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Learn the Basic Guidelines for When to Repair or Replace Your Restroom Faucets and Flush Valves. Are you wondering if you should repair or replace your restroom fixtures? Let’s cover some guidelines about when it is time to choose the repair or the replace option for your restroom faucets and flush valves. Ultimately, the decision revolves around time, money, and organizational priorities. You may have other factors that affect your repair or replace decision today, so take this input for what it is, guidelines that help you think through your own situation. In general, you want to ask yourself three questions: How old are the current fixtures? Do the current fixtures help to create a good restroom experience? Do the current fixtures help you comply with local laws and organizational sustainability initiatives? How Old is the Fixture? Fixtures in commercial restrooms work hard, and after ten years in a moderate to heavy use restroom, many fixtures are getting to the end of their life expectancy. In a busy restroom, some valves can easily see over half a million activations in ten years, so it is not hard to see why ten years is a good, long run for a commercial faucet, flush valve, or other fixture. In general, you will be better off replacing a faucet after the ten-year mark, because several of the parts are probably at or near the end of their life. You may replace one part to find another part breaks next week. Even with gentle use, eventually valves will start to leak, clog, or corrode. The age issue is especially true if you live in an area where the water is hard on the valve. Flush valves less than ten-years old are normally in the repair category, unless the valve has given you a lot of trouble over the last few years or it has been damaged due to an accident or vandalization. When you get to the fifteen-year range, generally you can repair it and get at least another five or more years of use from the fixture unless it is in an extreme environment. If your flush valve is over 20 years old in a moderate use restroom, it is a good time to change out the whole unit. Does the Faucet or Flush Valve Create a Positive Experience? Beyond ensuring the faucets and valves function properly, you need to ask about whether or not they create a good experience. It may sound like a silly idea, but after the pandemic, people feel uncomfortable with old, corroding valves, and people really do not like to touch the manual faucets and flush valves. When people feel you have a clean, hygienic restroom, customers spend more, and employee satisfaction is likely to be higher. If you don’t have the budget to completely redo the restroom, upgrading one valve at a time when they no longer work properly may be an acceptable alternative. When it comes to improving the restroom experience, you may also choose a flush valve retrofit kit over replacing the whole valve assembly that goes with the toilet. Kits are available that reduce the time and cost of going from a manual flush valve to an automatic flush valve making an upgrade worthwhile compared to a full fixture replacement. Do the current fixtures help you comply with local laws and organizational sustainability initiatives? Some states and municipalities require low flow fixtures, so replacing outdated fixtures is an obvious choice. Beyond local laws, many organizations have made sustainability an organizational initiative, which often includes a water conservation component. If water conservation is important to the organization, then an early upgrade to reduce water usage makes sense. With those guidelines, you should be well on your way in the decision to repair or replace your fixtures. Remember to consider your unique situation and include things such as expiring budgets, limited time government incentives, or labor availability. Find links below for long lasting replacement parts or water saving fixtures for whatever decision you make. Long Lasting Repair Parts New Products that Conserve Water Water Savings Calculator

Smart restrooms cut down on guest congestion and germ transference from hands to surfaces…to more hands and more surfaces. IoT-enabled flush valves, faucets, soap dispensers and occupancy sensors use real-time data to monitor performance, pinpoint peak traffic times, detect outliers (like clogs or vandalism), and keep the entire user experience hands-free and problem-free.  For the most sensitive space in your entire building, that’s an ideal scenario. Therefore, it’s no surprise smart restroom upgrades continue to rise, and these solutions continue to improve their capabilities for sanitation, water savings, maintenance and custodial teams, and guests’ needs. Smart makes sense  Smart makes sense, but like anything, the decision process needs to make sense to building owners before it can happen. So, what’s holding back these future adopters? Hesitation stems from a few things, namely initial upgrade costs, choice overload, and general questions around what features to look for beyond more uptime and touchless operation. People want to understand their options and what suits their restroom environment.  Instead of delaying your decision making even more, let’s get to answering the most common questions we get about smart restrooms.  Can I get financial assistance for my restroom upgrades? This is a biggie. Enterprises and government entities face ranging challenges, but budgets are always a factor, no matter what your year introduced. 2020 magnified challenges and shrunk budgets. Fortunately, relief funding exists for restroom upgrades that promote hand hygiene and sanitation. While availability and eligibility vary state by state, industry by industry, here are possible funding opportunities to check out. You may also find assistance through local resources, like water utilities and community banks. Visit their websites to see if rebates are out there or go to the EPA Rebate Finder page.  What about financial assistance for healthcare facilities?  Speaking of taking on challenges and budgets, healthcare facilities proved their agility in the face of adversity. Smart restrooms help this specific industry achieve more uptime, back handwashing best practices, and put cost savings back into patient care. Learn more about eligibility and the application process on the CARES Act site.  How does clog detection work?  Currently, any warnings from a failure, like a clog, are triggered by irregular flushing patterns. The data collected is compared to nearby fixtures and past performance metrics. Your technologies never stop learning the environment, so improvement is also ongoing. Clogs detected from water not flowing through a fixture will come to market in the next year or so. Preventing clogs allows for fewer out-of-order stalls and less restroom congestion.  Can we make our existing sensor fixtures smart without entirely replacing them?  Not all manufacturers offer scalable solutions, but some do. Zurn’s sensor fixtures upgrade to smart capabilities without fully replacing your flush valves, faucets, etc. You can connect what’s already installed to receive real-time data alerts and insights around restroom performance. That way, you’ll save time and costs.  Is a ½-inch feed line sufficient for urinals and sink faucets?  A ½-inch line is sufficient for the majority of manual or sensor faucet applications. Urinals depend on the flushing volume. Most North American urinal flush valves utilize ¾-inch inlet lines. When a flush valve is specified to use a 0.125 GPF pint flow urinals, the inlet piping can be downsized to ½-inch supply lines.  Can I retrofit any type of flush valve or faucet?  Our retrofit flush valves work with Zurn and several other commercial manufacturers. Our retrofit faucets also apply universally. Reach out to a Zurn expert to discuss easiest path to upgrade. Can you upgrade to smart and sustainable?  Consider hydropower solutions. These battery-operated fixtures efficiently generate and store energy from the source. The internal turbine systems transform flowing water into dynamic power, which is already smart if you think about it. Our Z6950, Z6955, Z6953, Z6956 Series feature Hydro•X Power. The hydropower harvests energy with just a few activations each day to take each battery life ten years uninterrupted. That’s a decade without tossing your fixture’s batteries in your landfills, year after year, restroom after restroom, fixture after fixture! Our solutions also offer low-flow rates to help you save water too and achieve your LEED goals. One last question—did we answer all of yours? If not, reach out to our team of experts so you can make smart decisions for your restrooms.

New construction tends to organically LEED the way to increased energy and water efficient measures. More and more commercial operations innovate through technologies, and contractors design smarter and leaner every time they break ground. Customers expect businesses to be more environmentally aware, which adds even more motivation. Still, you don’t have to go back to square one to reduce your footprint and achieve your LEED certification. Existing buildings can earn points (and prove them) by upgrading to IoT-enabled technology. LEED recognizes green buildings across the world with approximately 70,000 building projects rated and registered as LEED in the US alone since the program came out. For existing businesses that may not want to rebuild, data helps them find opportunities and prove efficiencies. LEED rating systems for existing buildings Building owners have options for pursuing LEED certification, depending on their goals, such as cost savings, increased productivity or operational enhancements: LEED Operations and Maintenance (LEED O+M) – used to certify the operations and maintenance of a building project – rates both the physical systems and the way the building is operated. You can work towards LEED O+M for the entire building or simply approach a specific area within the building, such as a cafeteria or exercise room. LEED for Interior Design and Construction (LEED ID+C) centers around improving the interior for people’s wellbeing, not just the environment’s. This option works well for shared spaces, especially ones in metropolitan areas or that experience high traffic over long periods of times, such as office buildings. Smart water solutions for both certification options In both cases, the Smart Water Systems help owners score points for certification (and score points with customers). Connected products, enabled by IoT technology, improve, measure and verify a building’s water consumption and water system efficiency. The LEED Smart Water Systems credit focuses on data collection, analysis and data-driven efficiency improvement. This is where smart technologies come in. Connected plumbing fixtures and devices gather data to alert owners of leaks and dive deeper into water usage insights. From there, facilities teams can better control water consumption, performance thresholds and preventive maintenance. For example, with connected faucets and connected flush valves, facilities teams can closely track fixture usage patterns and water consumption metrics and trends. They can set customized alert parameters to detect issues and repairs needed, and reminders to perform preventive maintenance at low-traffic times. They can also learn more about the restroom environment itself, allowing them to lower flow settings, etc. Connected backflow preventers can monitor flow, pressure and allow for remote shutoff. Maintenance and facilities teams can also view relief valve discharge over periods of time. That way, they can get a better handle on total water used from your municipal water supply and segregate those metrics from your building’s use of other water sources. Backflow preventers dually work towards LEED by conserving indoor greenspaces. Bottom line: Monitoring is the key to gaining a better understanding of an existing building’s water system and usage patterns and data takes you to the certification finish line. Connected products allow facilities management teams to identify opportunities to reduce water consumption and make data-driven decisions that can prevent major issues or water loss. Top 3 Reasons LEED certification is much more than a rubber stamp to show your commitment to sustainability. There are measurable operational benefits and economic impacts. Here are the top three: Higher building occupancy and lease rates According to data analysis by the S. Green Building Council, LEED-certified buildings attract more tenants at higher rents than non-green buildings. Reduced energy and water use A year-long assessment of 22 sustainably designed US buildings, revealed the LEED-certified buildings used 25% less energy and 11% less water than industry average. What would that mean for your utility bills? Competitive market advantage and improved financial performance Real estate investors look for a faster return, making the property more valuable. On top of that, building owners may experience local and federal tax breaks, greater profits from a boost in productivity, and lower energy and water consumption costs. Interested in connected products to improve your building’s efficiency? Visit zurn.com/plumbsmart to start your path to LEED Certification without a complete rebuild.

Connect the right power source for your restroom Is your maintenance team manually monitoring each fixture in every restroom? Are your guests still manually (and miserably) flushing levers, pushing buttons or lifting handles? You’re ready to automate both experiences by upgrading to connected, touchless flush valves and faucets. This IoT-enabled technology delivers real-time alerts and insights for preventative maintenance, while the sensor operation ensures a hands-free, stress-free visit for users. Building owners optimize water usage, costs, and resources and keep their guests happy. The case is made in your mind, but you still have question marks around your options. Does it matter if you connect using hardwire or battery powered? Are there pros and cons specific to your industry? Here are considerations to help guide your decision and get you closer to less manual and more data. BATTERY BENEFITS Battery-connected fixtures make a smart, flexible choice for lower-traffic restrooms or operations where power outages could impact safety. They reduce costs, simplify the installation process, and cut down on maintenance through real-time alerts and insights. Lower Costs Battery powered solutions save up to 30 percent in energy costs by eliminating the power running to fixtures. Simplified Installation With no need to run wire to fixtures, you’re guaranteed a more non-intrusive install with fewer steps and grumbles from your team. Low Maintenance Battery powered also helps you sidestep any downtime in the event of a power outage. And while batteries must be swapped, low-to-medium traffic environments only require replacements every three to four years. Recommended industries at a glance include hospitals, small businesses, restaurants, retail, public buildings and educational institutions. Connected Battery Sensor Faucets Overview Connected Battery Sensor Flush Valves Overview HARDWIRE HIGH POINTS Now, if you experience high traffic at steady rates or if you have too many restrooms to even count off the top of your head, you may want to consider hardwire. Hardwire-connected fixtures help your team lower long-term operational complexity and consumable items costs—again through the valuable tracked and analyzed data. Reduce Operational Complexity When you go hardwired, you eliminate ongoing battery-replacement cycles in larger buildings, as sensors receive their power in a mechanical chase or drop ceiling. That means, you’ll also reduce your consumable items cost. Recommended industries at a glance include airports, stadiums, entertainment venues, high-rise buildings and large-scale hotel proprieties. Connected Hardwired Sensor Flush Valves Overview Connected Hardwired Sensor Faucet Retrofit Kit Overview BOTH EQUALLY SMART Whether you choose battery or hardwire, you can connect your maintenance professionals to valuable product data to ultimately achieve a seamless guest experience (and save some costs in the process). From alerts to analytics, connected flush valves and faucets give you, your team and users an advantage. Remote, Real-time Alerts Receive high-use and high-water-consumption warnings and real-time alerts remotely via email, text and/or mobile push notifications. These timely alerts can help prevent flooding, leaks or any other major repairs in your restrooms. Advanced Analytics A virtual inspection monitors your devices and sends alerts on restroom anomalies created by factors other than the electronics. You can also keep track of handwashing scores when combined with connected flush valves to promote hand hygiene best practices. Data, Data, Data Your team can do a ton with the ongoing insights you receive: ☑️Plan ahead with an automated maintenance calendar ☑️Manage and maintain daily product performance better through smart analytics ☑️Dive deeper into product trends ☑️Assess your user patterns ☑️Pinpoint peak hours for scheduling and identify high-demand usage for your future projects All this great data will allow you to cut back on water, manual maintenance and costs. CLOSER TO CONNECTED Ready to upgrade to both a touchless and connected experience? You have options now with battery and hardwire. Already have touchless, but still want a smart restroom? There’s no need to swap out entire fixtures. Retrofit kits can get you connected in fewer steps and at a much lower cost. Sensor Data Delivery 101 Data that’s collected gets communicated from the faucet/flush valve sensor to a gateway. Once transported to a portal, it’s analyzed to deliver real-time notifications and deeper-dive insights to facility managers and maintenance personnel via email or text.

Let’s face it. Backflow preventers are essential for safeguarding our water supply, but they’re not necessarily glamorous. Hiding them underground, otherwise known as a “pit installation” is one way to keep them out of sight, but is it a win-win situation? Not exactly. Pit installations can pose some serious problems. Pitfalls of pit installs Lack of accessibility Potential for cross-connection More corrosive Low-hazard only applications Advantages of n-Pattern backflows above ground Smallest footprint Cost saving Easier to maintain, repair, secure and conceal Flow performance Read the full article to learn more about what you should consider before you go down into the pits.