BPN profiles the winner — Davey Water Products — and finalists in the Water Efficient Product category in the 2009 Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia GreenPlumbers Awards.
Davey RainBank 2 By Davey Water Products
The second generation Davey RainBank automatically controls a rainwater tank by providing water to toilets and washing machines. The pump is connected to mains water as a backup in the situation where the tank depletes its supplies or power to run the pump becomes unavailable.
The original RainBank was first patented in 2004, with the new generation developed and released with additional patented features. The new model offers a higher application pressure, easy-to-install fittings and is suitable for two-storey homes with its higher flow rate.
As a second generation product, it has been designed to overcome installation problems such as plumbing leaks, difficult-to-seal unions and float switches being drilled into the sides of tanks.
"RainBank delivers water at a lower rate of energy consumption per kilolitre than the average Australian mains water supply," says Max Ekins, marketing manager at Davey.
"Recent research completed at the University of Technology Sydney confirmed that an average rainwater system is able to deliver water at 1.5 kW per kL, while a RainBank is able to produce water across a range of flows at 0.5 kW per kL or over 30 per cent more efficient than competitor products and even our first generation controller.
"At the same time this efficiency allows for the selection of smaller pumps to do the same job and draw 30 per cent less power."
Rain IQ By Everhard Industries
Rain IQ can capture up to 100 per cent of a building’s total roof area by using the existing guttering system around the home. This is achieved by using the product’s downpipe diverters to divert rainwater to a single tank inlet.
Rain IQ uses a ‘dry system’ installation, eliminating the associated problems caused by ‘wet system’ installations. It provides homeowners with first flush technology, which allows the user to adjust the first flush to suit climate and site conditions.
The product is fully automatic using ‘Rain Sensing Technology’ supplying rainwater to the tank when it is required and eliminating the issue of constant overflowing of above ground rainwater tanks. It also has a dual overflow protection on each downpipe to stop the gutter from overflowing.
Rain IQ can be installed on new and existing homes and is suitable for both rectangular and round downpipes. When installed, the product can reduce mains water consumption by up to 50 per cent by increasing rainwater usage throughout the home.
The Moore Water Pit by Mark Moore Plumbing
When pump wells are not in use, greywater can stagnate and become a health hazard. The Moore Water Pit solves this problem to give users the choice to collect — or turn off — greywater or stormwater collection. This can be done by simply turning off the power supply to the submersible electric pump or turning it onto the submersible electric pump.
One advantage of the product is if a home owner is to use water for washing soiled nappies, which may involve detergents which are not biodegradable, they can elect to redirect that water to the sewer instead of retaining it for collection.
When the pump is turned off or is unable to pump water the floats rise. This causes the main pivot arm to lift and in turn the gas strut/air damper to discharge air through the adjustment screw at the top of the damper.
As the main pivot arm lifts it causes the upward movement of the valve slide latch. The main pivot arm also causes the shut-off valve linkage to move against the shut-off valve arm, pulling it into the middle of the Moore Water Pit. Simultaneously the valve slide latch lifts high enough to allow the shut-off valve to open and the greywater will then discharge into the sewerage system.
The product does not require any set flow rates and has been designed to accommodate the Lowara submersible pump. When fitted with the lower suction plate, it will pump to a depth of 20 mm off the floor of the Pit.
Rheem Water Star By Rheem
The Rheem Water Star has been designed to reduce water wastage and is suitable for all brands of continuous flow water heaters.
It catches cold/warm water from the continuous flow water heater for re-heating later and releases hot water for instant use through its small electrical element, which keeps water permanently hot.
Positioned on the wall alongside a continuous flow water heater, Rheem Water Star is fitted in the hot water line and is the same size as a continuous flow water heater. When hot water is required it is pumped directly to the tap from the product, while the continuous flow water heater reaches temperature. During this time, the cold/warm water is diverted into the Rheem Water Star tank. Once the continuous flow water heater reaches the right temperature, an in-built valve diverts the hot water direct to the tap.
The product has an equivalent of a 6 star energy efficiency when combined with a 5 star continuous flow water heater.
Bosch 32Q By Robert Bosch
The commercial water heater is a commercial unit which delivers up to 32 litres of hot water per minute.
It has a coated copper heat exchanger to prevent corrosion and deterioration, with the internal copper piping 25 per cent thicker than residential models to extend the durability of the product.
The heater can be reactivated within 1 minute of the power coming back on after a power outage with a controller attached and will go back to the original settings before the loss of power.
The unit can be installed either internally using the Bosch flue kit or externally with the additional Bosch accessory Vent Cap (KMVC100). It also comes with an internal pump which has a recirculation feature.
