Save The Planet with Green Plumbing

With only 3% of the world containing fresh water and populations increasing, going green is big business today.

Plumbing systems of the past and fixtures that are in each of our homes will be of a low energy consumption.

You will see changes slowly with new plumbing codes. Some of the changes will make sense and others will be left to the eye of the beholder.

As a plumber I have already seen many changes and I’m ready for some and others not so much.

Take for example the new plumbing code that was added two years ago requiring all new sprinkler systems to have a rain sensor installed on their sprinkler systems to shut the control valve off when it rains. It will prevent waste and save money. A great idea and not that expensive for the amount of water and money that would be waisted. It cost about $30.00. 

Other green pluming changes have been the showers we take. The new low flow shower heads are needed to control waste. This is one of those new changes I don’t like that much but I comply.

Eventually you will see lavatory faucets in homes that will shut off after 20 seconds, lower flow water closet even less water that we use today.

Above is an example of waterless urinals. The Veterans Administration starting using them on a trial bases about ten years ago. You will find these types of urinals in many national parks and a variety of busnisses today.

They do not add water. What happens is there is a cartridge inside the bowl. It neutralizes the urine and after a period of time the cartridges are removed and replaced with a new one. The problem with them is that the more you have the more space you will need in landfills. Fix one problem create another.

Other types of green plumbing techniques that home owners can do for themselves is to repair drippy faucets, replace the guts to your water closets, replacing and cleaning your aerators on your faucets. Replacing any out dated faucet  would be considered going green. You will save money over time and you will save water.

Pictured here is a commercial sink that is used to conseve water.

By using faucets that limit the amount of water you use will keep the planet green and your pocket book green.