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Hand in Hand - Save Water and Money

03 December 2010

The festive season can be the most demanding on many facilities and the hardest working zone is usually the washroom. This can be the time when traffic multiplies and the challenge is on to keep up a standard that supports a visitor’s favourable perception.

The festive season can be the most demanding on many facilities and the hardest working zone is usually the washroom. This can be the time when traffic multiplies and the challenge is on to keep up a standard that supports a visitor’s favourable perception. Conversely, it can be a time when premises are under-occupied or unoccupied during the holidays whilst, rather wastefully, some washroom processes keep ticking over on a full-occupancy schedule (and at full cost).

Whether you have a washroom in high demand or premises that will be quieter, there are priorities that are shared: efficiency in terms of spend, efficiency in use of resources and delivery standards that will make sure your washroom supports or adds to your organisation’s image, rather than detracting from it. This is great timing then for the launch of two new, innovative products from PHS Washrooms: Flow-saver® and Eco-shield™, that work together to reduce water usage, reduce costs, maintain hygiene and improve the environment in and around urinals.

Flow-saver is a new, advanced water management system for controlling water use in urinals. The system can save up to 96 per cent of the water used to flush urinals, which in turn saves money and reduces environmental impact.

Flow-saver works in two ways. Firstly, flush intervals are pre-set to correlate with the anticipated usage of urinals, using a programmable real-time clock. Secondly, where appropriate, a money-saving override kicks in; an intelligent infra-red sensor monitors the number of visitors to the urinal and ‘decides’ whether or not the next flush is required. So, if no-one’s using the urinal when the next flush is due, that flush is cancelled and the system will flush again after the next interval. In this way, maximum water savings are achieved without compromising hygiene.

Battery-powered Flow-saver can be fitted to all standard urinals, including troughs and may also be programmed to work only during site opening hours, so that flushing can only occur when the urinals are likely to be used. A hygiene flush occurs at least every 12 hours, to keep the urinal systems free from blockages and smells, even when not in use. So Flow-saver can be programmed to save as much water as possible and maintain good hygiene standards.

Matching flush rate with washroom usage ensures optimum economy and hygiene levels, says PHS Washrooms. The company claims that this system is the most effective on the market, cutting water bills by 30 to 40 per cent in comparison to basic water management systems and up to 96 per cent when compared with uncontrolled cisterns.

Explaining the potential impact of Flow-saver, managing director of PHS Washrooms, Ian Osborne said, “Urinal flushing can account for 20 per cent of water consumption in a typical office building and paying for that incoming water, plus outgoing sewerage rapidly adds up. When you consider that 76 per cent of flushing can occur when buildings are unoccupied, it is easy to see that the waste can be significant, both in terms of water and money. Flow-saver is a simple and successful system for effectively and efficiently managing water and using it in the most environmentally responsible way. It is built on proven technology, exceeds current legislative requirements and can be fitted to almost all urinal cisterns.”

Working with Flow-saver, Eco-shield is designed to improve the environment in and around urinals by curing typical washroom problems at the source. The Eco-shield urinal sleeve contains friendly bacteria and enzymes, which work to eliminate malodours and break down the ammonia and uric salts that can cause smells, plus inhibit limescale and uric salt build-up that can lead to blockages. The unit traps and prevents any materials that may block the drain and, with an added fragrance block, delivers a pleasant scent - making the urinal a more positive part of the premises.

Unlike other odour-control products, Eco-shield works in three separate ways to banish bad smells: Firstly, the unit itself features a one-way odour lock ‘shield’, providing a physical barrier to any odours returning from the trap or waste pipework. Within the Eco-shield unit there are two replaceable blocks; the Nurazyme™ bio-block – containing natural and friendly bacteria - plus a ‘Red Berry’ fragrance block. The bacteria and enzymes digest the uric salts in the waste that cause the unpleasant odour and to fight malodours further, the fragrance block delivers a pleasant scent that enhances the urinal user’s experience, says PHS Washrooms.

Summarising the reasons for deploying Eco-shield in the washroom, Ian Osborne concluded,
“Installing Eco-shield reduces the amount of water required to keep urinals odour free, so can save money on incoming supply, plus associated sewerage costs. By avoiding blockages, it reduces maintenance costs and can save money on chemical cleansers, which become redundant. This eco approach is much kinder to the environment and in the current economic conditions its money saving credentials are extremely worthwhile. Finally, Eco-shield creates a positive washroom environment, which is essential for any organisation.”

For more information on Flow-saver and Eco-shield visit www.phswashrooms.ie or
call 01 643 4680, quoting ref S149. To use handy calculators to see how much water and money you could save, visit www.phswaterandenergysavings.co.uk