Licensed GreenPlumber

Did you ever wake up in the morning and the day starts out like normal and then all of a sudden things get so crazy that the day is almost over before you catch your breathe?  I had one of those days yesterday and it turned out to be a historical day for our company. 

The day started off just like every other work day.  I was in my office meeting with a client when one of my technicians called from one of very Green savvy customer’s homes.  Their tank type electric water heater was leaking and they were in search of something more energy efficient.  I wrapped up my meeting and called them back so we could get them back in hot water by the end of the day.

We discussed the option of Solar Thermal for a few minutes and then I mentioned to them that Rheem had a new Heat Pump Energy Star rated Water Heatercoming out and I could check to see what the availability would be if they were interested.  They liked the idea so I had my dispatcher check our Rheem dealer, Gorman Co., and they said they were due in that day.  I called our customer back and told them we could do it first thing in the morning if the heater came in that day.  They said do it!

A few minutes after hanging up the phone I drove over to Gorman for another item.  Upon arrival I found out that the Rheem heat pump water heaters had arrived and there was a meeting going on with the Rheem representatives as well.  I talked with them all and asked a few questions about the installation and then told them I needed one loaded up on my truck so we could go perform the installation.  I don’t think they thought I was serious but after it was loaded they came out and told me that they thought it was the first installation in the entire nation.  At the time I didn’t know they were literally loaded up on a truck and shipped overnight to be in Gorman’s warehouse for a little press meeting and then one of them was on my truck about to be installed within 24 hours of leaving the factory.  I received a call later that confirmed we were in fact installing the first one in the U.S. which is pretty exciting.  Needless to say the rest of my day was spent on site with my camera and making sure the installation went smoothly.

Now a little bit about the installation.  It went very smooth.  The heater itself is 21″ in diameter but is a bit taller at 75″ than a standard tank type heater.  The reason it is taller is obviously the heat pump on the top.  Side inlet and outlets allowed for pretty quick connections.  The only major difference is it requires a condensate drain which we ran with ease.  Once filled and wired we put it into operation and after a few minutes the heat pump fired up and had a faint sound much like that of an ice machine.  It runs very quiet and is not very noticable.  I was very pleased with the installation and our customer was as well.

The heater qualifies for Federal Tax Credits and you can check Rheem’s website for more information about the operation and savings.  Due to the electricity savings I think Rheem has one Hot item on their hands.

Check Bob Rizi Plumbing’s website for pics!

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!

Licensed GreenPlumber

There has been quite a debate over Waterless Urinals the past few years.  Sanitary concerns, maintenance issues, and potential drain blockage are a few of the most popular questions that have been raised about their widespread use.

I taught a class to about 60 Plumbers a while ago and when I mentioned Waterless Urinals the room was immediately divided.  Half of the room said they were horrible and the other half said they were great.  Before I lost control of my class I said, “let’s talk about this for a minute.”  I then asked what are the negatives.  “They stink, they cause drain blockage, and they are a maintenance nightmare!”  I then asked what are the positives? ” They don’t use any water, there is not a flush valve to deal with that may leak, and with regular maintenance they are easy to service.”  Two totally different viewpoints.  We talked through a couple of the successful and not so successful installations some of the Plumbers in the room had and what I found was in most cases the unsuccessful installations were mainly due to the fact that the end user or maintenance staff were not properly trained or were unwilling to take care of them.  We continued the discussion on the proper maintenance and at the end of it I asked the class if the end user understood how to properly maintain the urinals if they felt they could be installed successfully.  Most agreed they could.

Industrial Economics, Inc.  compiled a report in June 2008 that is very detailed so I won’t go too in depth here but I will say that I was in the University of South Carolina’s Green dormitory a few months ago and they had Waterless Urinals installed that were absolutely squeaky clean and the Administrator there said they had not one problem with them because they knew what they had to do to maintain them.

There are a few companies that make them like Sloan, Falcon, and Kohler.  They vary a little in maintenance but they all save water.  They estimate about 40,000 gallons annually in a smaller commercial application. 

For whatever reason there may be some places that they just won’t work out.  The maintenance staff won’t deal with them, etc.  In this case there is a 1 pint per flush urinal made by American Standard that will produce quite a savings over a traditional 1 gallon or higher per flush urinal.  It isn’t going to save as much as the Waterless but it offers a very water efficient alternative.  Waterless or Less Water?  You make the choice!

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!

Licensed GreenPlumber

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak to our local Rotary Club about GreenPlumbing and how Plumbers can help save water in homes and businesses.  About halfway through my talk I mentioned that D’mand Hot Water Recirculating Pumps are a great tool that saves about 11,000 gallons of water annually.  I asked the room of about 40 if anyone knew of them or had one installed.  There were a couple people that did but most did not know what they were or how they worked.  I couldn’t blame the folks who didn’t because it isn’t a normal household appliance like a dishwasher or washing machine but maybe it should be.

If you turn your shower on and then go take a quick jog around the block while waiting for it to get hot you may be a candidate for a D’Mand Recirculating pump.  They can be implemented in a couple different ways.  The first is if your home was plumbed with a dedicated hot water return line.  In this system the hot water lines are run from the water heater to all the fixtures in a loop.  From the last fixture there is a line that runs back to the water heater.  You now have one continuous loop that the pump is installed on.  The pump can operate off of a switch, remote or motion sensor.  The second system would be in a home that does not have a dedicated hot water return line.  In this system the pump is installed under a sink at the farthest point away from the water heater and utilizes the cold water line as the return line.  In both applications when you want to use hot water you turn the pump on by the switch or the remote and the pump draws hot water around the loop and when the hot water reaches the pump it shuts itself off to minimize the amount of energy used.  The result then is hot water almost immediately when you turn the shower or sink faucet on thus eliminating all that water going down the drain while you are away on you jog waiting for your shower to get hot.

If every home on your block had a D’Mand Pump how much water would be saved annually?  Twenty to Thirty homes on your block?  About two to three hundred thousand gallons per year.  That’s a bunch of water!

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!

Licensed GreenPlumber

With School starting within the next few weeks the ritual of shopping for back to school clothes and supplies is in full force.  Pencils, binders, paper, crayons, and the latest backpack are at the top of shopping list but as you load the shopping cart and check the items off the list this year why not consider giving your children a lesson about Water?  Now, I am sure you are wondering what Water has to do with shopping but stop and think about it for a few minutes.

Water is used, at some level, in the production of most of the school supplies you will be buying for your Children.  If water is not involved in the direct development of the specific supply there is a good chance that it used to cool the equipment in the factory or to cool the power plant that supplies electricity to factory that makes the product.  This is the water that we usually don’t think about because when we look at a pencil we think trees but not the water used to grow the tree and the water used in the mill and then the water used in the factory and so on.

There are a few places on the internet that you can search out that will give you the gallons used to produce a specific product and that can be a fun way to teach your kids a good lesson about our most valuable resource.  Beyond this it is great time to talk to them about not wasting water at school.  Discourage the water fights in the restroom or at the drinking fountain and have them report any dripping faucets or toilets that are running in the restroom or classroom to their teacher.  Our kids can be responsible for many gallons of water saved in schools if we just encourage and educate them about water conservation!  Kindergarten children are reading these days so there is no reason why they can be water conservationists as well!

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!

Licensed GreenPlumber

The push for energy efficiency and independence from the Current Administration has spurred the extension and enhancement of several tax credits and incentives for consumers and businesses to run more energy efficient homes and buildings.  There are several tax credits and rebates available in all 50 states for folks who change out their less energy efficient products they have installed now.  Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Geothermal, and Wind are all technologies that qualify for the tax credits.  The mad dash is on for our Country to become less dependent on oil.

I have spent quite a bit of time digging through the Federal and State incentives on the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency to get a good understanding of how I can help my customers take advantage of the incentives available to them.  What I noticed while reading through them is that there isn’t any incentives for Water.  More specifically, Water Efficiency.  Renewable Energy is really important and could become a necessity for many areas of the US if the drought conditions continue to get worse in the coming years.  There are several areas of the US that depend on water for electricity.  Lake Lanier for instance is part of a hydro power plant that provides electricity to over 2 million customers.

I wasn’t the only one thinking, “What about tax credits for Water Efficiency?”  Republican Congressman Mike Coffman sponsored the bill H.R. 1908: Water Accountability Tax Efficiency Reinvestment Act of 2009 to provide tax credits for installing Water Efficient products in homes.  If passed there would be a tax credit of 30% up to $1500 for installing WaterSense labeled products such as high efficiency toilets and faucets.  Bravo Congressman!  Changing out toilets and faucets is typically not an enormous cost but it will have an enormous impact on our water supply!

I have taken the initiative to inform as many people as I can about H.R. 1908 and I urge you to do the same.  Inform your Congressman and your Water districts and anyone else who you can get behind this bill and get it passed!  With tax credits for Energy readily available why not Water too?

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!

Licensed GreenPlumber

Almost a year ago I attended a local Sustainability meeting.  Many Sustainability experts and the general public came together to present and hear different ideas about how we can create a more Sustainable community.

There were various speakers including Builders, representatives from our Water Management District, and several other Conservationists.  I showed up to network a little and to see if I could learn a few things as well.  It turns out I was the only Plumbing Contractor that was in attendance.  When we broke for lunch I was standing in line waiting to get a bite and a lady standing in line with me noticed my company logo and asked if I was a Plumber.  I told her I was  and then she said, “Hmmmm, what is Green about Plumbing?”  I chuckled a bit and answered, “Everything you just listened to this morning.”

The entire morning was filled with speakers discussing how we needed to save water and energy and one of them even mentioned he was looking for the CFL for water.  I explained to this very nice lady that Plumbers were the folks that had the skills to come into homes and businesses and install dual flush toilets, hot water recirculating systems, and many other products that would not only save water but energy as well.

Since that day I have encountered several people that are concerned about saving water but most are unsure about what they can do in their homes to achieve that goal.  I tell them the same thing you should.  “What you need to do is call a Plumber and not just any Plumber, call a GreenPlumber!”

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!

Licensed GreenPlumber

The heat of the Summer is upon us in the South and I am sitting here thinking back to all of the hot sunny days I had as a kid.  I remember coming home after a game of football or tag and being so hot that I soaked myself with the hose to cool off.  Then there were the days of hooking up the sprinkler and running through it or filling up water balloons and throwing them at one another.  While this was all good fun the best of all was the ever popular Slip N’ Slide.  There were days that  I know the hose was running for hours but back then it was considered cheap fun.  A $10 piece of plastic and a bunch of water was all you needed.  However, I did have to be careful in choosing the spot to set it up.  Roots, bumps, trees, and branches all were a factor in choosing the perfect spot.  Once set up it was cool summer fun for hours.

I have a clear picture of it all in my head right now.  The water running off the mat and through the grass and onto the sidewalk and down the driveway and into the gutter and then down the storm drain.  Mom coming out to deliver Lemonade and to check for bumps and bruises.  Ahhh…  Those were the days.  All that Sun… All that Fun… All that Water…  Whoa!  Put on the brakes!  All that Water??  There must have been huge quantities of water running down the drain in neighborhoods all over the US on those hot summer days of the past.

I am wondering how much of this goes on today?  How many people own a Slip N’ Slide or some other backyard water toy?  I would guess there are quite a few floating around out there but I wonder if they are being used.  If they are being used is it because people don’t care or people don’t know about the drought conditions in many areas of the US?  Maybe they don’t know about Lake Lanier or Lake Mead.  Maybe they don’t know about San Antonio or Tampa.  I would hope if they knew they would care.

I want my children to have fun but not at the expense of our water supply.  While it may be fun for them to experience the same water fun I had as a child it just isn’t a great idea today.   Besides there are plenty of ways for them to have fun without wasting water!

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!

Licensed GreenPlumber

“I am on a well at my house and my water is free.  I can use as much as I want and it doesn’t cost me a penny!”  I have heard this statement on more than one occasion and I am sure I am not the only one.  Guess what?  Your water is not free!

Most wells have a pump to deliver the water to your home.  That pump most likely runs on electricity and unless it is hooked up to a photovoltaic solar panel, you are paying for the electricity it takes to run the pump.  So, the more water you use, the more the pump runs, the higher the electric bill.  So while a lot of people may think that well water is free you can see that it really is not.

In addition Well Water comes from the same the place that public water comes from so the more you use the greater the strain on everybody elses water supply.  Your neighbors, businesses, and schools share the same water so it is in the best interest of everyone to be mindful of how much water you use.

Now, I don’t mean to pick on people who are on wells because there are some areas of the US that have flat rates for water which can lead to the same type of thought process when it comes to usage.  If you pay a flat rate then you may be inclined to hook up the slip and slide for the kids and let it run all weekend thinking it won’t cost any more money but not thinking what it means to our water supply.  Worse yet that leaking faucet doesn’t get fixed for a few months because it doesn’t cost any extra to let it drip away.

I was in Chicago a few months ago and met with a Contractor who told me that there were many homes and businesses that did not have water meters and they were billed a flat rate.  Chicago has implemented a program to install over 300,000 water meters during the next 10 years.  The Chicago Sun-Times reported back in April that it isn’t going so good so far due to the fact that people are afraid that the more water they use the higher their bill.  Exactly!

Well water, flat rate no meter, or metered tier rates should not dictate how much water you use.  Conserve no matter what your cost!

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!

Licensed GreenPlumber

I heard a news brief on the radio yesterday that a Federal Judge had ruled against Georgia in a water rights case that stems from almost two decades of water wars between Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.  The Judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers has been illegally reallocating water from Lake Lanier to meet the needs of metro Atlanta.  According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now the fight is being sent to Congress for a political decision to be made.  Judge Magnuson is allowing three years for a political solution to be worked out.  If there is not resolution by then his order will take effect and Atlanta will no longer be able to draw water out of Lake Lanier.

Atlanta has been experiencing one of the most severe drought conditions in history and it stands to reason that they would seek ways to fill their demand.  Drawing water from Lake Lanier whether right or wrong has been helping them get by and if they lose this option it will have a huge impact on their water supply.

The City of Atlanta has taken a proactive approach to Conserve water in the past few years but will it be enough?  They were the first city to host all five core courses that GreenPlumbers North America offers and they have several rebate programs including toilet rebates for changing out old high water using toilets to new High Efficiency toilets using at least 20% less water.  Most of these programs are voluntary and will only help if consumers choose to conserve.  My question…. Is it time to impose mandatory conservation measures in Atlanta and many other areas of the US?

Mandatory conservation measures may prove to be the answer to an increasing population and diminishing water supply.  It may also be the least expensive way as well.  The cheapest source of additional water resources is water conservation.  Retro fitting hotels, restaurants, factories, etc. with High Efficiency fixtures will cost some money but not nearly as much if Atlanta has to go out buy water rights or find additional water resources somewhere else.

Ben Franklin said, “It is not until the well runs dry, that we know the worth of water.”  The well has not run dry in Atlanta but with this ruling the well may get a lot smaller in three years.  If you live in Atlanta start conserving now!

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!

Licensed GreenPlumber

I am hopeful the question, “Would you like Water with that?” becomes more of a mainstay than the ever popular, “Would you like fries with that?”  Many restaurants use hundreds of thousands of gallons of water every month.  It isn’t any wonder that many Water Management Districts around the country have set up programs specifically designed to help restaurants conserve water which can also result in energy savings as well.

Southwest Florida Water Management District covers West Central Florida and has the Water PRO program for restaurants within their district.  The program is free for any restaurant desiring to find ways to conserve water and save money.  Upon applying SWFWMD will come in and do a training with the entire staff and start by showing how simple behavioral changes can get them on the road to conservation.  Things like only serving water upon request and not using running water to melt ice are easy but effective ways to conserve water.  Having staff shut off leaking faucets and report them to be repaired right away is another easy way to prevent a huge waste of water.  Once the restaurant goes through the training and implements the program SWFWMD lists the participant on their website and provides them with educational marketing materials such as tent cards and coasters that let customers know they are a part of the program.

During the training SWFWMD will make recommendations on more ways the participant can increase their savings.  After the behavioral changes the second step would be things like installing High Efficiency pre rinse spray valves, High Efficiency toilets, and high efficiency dishwashers.  SWFWMD estimates changing to High Efficiency pre rinse spray valves can save about $1,320 per year for the participant.  All of the recommendations are intended to conserve water and save the participant money on their bills.  A win for the restaurant, the community, and the Water Management District.

I have spent some time talking with my restaurant customers and found one using 400,000 gallons per month.  If by implementing this program and changing some plumbing fixtures they realize a savings of 20% that’s 80,000 gallons per month and 960,000 gallons per year and at a rate of 1.5 cents a gallon a savings of $13,440 a year on the water bill.  How many restaurants do you know that would like to save themselves that kind of money?

As a customer I would encourage you to do what I do when I visit restaurants, not only locally, but wherever my travels take me as well.  Ask to speak with the manager or owner at some point and while you are complimenting them on the service and the food quality ask them if they know about a Water program in their area.  Better yet, find it for them before you go.  Jot down the weblink or phone number and give it to them.  If they can save just 10,000 gallons a month it makes a difference.  Think about how many restaurants are in your area and figure the incremental savings.  Just use 100,000 gallons a year savings by the number of restaurants not already conserving.  10, 20, 100 in your area plus the neighboring cities then take to the next state and then the whole US.  Can we save billions of gallons a year just in restaurants across the US?  Think about it!

Bob Rizi Plumbing………Saving Water, One Drop at a time!