maintenance matters During these periods of drought, munici-pal governments have had to step in to regulate water use. Restrictions were placed on residents for watering plants and washing cars at home. Additionally, some restaurants were required to stop supplying tap water to guests. Because of situations like these, we must make a change — starting with simple solu-tions — to help conserve. Stop The Waste With Haste Fixing a leak, whether it is a faucet, toilet or other fixture, is just one way to save resources and reduce bills. While water bills will vary by type of facility and level of use, it is important to know the average monthly water use. This will help gauge when numbers are higher than normal and determine areas for reduction. The Voice of the IAQ Industry A Training com IAQ Training Institute LLC The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) drip calculator is a helpful tool that gives the average cost of a typical faucet leak. One example from the calculator shows that a building with four faucets that drip at the rate of 30 drops per minute would waste 11 gallons of water a day. On a larger scale, a corporate park of 100 businesses with the same number of fau-cets and drip rate would waste 1,141 gallons of water a day. Another way to track water consumption is to establish and implement a water man-agement plan. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has an outline for a plan that is recom-mended to be used with existing facility operating plans. There are seven key areas that help facili-ties establish a plan, set goals, measure use, plan for emergencies and assess sav-ings opportunities. Even though monitoring water use will help identify trouble areas, it is important to remember to periodically check all plumbing fixtures for any leaks. Because of the mechanical nature of all plumbing products, even the highest quality fixtures on the market will eventually need repair at some point during their lifetime. For a faucet, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standard is 500,000 cycles. After half a million cycles, wear and tear will occur, increasing the likelihood of a leak. It is important to repair the leak from the beginning. Failing to do so may turn into a more severe problem, like not being able to shut off the flow of water. Because it often seems hard to diagnose, a leak can go for months or years without being repaired. However, these leaks are simple to iden-tify and relatively easy to fix. Faucet leaks almost always occur due to wear and tear on soft worn parts, such as the gasket, washer, packing or O-ring. There are many locations that a faucet can leak from, including the spout, handle, base of the bonnet, nozzle and coupling flange. Here are the most common issues for the given location: Spout – A leak from the spout typically Circle Product Information no. 204 on page 32 36 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • April 2011
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