Plumbing plays a huge role in every commercial establishment. Be it a small restaurant or a multi-story office space, having a reliable plumbing system will prevent operational delays and interruptions. But nowadays, more and more business are going beyond ‘reliable’ – ‘sustainable’ is also the name of the game through ‘green plumbing’.
In this post, we’ll discuss more about what green plumbing is, what it means for your business, and how you can implement this on your establishment.
What is green plumbing?
Green plumbing is a strategy where you implement methods to reduce water consumption and wastage. The goal of this plumbing option in your commercial space is to make your water consumption more efficient to reduce your environmental impact. Above all, it will help cut back your utility bills by a huge notch!
Whether you’re planning a new construction or remodeling projects for your commercial space, it’s a wise to consider green plumbing. It will future-proof your business as more and more establishments are switching to this eco-friendly option.
For example, a traditional toilet uses up to 6 gallons of water in a single flush. But if you change it to the latest variable flow toilets, every flush will only consume about 1.5 gallons of water. Aside from that, you can get high-efficiency faucets, pressure-reducing valves, rainwater harvesting system, and more (more on this below!)
If you want to know more about green plumbing, you can call us at Pacific Plumbing Team, and our commercial plumber will discuss more options for your business. We can also inspect your current plumbing and provide recommendations on how you can switch to a more sustainable system.
Benefits of green and sustainable plumbing
Green plumbing may not be the number one priority of business right now, but the following benefits are enough reasons why you should take the lead on switching to this efficient plumbing system:
1. Lower your operating costs
The main benefit of working with a green plumber is they can help you reduce your commercial building’s operating costs.
On average, it will cost a household about $1,000 a year for water-related expenses. This is way bigger for commercial buildings with a much larger plumbing system and number of occupants.
But by switching to sustainable plumbing, you can reduce the amount of water used whenever a person flushes, opens the faucet, or turns a water appliance on. This can help you cut back your annual water bill by $300 if you’re spending around $1,000.
For businesses, the money savings will snowball, especially if their operation involves huge amounts of water.
2. Help qualify for tax credits
You can also qualify for Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction as an owner or tenant. This is a federal tax deduction where you can enjoy about $1.80 per sq. ft. in tax deductions if you can reduce your energy expenditure by 50% or more.
But wait, what does it have to do with plumbing or my water supply? Well, many components of your plumbing system uses electricity to function. For example, your water heater, pumps, heat recovery system, and whatnot all use electricity to operate.
If you switch to more energy-efficient plumbing components, you can greatly reduce the power your plumbing system uses. All these will help you achieve the necessary reduction to qualify for tax deductions.
If you plan to upgrade your commercial plumbing to a greener option, you can reach out to Pacific Plumbing Team today. Our plumbing specialist will discuss all your options.
3. Stretch the lifespan of your water appliances
With green plumbing pipes and other components, you can reduce unnecessary water pressure in your water appliances. This will help prevent excessive wear and tear, making it last longer than before. In the long run, this spells more savings and convenience for your business.
Aside from that, green plumbing uses non-toxic materials, which reduces chemical exposure that could damage your appliances. On top of that, having a commercial green plumber install your water appliances will ensure its longevity and safety for everyone in your building.
4. Boost your business reputation
Lastly, green and sustainable plumbing is a good way to improve your business’ reputation and integrity. According to surveys, about 40% of consumers are now actively choosing brands and businesses with eco-friendly values.
Also, studies found that businesses that implement sustainability practices are 2.5x more successful than their competitors who don’t.
Above all, having a green plumbing system will be a good boost for your business image. It will give you a unique selling point, especially if you’re a building owner looking for the best tenants to occupy your space.
5 environmental plumbing solutions you can implement in your business
Going green doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul of your entire plumbing system. You can start small by upgrading certain components of your current plumbing. With that said, here are some of the things our plumber can install for your commercial building on the same day:
1. Low-flow toilets
The easiest way to start your switch to green plumbing is to upgrade your traditional toilet to a low-flow toilet. As we’ve said earlier, this kind of toilet only uses 1.5 gallons of water per flush compared to the typical 6 gallons of standard toilets. Worse, buildings built before 1994 could even have much older toilets that consume 7 gallons per flush – imagine how much savings you’ll get from simply getting a new toilet!
At Pacific Plumbing Team, we can provide you with ultra-efficient low-flow toilets with a WaterSense label. This label means that the plumbing fixture has met EPA’s criteria for performance and efficiency.
2. PEX pipes
When it comes to green pipes plumbing, PEX pipes are the most sustainable option nowadays. Unlike the usual copper or PVC material, PEX is extremely durable and more resistant to bursting.
In fact, it’s so durable that it can last for 100 years, which greatly reduces the cost of repairs, replacement, and impact on your building’s operations.
Another great thing about PEX pipes is it’s very flexible without losing its durability. It can be easily bent around corners or customized with connector pieces easily. It’s also very tolerant of changing temperatures and can expand or contract without cracking.
3. Tankless water heaters
Tankless water heaters don’t store hot water that needs to be constantly heated. With this, it uses less standby energy while giving you the same hot water you need at your commercial building.
Also, the more hot water you use with a tankless water heater, the more savings you’ll enjoy. For example, if your building uses 86 gallons of hot water per day, you can cut your heater’s energy consumption by up to 14% if you switch to a tankless type.
However, since you don’t have a tank that stores hot water, the flow rate may be slightly lower. Still, this is just a small sacrifice compared to the savings and eco-friendliness of your building.
If you need a tankless water heater, contact us, and we will service your building on the same day!
4. Recirculating hot water pipe
Another green plumbing pipe you can get is the recirculating type. With a recirculating hot water pipe, your plumbing system will create a loop of hot water between your water heater and faucet and vice versa.
This way, the hot water will not return and sit on your pipes to cool down again, as with typical pipes. Also, a recirculating hot water pipe will give you instant hot water without using too much electricity.
Without this type of pipe, your heater will only start working once you open the faucet. This means you’ll have to wait and waste a huge amount of water before you achieve the temperature you like.
5. Rainwater harvesting system
If you have the extra budget, you can also get a rainwater harvesting system for your commercial building. With this system, you can collect and store rainwater to be used for flushing toilets and other water needs for your building.
Overall, this is a great way to reduce your reliance on local water treatment facilities as well as lower your utility bills in the long run.
In fact, Los Angeles has a program for this called LA Stormwater Low Impact Development (LID). It involves practices like rainwater harvesting of stormwater runoff. If you want to know more about this program, the needed permits, and how we can help, call us today, and we’ll discuss it with you!
Ready to switch to eco-friendly plumbing?
If you’re looking for ways to implement green plumbing to your commercial building, Pacific Plumbing Team is here to help! We can do an onsite inspection to see what green practices can be integrated on your current plumbing system. Our plumbers can also install your new plumbing components on the same day without causing major interruptions on your operations.
As a trusted local contractor, we offer a complete commercial plumbing service for all kinds of businesses. Whether it’s a building or a small shop, you can count on us to deliver the same high-quality service for everyone.
If you want to get started with green plumbing or if you have any plumbing needs, call us at Pacific Plumbing Today! We are available for same-day service anywhere in LA and surrounding areas!
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