Green Mechanical Contractor

GROW YOUR BUSINESS
When you educate homeowners and business owners on how they
can save water, you can gain incremental work at the jobsite.

There’s a lo T of buzz surrounding the environmental impact on global warming, the move toward energy-efficient cars and homes, and the future outlook of the next generation of contractors. In my opinion, I think it’s important for us not to lose focus on these looming issues and work together to formulate a plan that will positively affect the future, while providing an immediate boost in work for today’s mechanical contractors.

Keeping the trades busy in these challenging times is no easy feat. Now, more than ever, contractors need to educate their customers on how every choice affects the environment and their pocketbooks. one of the pertinent issues today for all contractors to seriously consider is water conservation. Contractors who promote water-saving ideas to customers will undoubtedly open up doors with new work for their own businesses, and, in the long run, save their customers significant money and help lessen their environmental impact.

admittedly, many don’t realize that places like Georgia, Texas, California and the greater southwest are currently facing major water-supply issues. By 2013, 36 states anticipate water shortages. What can contractors do about this? The answer is quite simple: educate your customers today on this issue, and demonstrate to them how you can make their homes more water efficient, while lowering their water and sewer bills.

For the past five years, I’ve had the good fortune of traveling across the country educating people on this very issue, and to give you a few quick ideas, following is a list of five water-saving jobs that really work and can be sold to your customers as incremental business.

1. Install a PRV ( pressure-reduc-ing valve) on the main water line. a home’s systems will work just fine with water pressure in the range of 35–70 psi, while pressure more than 80 psi is too high for most residential codes. offer to check the water pressure, and you’ll be surprised how many homes may have excessive water pressure. Installing a PrV will slow down the flow to save water, as well as increase the pipes’ longevity in the home.

2. Install performance showerheads. standard showerheads use 2.5 gpm, and the older heads use a lot more. New showerheads use only 1.75 gpm. That’s a savings of at least 30 percent. and newer performance showerhead designs deliver a strong flow, so your customers probably won’t even realize they’re saving water while taking a great shower!

3. Install an HET (high-efficiency toilet) with the EPA’s WaterSense label. Nearly 100 million toilets in the United states still flush with 3. 5 gpf. New he Ts use less than 1.3 gpf by incorporating flushing systems such as performance gravity, dual flush and pressure assist. The ePa Watersense label ensures homeowners the toilet was tested independently for maximum flushing power and water savings. replacing a 3.5-gpf toilet with an he T could save up to 16,500 gallons of water per year.

4. Install a recirculating hot water system. as found in hotels, new residential recirculating hot water kits work with the present hot water tank to deliver hot water quickly to faucets and showers. These systems work by preventing cold water from running down the drain while waiting for the hot water to kick in. This system will save a significant amount of water and time for any homeowner.

5. Install water-saving faucets and/or aerators. reducing the water flow from 2.2 gpm for standard faucets to 1.5 gpm for new water-saving faucets and aerators will save another 30 percent on lav faucet water for homeowners. Keep in mind the additional savings from heating less water for the lav faucet. a double bonus! and, like he Ts, the ePa Watersense program now lists bathroom faucets as well.

These simple ideas are proven to save water and money. Using water more wisely – especially potable water that uses energy and chemicals to treat – is imperative, as supplies are limited and our population and economy are growing. Public education, along with new water-efficient products and building design methods, are critical to contain water use. Contractors are responding to this need — and opportunity — by installing new products that use less water, but don’t sacrifice performance … and help position and grow their businesses in the long term.

The author has been in the industry for 25 years and holds Master’s licenses in plumbing, pipefitting and fire protection. He hosts his own television show, ed the Plumber, on the DIY Network, is a program host on HGTVPro.com and writes a syndicated Q&A newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service. His debut book, ed Del Grande’s house Call (Penguin/Viking Studio), was first published in 2007.