Eco-friendly and plumbing often don’t mix. Plumbers have a lot of waste, and when they’re tasked with replacing sewer lines, it’s not uncommon for a plumber to have to dig up streets, rip up sidewalks and landscape, and then place a new sewer line.
This method of plumbing is not eco-friendly.
But the industry is taking a turn towards an eco-friendly approach which reduces waste and has a much lower environmental impact.
What is Eco-Friendly Plumbing?
Homeowners are truly the ones leading the eco-friendly plumbing industries rise. The approach is a multi-facetted one, wherein a licensed plumber may start to install:
- Low flow equipment. Showerheads, toilets and sinks are starting to be replaced with efficient models that waste less water per flush than the competition. Some models are able to reduce water consumption to just 1.28 gallons per flush when using a toilet. Traditional toilets can use 5 gallons – 7+ gallons, and a low flow toilet reduces consumption by over 50%. How does this stack up over a year? This leads to a savings of 13,000 gallons of water for an average family.
- Tankless water heaters. The addition of tankless water heaters allows for less electricity to be used when compared to traditional water heaters. Tankless models will only heat water as it is needed, so there’s much less electricity required to run the unit.
These are two of the impacts that homeowners are forcing on the industry, and they’re well worth the cost. A lot of homeowners will start with replacing one fixture, and over time, they will start to replace more and more features.
It’s a gradual process that will pay off in time.
Homeowners want to save money on their utility bills, and the benefit of helping the environment is also nice.
Homes are turning into eco-friendly residences, and then you also have the introduction of new plumbing techniques. These techniques are helping change the face of plumbing, often making plumbing more affordable, too.
Trenchless Repair Eco-Friendly by Design
Trenchless repairs are on the rise, and these sewer repairs help replace old, corroded sewer lines. A major issue in the United States, sewer systems are aging with little-to-no funding to help replace the sewer lines.
When traditional methods are used, not only is the repair expensive, but it requires a major excavation of earth to reach the pipes.
Trenchless methods reduce the time it takes to replace a worn or corroded sewer line from 4 – 5 days to a mere few hours in some circumstances. But it’s not the time or monetary savings that are most important.
This form of sewer replacement also has a major impact advantage for the environment.
Land is preserved when trenchless methods are in use, allowing the earth to be left untouched. There’s less waste, too, as the process involves a relining rather than a replacement of the old piping system.
Similar methods are used to help prevent the need to dig up a homeowner’s lawn.
Toxins, which do exist within the resin used in trenchless repairs, are less impactful because only small holes are dug to reline the system rather than large-scale excavations.
