Water Systems for Remodeling: April 2008 Archives
Dual flush toilets have become standards in Europe and other countries concerned about their water supply. Unfortunately, water conservation is undervalued in the US. But that is changing, especially where drought is forcing water outages and increasing rates. Gerber provides high efficiency toilets, sinks and certified water efficient solutions. Gerber offers vitreous china pedestal and drop-in lavatories designed to complement their toilets, bringing together classic looks and powerful technology. The advanced HP2 and XP3 high-performance flushing systems will virtually eliminate the aggravation and cost of warranty callbacks from second-class toilets that clog or require a “double flush.”
Abigail™ faucets, and Viper™ toilets with Gerber's HP2 flushing system, which delivers performance that’s more than double the industry standard! Gerber provides you with the style and quality you need to give homebuyers who are stepping up from their first home the sense that they’ve truly arrived.
Gerber offers water-saving, sensor-operated electronic faucets designed to prevent waste by automatically shutting off water flow. Deckmount choices include gooseneck or crescent spouts, as well as, models
equipped with an in-deck mixer, which permits user control of water temperature.
Ultra Flush® 1.1 gpf toilet models are available to deliver the ultimate in high-efficiency water conservation.
They can flush 1,000 grams of bulk waste while using 30% less water than standard 1.6 gpf toilets. In addition to Ultra Flush 1.1 gpf units, Ultra Dual- Flush™ models are also available, with a dual-action lever that permits 1.6 gpf or high-efficiency 1.1 gpf operation.
Ultra Dual-Flush™ provides professional performance while conserving natural resources. It flushes up to 1,250 grams of bulk waste per 1.6 gallon flush or 1,000 grams per 1.1 gallon flush. 1.1 gallon flush uses 30% les water over conventional 1.6 gallon toilets. The Pressure-Assist system uses pressure from the incoming supply line to foce 1.6 gallons of work out of 1.1 gallons of water. It installs like standard gravity toilest -- no special connections are required.
Gerber products are sold exclusively to the plumbing professional.
Gerber Plumbing Fixtures corporate offices are located in Woodridge, Illinois. Gerber has manufacturing facilities in Kokomo, IN, Laredo, TX, Montreal, Canada. Shenzhen, China and Weifang, China.
Gerber
The old fashioned bathroom stool can use up to 3 gallons of water per flush. New toilets use considerably less and the new "dual flush toilet" lets you save the most. The flush button for "light flush" uses lss than a gallon of water, and the heavier flush (for solids) uses about 1.5 gallons. These amounts vary by product and by certification by trusted programs such as EPA's Watersense standard.
Designed in Australia, where water conservation is extremely important, the HET dual flush water-saving toilet uses, at most, 1.6 gallons per flush. “Dual flush” means that this toilet has two different types of flushing. One for liquids (or #1), which is only .8 gallon of water, and one for solids ( like #2, c’mon let’s be grownups about this!), which is only 1.6 gallons of water. At its biggest flush, this water still uses less than the standard new toilets, which use 1.8 gallons of water per flush. That’s up to 50-75% savings!
Remodeling doesn't always mean ripping out walls -- if you think green, you can rip out utility costs!
"Recycled water is a new
energy source," said Grant Davis, assistant general manager of the
Sonoma County Water Agency. "Water and wastewater that you'd normally
have to treat and dispose of will become the source for heating and
cooling."
They estimate savings of 90 percent on natural gas and about 50 percent on electricity for heating and cooling. The environmental benefits are hard to quantify - but the county is working on it. Under the wastewater recycling plan, 55- to 60-degree water would be pumped from the treatment plant to the business park through underground pipes into a pump inside each building. Once in the pump, a refrigeration device transfers heat to or from the wastewater. A compressor converts that heat energy into warm or cold air that can be pushed through about 3 million square feet of office space at the business park, replacing the traditional heating and air conditioning systems.
In this "open" system, the water could also be used to irrigate landscaping, or, with a secondary set of pipes, flush toilets. Otherwise, the chilly or hot water - between about 40 degrees and 150 degrees - would pass through underground pipes to two adjacent reservoirs.
The wastewater recovery system could work particularly well for small or midsize cities or suburbs where the energy needed to pump water to low-slung buildings is much less than for skyscrapers.
Why?
"We all know California will have severe droughts in the next 20 to 40 years and that will affect water supply," said Gary Geernaert, director of the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at Los Alamos National Lab. "This will help us make educated guesses about what the pressures will be on the public and private infrastructure and help build that into the design."
The project has gained steam in the past few months as Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and some of the biggest names in the wine business have signed on; in March, county supervisors approved $1 million for a feasibility study. The flurry of interest comes as more cities and businesses take a hard look at their contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and national labs expand their research to include not just military security, but water, energy and economic security.
Sonoma officials will meet with lawmakers in Washington about allocating money for this project and establishing a fund, similar to the Community Development Block Grant Program, to pay for similar projects all over the United States. In addition to federal money, Sonoma is considering revenue bonds and creating a special assessment district.They estimate savings of 90 percent on natural gas and about 50 percent on electricity for heating and cooling. The environmental benefits are hard to quantify - but the county is working on it. Under the wastewater recycling plan, 55- to 60-degree water would be pumped from the treatment plant to the business park through underground pipes into a pump inside each building. Once in the pump, a refrigeration device transfers heat to or from the wastewater. A compressor converts that heat energy into warm or cold air that can be pushed through about 3 million square feet of office space at the business park, replacing the traditional heating and air conditioning systems.
In this "open" system, the water could also be used to irrigate landscaping, or, with a secondary set of pipes, flush toilets. Otherwise, the chilly or hot water - between about 40 degrees and 150 degrees - would pass through underground pipes to two adjacent reservoirs.
The wastewater recovery system could work particularly well for small or midsize cities or suburbs where the energy needed to pump water to low-slung buildings is much less than for skyscrapers.
Why?
"We all know California will have severe droughts in the next 20 to 40 years and that will affect water supply," said Gary Geernaert, director of the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at Los Alamos National Lab. "This will help us make educated guesses about what the pressures will be on the public and private infrastructure and help build that into the design."
SOURCE: April 2008 SFGATE.com
