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Resouce
PSD 165
Conservation
in Plumbing
Systems
Continuing Education from Plumbing Systems & Design
MARCH 2010
PSDMAGAZINE.ORG
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Reprinted from Plumbing Engineering Design Handbook, Chapter 7: “Energy & Resource Conservation in Plumbing Systems”
© American Society of Plumbing Engineers, 2009.
Chart allows user to estimate domestic hot water heating use in terms of g = Factors taken from Table 7-1 or 7-2 at
water temperature and faucet flow rate. a particular ∆T, Btuh/ft (kJ/h/m)
Source: Cassidy 1982. L = System length, ft (m)
Hot water pipes should be continuously insulated from the heater to
Figure 1 Energy Savings from Reduced Faucet Flow Rates the end use, while cold water lines should be insulated near the water
heater tank to minimize convective losses.
Limit Water Heater and
As shown, the reduction in domestic water temperature in itself does
not necessarily result in a reduction in energy input related to the water
Circulation Pump Operation
Buildings with large hot water distribution systems use circulating
consumed.
loops to ensure that hot water is available to all fixtures within a timely
Reduce Fixture Flow Rates manner. By limiting the hours of operation of these pumps and water
The EPAct of 1992 set maximum water usages for specific fixtures (e.g., heaters, substantial savings can be realized.
1.6 gallons per flush [gpf ] for water closets). Reduced flow rates result An automatic thermostatic control should be installed to cycle the
in less water needing to be pumped and heated, smaller pipe sizes, pump on and off in response to the temperature of water returning to
and less heat loss from piping, consequently saving energy. Fixture the water heater through the recirculation piping. The minimum dif-
flow rates vary depending on the supply fitting design and water pres- ferential, or deadband, of the control shall not be less than 20°F.
sure. Manufacturers’ test results have shown that flows for lavatories Time clocks can be used to control hot water circulating pumps. The
and showers can be quite high, making them prime candidates for energy saved when using time clocks can be calculated as follows:
fixture flow reduction. Providing automatic flow-control fittings can
Equation 4
reduce fixture flow rates. On lavatories, the type of faucet and spout
usually dictates the location of these fittings. In showers, the type of Motor kilowatts (kW) × off hours
head and arm determines the fitting location. After being fitted with a × electric rate ($/kWh) = total savings ($)
flow-control device, reduced flow rates of 1 gpm or less usually are seen
Consume Off-peak Power
in lavatories and 2.5 gpm or less in showers.
One of a plumbing engineer’s responsibilities is to size the domestic
Figure 1 provides a way to translate fixture flow rate to annual
water heating equipment to meet the needs of the building’s occupants
consumption and is useful in determining the most energy-efficient
in the most energy-efficient manner. While using off-peak power to
design flow rate. By varying the percent of hot water at the fixture,
heat and circulate water does not change the amount of Btu required, it
annual energy consumption can be predicted. Figure 1 can be used as
does allow the building’s owner and tenants to benefit from lower util-
ity costs. Power companies encourage their commercial customers to
purchase power during off-peak hours in hopes of flattening or evening
Table 3 The Effect of Stopping Circulation out the demand on their generating equipment. Some utility compa-
Piping nies not only offer lower rates for electricity purchased during off-peak
Operating Insulation and semi-peak periods, but in many instances also have no customer
Temperature, Thickness, in. Energy Conserved, demand charges. The plumbing engineer can obtain electric rate sched-
°F (°C) (mm) Btu/yr (kJ/yr) ules from the utility serving the site and observe the off-peak periods to
140 (60) ½ (12.7) 1428 × 106 (1506.5 × 106) program the operation of domestic water heating equipment. Typically,
125 (51.5) ½ (12.7) 1153 × 106 (1216 × 106) the highest demand for hot water takes place when electrical costs are
110 (43) ½ (12.7) 824 × 106 (869.3 × 106) at their peak. To account for this, the hot water system can maintain the
140 (60) 1 (25.4) 934 × 106 (985.4 × 106) heated water at an elevated temperature, which is blended to achieve
125 (51.5) 1 (25.4) 714 × 106 (753.3 × 106) the desired temperature levels, saving the system from having to oper-
110 (43) 1 (25.4) 522 × 106 (550.7 × 106)
ate during the day. Depending on the difference in electrical rates, an
off-peak powered hot water system generally pays (in a few years) for
PSD 165
tion from other materials may result in a wrong answer.
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