Reducing the consumption of utilities, including water, in buildings is inextricably linked to protection against uncontrolled leakage (outflow). However, taking care of water intake and sewage discharge is closely related to the environmental effect - in both of these processes, the executive elements are pumps that consume electricity, the production of which translates directly into CO2 emissions.
Saving water with Danfoss solenoid valves
Of course, the most attractive field of activity seems to be modern commercial buildings, especially those with the BREEAM* environmental certificate. There, taking care of the ecological effect (including energy efficiency) is not a fashion, but even an obligation. How can you control water consumption in this type of facilities?
Well, the solution is not complicated at all. Following the long-proven lighting control method, the water supply to the entire sanitary facility can be cut off simultaneously using motion/presence sensors. When a person appears, the sensor can turn on the lighting and simultaneously open valves that cut off the supply of hot and cold water to all connections in the bathroom, from sinks to urinals. After people leave the room and after the set time delay, the water supply is automatically cut off, which eliminates the potential negative effects of dripping taps and "suspended" toilet flushes.
*BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) - multi-criteria certification of buildings, especially office, commercial and industrial buildings, in terms of their environmental friendliness and comfort of the future user, while setting standards for sustainable design.
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The same applies in the hotel industry. Since traditional keys have been replaced by magnetic cards, you can also reduce the operating costs of hotels, motels, guesthouses, hostels and dormitories.
Turning off all electrical receivers in hotel rooms by cutting off the electricity after the person leaves and takes the key (or rather the magnetic card from the reader) is a commonly used mechanism today. This existing functionality, without additional expenditure, can be easily extended by closing the electromagnetic valves in the bathroom water supply, as well as by disconnecting the electricity supply from them. Realizing how many potential leak points there are even in a medium-sized hotel can really stimulate your imagination. Taking just the sink, shower and toilet, this adds up to hundreds of danger points, potentially translating into cubic meters of wasted water and sewage to be discharged.
Utility bills should be looked at with particular attention in budget institutions, where operating costs are covered by taxpayers' money. These include schools, medical facilities, state and local government buildings, railway stations and other public facilities. Water and sewage can often constitute an important component of operating costs.
Let us be aware that to a large extent the infrastructure of these facilities is severely damaged by time, which favors the occurrence of failures of water and sewage installations. In addition to leaking taps, there is a much more serious phenomenon: cracking of old water supply pipes. National experience shows that such leaks may remain unnoticed for many years until the building is completely renovated. This happens thanks to tight risers which, if properly arranged, drain the flowing water to the sewage grates. A solution that significantly reduces such losses may be to install a switch in the reception hall that controls a valve that cuts off the water supply to the building. After hours of work or use of the facility, this solution provides a full guarantee of no water outflow and, importantly, minimizes the risk of flood damage resulting from the famous "broken hoses".
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Other facilities supported by our taxes are penitentiaries (prisons and jails). Here, the problem of uncontrolled water consumption is rather related to the dark side of human nature. The traditional solution in this type of facilities was to escort prisoners to the bathhouse, cell by cell - a time-consuming, dangerous task that involved additional human resources from the prison service. To avoid these problems, it was decided to automate the water distribution and distribution system. Instead of collective baths, individual cells are equipped with sanitary facilities with access to water, strictly controlled by guards on duty. By granting time-regulated access to water, frequent acts of vandalism are limited, consisting in conscious discharge of water, especially hot water, for many hours, which entails additional costs related to thermal energy. The first prison to be rebuilt in this way was the Remand Center in Radom, and the latest investment is the modernization of the Remand Center in Łowicz.
It is also worth considering introducing mandatory anti-flood protection in all facilities. Scandinavians have long come to the conclusion that it is much cheaper to protect against flooding than to eliminate its effects, and such systems are common there. This also applies, and especially, to facilities used only occasionally, such as summer cottages or tourist apartment buildings, which are increasingly part of the landscape of our Baltic coast or mountain resorts, where a burst water installation may be noticed with a very long delay.
They apply in each of the situations described above solenoid valves Danfoss EV 220B and 250B . This valve has an extremely solid, yet simple structure and is made of special DZR brass. This special brass alloy is particularly resistant to the aggressive effects of chlorine contained in our water, which can destroy bodies made of traditional brass in just two or three years.
EV220B/250B valves in sizes from 3/8" to 2" provide full coverage of water distribution installations, and made of DZR brass guarantee reliable operation in the described demanding applications - for many years.
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Make your work easier with the Danfoss Installer application
Now every installer can make their work easier thanks to the Danfoss Installer application. In the application you can find:
- List of projects - quick access to orders and information about ongoing installations.
- Flow and pressure calculators.
- Radiator settings calculator and more