Plumbing Africa June 2019 | Page 49

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