FEATURES
The bathroom of a two-bedroom affordable housing unit
of a multi-storey development in Centurion, Gauteng. A typical bathroom set-up for a social housing
development.
Indirect water heaters offer a more efficient choice, even
though they require a storage tank. An indirect water
heater uses the main boiler to heat a fluid that's circulated
through a heat exchanger in the storage tank. The energy
stored by the water tank allows the element to turn off and
on less often, which saves energy. Most larger scale developments and re-developments
use a mixed-use model that would then cater for
a certain number of housing units together with
commercial rental space for things such as retail
operations as well as a certain allocation of space for
offices, education facilities, and so on, all of which would
require sanitary ware.
Indirect systems can be fired by gas, oil, electricity,
solar, or a combination of any of these. Tankless
systems are typically gas driven for this sector,
depending on the availability of supply. Also, these
integrated or combination water heating systems can
work not only with forced air systems, but also with
hydronic systems.
SANITARY WARE
The basic need of the affordable housing market
requires entry level products that most suppliers in
South Africa have ranges for. Housing units have at
least one bathroom that is fitted with a toilet, basin,
bath and optionally a shower or vice versa. Kitchens
are fitted with a standard sink unit that is typically
stainless steel. In recent developments, purchasers [the
homeowner] are now given a variety of options whereby
they are given the choice of what quality products they
want installed.
Preferably low volume/flow toilets would be the choice
of the developer as well as taps and mixers fitted with
aeration devices. Consumption for the homeowner or
tenant is extremely important and all energy and water
savings that can produce overall saving would be the
first choice. Smart water metering is also a common
requirement in achieving the required efficiency.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
Although very low flow flush conventional toilets (as low
as two and six litres) are readily available in South Africa,
there is an element of resistance to installation of these
units because the effect on the conveyance of large
scale sewage is undetermined [still in evaluation] in such
developments and their application has not been evaluated
or accommodated for in the drainage standards. The other
challenge for low flow products in this sector is combatting
the natural behaviour of South Africans, which causes
blockage thanks to what is discarded down the drain (like
used nappies and sanitary products).
47
"South Africa
unfortunately
still has
the mentality
of insisting
on buying
cheap
products."
Developers currently have a two-fold approach to
plumbing and sanitary ware. The first option is that they
purchase in bulk and then only require a plumber to do
the installation. The downside to this is that with large
stock volumes on site, theft or damage is a high risk
as well as the major challenge of compliance [if the
products have been imported by the developer], which
may be a contest for any registered plumber who is
contracted to do the work as a certificate of compliance
would be required (based on value).
The second option is that the plumbing company is
allocated the responsibility of purchasing and installing
a product of their choice, in which case products are
June 2019 Volume 25 I Number 4