A PRESENTATION FOR. Restrooms: A Roadmap for Retrofits

Transcription

1 A PRESENTATION FOR Restrooms: A Roadmap for Retrofits

2 Hotel Restroom Use Restroom use for a 500-room hotel with an 8 a.m. keynote conference address: Every guest can take a shower within one hour 10,000 gallons of hot water in one hour (2.5 gpm shower head) 1,000 attendees will use the toilet during break Every toilet/urinal can flush at the same time. The water pressure must remain at 30 psi. The kitchen can serve 1,200 meals 6,000 gallons of water

3 Restroom Use Restrooms have more traffic than other areas in commercial and institutional facilities Maintenance and engineering managers are paying close attention to restrooms and their impact on: Water use and utility costs Hygiene User experience for occupants, visitors

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7 Issues for Facility Managers Managers should focus on these issues when undertaking restroom retrofits: Restroom design Product specification Maintenance and operation Improved performance Limited impact on the environment

8 Biosphere and Water What impact does the plumbing system have on the environment? First we look to how nature cleans water. The best plumbing systems copy the earth system whenever possible.

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10 Buildings Impact Water Fact: The average person uses 130 gallons of water/day. In Nashville, it s 160 gallons of water/day. Facility managers must consider environmental friendliness and performance promises of plumbing products and systems before making specification decisions. Buildings impact the environment Photo -

11 WaterSense Program EPA s WaterSense program makes it easy to save water and protect the environment.

12 Faucets No Touch People are increasingly conscious of hygiene and wary of touching objects handled by others. Hands-free faucets in public facilities encourage more hand washing, a critical step in resisting infection. What about the batteries? Photo:

13 Faucets/Flush Valve Power Options Fixtures hard wired to building s electrical system Upfront cost concerns Affected by power outages Battery-operated fixtures Low up-front installation costs Reliable Long lasting Require a maintenance schedule for battery changes

14 Hydro-Powered Fixtures Some operated by a turbine, powered by water that creates an electrical current stored in rechargeable cells that power the Sensor System of the faucet or valve. System replenishes its charge with as few as 5 uses/day and is optimized at a mere 10 uses/day. Make sure low flow 0.5 gallons/minute flow fixtures create enough flow to charge the battery. Photo by Toto

15 Ultra Long-Life Batteries Extremely long-lasting energy blends greater power storage and reduced discharge allowing the energy cell to power the fixture for 30 years. This is done with an internal capacitor which protects against high-current draws and preserves the life of the energy cell. Photo by Kohler

16 Mixing Valves Some codes require a thermostatic mixing valve between heater and faucets. Some local authorities require the valve at the point of use in restroom. These should be installed under the counter to reduce vandalism or behind a locked access panel. Photo:

17 Low-Flow Faucets Public faucets are now required to use 0.5 Gallons Per Minute (GPM) flow Hotel guest rooms and dorm rooms should use 1.5 gpm faucets for shaving, washing. Low-flow faucets reduce hot water energy costs.

18 Low-Flow Urinals Standard urinals use 1 gallon per flush Low-flow urinals use 0.5 gallons per flush Installation, maintenance and cost are usually the same as standard fixtures

19 High-efficiency Urinals Almost 80% of urinals in use today (approximately 9.6 million fixtures) exceed the maximum allowable flush volume set by federal standards. Replacing these inefficient fixtures with highefficiency flushing urinals can save 1.0 to 4.5 gallons per flush, without sacrificing performance. WaterSense is developing a specification to help purchasers easily identify high-performance, water-efficient flushing urinals.

20 Ultra-Low Flow Urinal Ultra low-flow urinals use.125 gallons per flush Urinal and flush meter have to be used together as one unit More expensive Installation the same as standard User won t notice difference Sensor-operated

21 Water-Free Urinals Use virtually no water Not connected to the building potable water system Add very little flow to the building sewer flow

22 Looks like a normal fixture with no-flush valve A special trap seal liquid material Urine pass through Sewer gasses don t enter the toilet room How They Work

23 What Do I Need To Know? Installation cost similar to standard flush urinal Housekeeping and/or maintenance cost can be more than standard units because of the trap changing Water/sewer savings based on type of building Work well in office buildings, schools, sports/entertainment facilities

24 Installation Concerns Installation is similar to flush-type fixture No flush valve and water installation Need a fixture that uses water installed upstream of the fixtures sewer line to keep the line washed out Coordination with the local plumbing inspector is required Major plumbing manufacturers are now making them

25 Operation Require daily cleaning, wiping or washing Refer to the manufacturer recommendations because each is different Some fixtures require monthly cartridge replacement Others require replacement of the fluid in the trap Use the recommended cleaning chemicals

26 High-Efficient Toilets Look for the WaterSense label Older, inefficient toilets are responsible for most water wasted in homes, dormitories, condos, apartments Replacing these toilets with WaterSense toilets could save nearly 2 billion gallons per day in U.S.

27 High-Efficient Toilet Water Closets Low- flow water closets use less than 1.6 gallons per flush Can use 1.28 gallons per flush Cost more than standard fixtures Installation is the same Flush meter and bowl supplied as one unit

28 Dual-Flush Water Closets There are two methods of flushing One option will flush the same 1.6 gallons of water as the conventional water closet The full-flush option only used when flushing solid wastes out of the bowl The second option will use a lower amount of water For most units the reduced amount of water is gallons per flush The intent of this flush is to clear liquid wastes out of the bowl

29 What Do I Need To Know? Dual-flush saves water and reduces the amount of sewer flow from a building Dual-flush is now available in tank and flush type Dual flush may require how to use signage

30 Installation Issues Installation is similar to the flush-type fixture Coordination with the local plumbing inspector is required Major plumbing manufacturers are now making them Retrofit on flush valves only require changing the handle Photo from Zurn Plumbing

31 Low-Flow Showers Showering represents approximately 17% of residential indoor water use in the U.S. More than 1.2 trillion gallons of water consumed each year. A shower system consists of a mixing valve and shower head. The Clean Water Act of 1991 requires a maximum flow of 2.5 gallons per minute. The plumbing industry has designed anti-scald mixing valves and shower heads to meet this flow. WaterSense has labeled showers. Low-flow showers work well in retrofits of dorms, hospitals, offices and athletic facilities.

32 How Low-Flow Showers Work Use a shower system that includes a shower head and mixing valve Commercial applications should look beyond WaterSense to find shower systems Some non-green dormitories may not accept low flow systems Staff has to keep heads clean of debris that reduce flow

33 Showers Use a unit with a restrictor installed in the water stream not just the head. It is important to have a low-flow mixing valve with the low-flow shower head. In theory, a valve not designed for low flow could scald the user. Energy Use: Low-flow showers reduce water heater energy costs. In a 500-room hotel where every guest takes a shower: 14,000 gallons of hot water in one hour (2.5 gpm shower head) 9,800 gallons of hot water in one hour (1.75 gpm)

34 What Do I Need To Know? Americans have become accustomed to using large amounts of water during showers. There are few complaints from the users of these showers if they want to conserve water. Other users will complain about the low amount of water. The shower systems are designed very well with efficient use of water that will clean. Going lower than 1.75 gpm systems could cause the water to evaporate quickly and the user to perceive the water is cold.

35 Low-Flow Installation Issues Low-flow showers cost the same to install They save on water and sewer They may not be acceptable everywhere Used in the following areas with few complaints: Sustainable housing units Office buildings Healthcare Athletic facilities Green dormitories

36 Composting-type toilets have been available for years Now used in light commercial facilities They should be called a system rather than a plumbing fixture Complete packaged systems are available Water-Free Toilets

37 The system consists of a seat that resembles a typical toilet. Waste enters a sealed composting area usually located in the floor below the toilet. A vent fan pulls air from the toilet room into the bowl and out the building. How They Work

38 Gray water systems collect rain water or waste water from airconditioning systems, showers, laundries, building process or lavatories and reuse it for landscaping irrigation or the plumbing flush fixtures. Gray Water Systems

39 Gray Water Some codes require blue dye in the gray water system. Some areas require the system be built as per purple (Panatone 522C) pipe standards contained in EPA 2004 guidelines for water reuse, the National Standard Plumbing Code and the Uniform Plumbing Code Appendix J.

40 Systems That Reduce Water Use

41 What To Do Next? Green Master Plan Develop a Green Master Plan for future plumbing fixtures Standard Specification Urinal low-flow or non-water Water closet dual-flush or low-flow Shower 2.5 gpm or low-flow Specify EPA WaterSense fixtures

42 For more information, please contact: Speaker s contact information Winston Huff, CPD, LEED AP Plumbing/Fire Protection/Project Manager/Sustainable Coordinator 2995 Sidco Drive Nashville, TN Smith Seckman Reid, Inc fax