of a number of methods. At that time, the Hot Water On-Demand System pumps the hot water to the plumbing fixtures. Once hot water reaches the pump, the System detects a 3° to 4° temperature rise and completely shuts off so there is no loss of energy or water! There are numerous ways to design the switching mechanism that turns the On-Demand pump on, but at Lunt Marymor we like Motion Sensors. For existing homes, wireless motion sensors are available that will send signals up to 100 feet to activate the On-Demand System. Motion Sensors are designed not to allow activation of a subject under 4 feet high or 40 pounds of weight.
The On-Demand system does require a standard 110V circuit, so an electrician will be required to install a GFI outlet in the cabinet under the sink.
Residential Indoor Water Conservation Study
Now is the time to take action! These changes are easy to implement, and they make a big difference! Go ahead: give us a call or request service, your wallet, and Mother Earth, will thank you!
This page is a work in progress; we will be adding more products as we discover and test them, so visit often. We also would love to hear from you. Should you have any suggestions, or if you have a question, do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to help!
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Water Savings Calculator