Home Plans Cedar Rapids
Do Not Forget to Go Green With Your Plumbing System
Martin Built Homes is an award-winning home building contractor in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and surrounding area that has gone green in all of their quality-built homes. These homes are eco-friendly and energy efficient. As a responsible homeowner, you probably already know a few things about recycling instead of trashing, becoming more conscious of the environment and energy conservation. The one thing that maybe you do not know is that you can go green with your home’s plumbing system. Make sure your builder writes this option into your home plans. At Martin Built Homes, we are an esteemed and seasoned green home builder and professional plumbing associates that can help you make the right plumbing choices for your new green home. Many residents throughout the communities of Hiawatha, Center Point, Mount Vernon, Solon, Cedar Rapids, and Marion are going green.
There are so many products you can add to your newly built home plans that you hardly know where to start. A good start would be to consider a different type of eco-friendly plumbing, which a lot of consumers probably do not know even exists. You are having a green home builder build your new home with all the eco-friendly and environmentally safe options your budget allows. There are things you can do to go green with your plumbing, some of which you no doubt are aware of, yet there are types of plumbing methods that you may be foreign to you. You learn from your plumbing contractor working on your new home build that you can opt for a solar thermal system, which pumps hot water into a recycled copper sink. You learn how to choose the most environmentally friendly pipes and add this system to your home plans. You can put into practice good household habits every day concerning your water usage and the way you heat your water.
Piping Materials Do Make a Difference
There are three plumbing pipe materials: PVC, iron, copper, and ABS (a type of plastic). It takes more money and time to recycle certain piping materials, and the process is not worth the effort as in plastic pipes. Using metal plumbing pipes is a popular option because this material is stronger, proves more durable, and is resistant to cracks. However, this material demonstrates time and time again to easily corrode, which in turn leaves sediment or residue in the water. The use of epoxy pipe linings adds well over 40 years to the life of the pipe.
Additionally, these pipe linings improve the quality of the water. Epoxy pipe linings form a barrier between any corrosion of the metal and the water. Some individuals and groups believe that PVC emits harmful chemicals during production, during its use, and in the disposal process. PVC is hard plastic. The components of PVC material are that of raw petroleum-based toxic substances. When PVC has outlived its usefulness, this piping mostly ends up in dumpsites. The great thing about PVC piping is that it is cheap to buy, and when a professional plumber installs PVC piping, it can outlive the home’s occupants for more than 75 years. PVC is not a favorable option for pipelines due to environmental costs. Another material that is less toxic is polypropylene piping. Environmental groups hail the eco-friendliness of this plastic. Polypropylene recycles well without fear of toxic emissions. Environmental groups say that this piping is cost effective and safe. Find out if your builder added this element to your home plans.
Green Homeowners Place a Focus on Water and Energy Conservation
Building a green home means you need to develop your home plans to focus both on water and energy conservation. Going green in the area of your green home’s plumbing and water consumption means you routinely check for cracks in your piping that will cause small leaks to develop. Going green with plumbing means you install low-flow shower heads and place aerators on all faucets. Green plumbing means you purchase dual-flush toilets and turn down the temperature of your water heater. It is also cost effective and eco-friendly if you install hot water on-demand. One more helpful tip for cutting the cost of heating your water is to wrap all of your pipes with tubes, then bring the edges together with waterproof tape or clamps. These tubes are made from foam and prove to cut heat losses significantly. There are other energy cost-cutting options out there, so speak with us today about how your green home saves water to reduce your costs.
- Low-Flow Touchless Faucets and Flush Valves
- Dual-Flush Water Closets
- Low-Flow Urinal and Water Closet Flush Valves
- Waterless Urinals
- Water-Saving Hot Water Return Systems
- Brine Reclaim Systems on Water Softeners
- Water Reclaim Systems for Storm and Grey Water
- Paperless Wall-Mounted, High-Efficiency Hand Dryers.
- Eco-Friendly Plumbing in Your Green Home
Going green in your newly built green home means that you won’t forget some rarely thought-of systems in your home, such as the plumbing system. There are a lot of ways that you can become more cost effective and energy efficient in your plumbing system in your new home. We understand how vital your green plumbing system is to you and we will cover plumbing issues in your house plans. Many of the things you can do throughout your green home that add up to tremendous savings are listed, yet there are many greener plumbing solutions you need to be aware of and practice in your new green home. Ask us to include as many water-saving features as possible and talk to your plumbing contractor about the ways you can go green with your plumbing system. There are many benefits when you go green with a plumbing system, such as:
- Save tons of money throughout the year
- Reduce water waste
- Reduce energy output
Do not forget to place a focus on the exterior of your green home to save water. We will make sure your house plans include a water system to keep your lawn, plants, bushes, and trees hydrated cost effectively. We may recommend a drip water system, which consists of rain barrels that catch runoff water when it rains.
Martin Built Homes, located in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area, knows all about installing green plumbing in newly built homes.