February 2016
A building wide plumbing audit is an effective way to reduce water use. It can also help reduce the use of electricity and gas which are used in the transport and heating of water in a condo building.
A plumbing audit, which can cost $8,000 to $10,000 for large buildings, should be undertaken every five years.
This entails having a plumber visit each condo suite to identify and repair small leaks. They will also suggest appropriate in-suite upgrades and repairs for suite owners to consider at additional cost.
Jim Lorenzen is Engineering Consultant for LEaC Shield, a company experienced in resolving pinhole leaks in condo buildings. Mr. Lorenzen provides the example of a typical plumbing repair involving replacement of damaged shower “Temperature Control Valve Cartridges”.
This simple and inexpensive internal cartridge within the shower water temperature control dial can fail within a couple of years of use, allowing cold water to seep into the hot water pipe behind the shower wall. When this happens hot water is wasted. The repair is easily completed and a new cartridge is usually inexpensive.
The plumbing audit typically includes a report on the audit’s findings and work done. This would allow a condo corporation to be aware of condo suites with water problems that could impact on common areas and other suites in the building.
A plumbing audit can result in a 15% to 30% decrease in water use plus additional savings in other utilities. Equally important, a plumbing audit can reduce the frequency of water problems thereby reducing water damage repairs, condo insurance fees and deductibles.
