FEATURE
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They need to upskill themselves in terms of BMS installation and in terms of the advisory information that they provide to clients.
1
LEAKS There are different types of building management systems, some are wired and others are wireless.
“ There are systems, like for instance with geysers, where a tray underneath collects water from leaks. An electronic device comprising two probes senses that water and switches off the water supply to the geyser,” says Patrick Gordan, specialist manager for Grohe, Cobra, and ISCA.
“ You would only have a BMS in an office block; I cannot see it being used in residential areas and homes. It is a whole system that needs to be developed. You would have to have water meters that check water flow and you would need to put parameters on it so that if it goes above a threshold of usage, it communicates with a signal, allowing the BMS operator to isolate that area,” says Gordan.
2
The idea is to design buildings that use a minimum amount of water. It is about making sure you have flow restrictors on all the taps. One can retrofit these flow restrictors to save water. A normal tap typically flows at 30 or 40 litres per minute. This can be limited to around six litres per minute.
“ But, even with retrofitting water-saving devices, you will find that big corporate companies are unlikely to implement them. Many people also believe it compromises user comfort, even though pressurecompensating flow regulators produce— by means of an O-ring— a constant flow rate, regardless of pressure fluctuations,” says Gordan.
3
Many water-saving devices are nothing more than simple washers with holes in them. At a given pressure, they produce a defined flow rate.“ We use a pressure-compensating flow restrictor, which is open until water flow gets to six litres per minute. If you have something with a small hole, fragments of dirt can block it, where this one contracts and relaxes with water pressure,” Gordon says. PA
1. Most new buildings incorporate a BMS and they can also be retrofitted to older buildings.
2. A BMS can help identify leaky pipes or pressure irregularities.
3. Both wired and wireless BMS are in use today.
www. plumbingafrica. co. za January 2018 Volume 23 I Number 11