Industry News

Chicago Faucets expands the selection of pressure-balancing tub and shower fittings with a new valve that incorporates several significant updates to match unique needs, design and budget for every application. The new tub and shower fittings are ideal for education, healthcare, hospitality, multi-family and fitness applications.

With its finely tuned ceramic operating cartridge, the new Chicago Faucets pressure-balancing shower valve offers improved flow management, precise hot- and cold-water mixing, simplified hot water volume adjustment, and a reduced flow rate (GPM) for both tub and shower service. Hot and cold supply inlet check stops are built into every valve. The complete fittings feature modern wall trim styling, with a polished chrome wall plate that’s dual-indexed: embossed “H” and “C” and color-coded temperature graduation allow the user to adjust temperature quickly and easily.

The new Chicago Faucets shower valve is available as part of a complete system that includes a choice of shower head, a diverter tub spout and all finishing trim. The valve may also be purchased separately. Installation is easy: valve inlets and outlets with both 1/2″ NPT and copper sweat connections are built in. All Chicago Faucets tub and shower fittings are fully compliant with relevant plumbing codes and standards. More information on these products can be found at www.chicagofaucets.com or by calling 800-566-2100.

The Chicago Faucet Company is part of the Geberit Group, a European market leader and global provider of sanitary technology. Since 1901, The Chicago Faucet Company, located in Des Plaines, Illinois, has offered commercial and residential products built to stand the test of time. A combination of the best engineering, finest materials and quality workmanship has made Chicago Faucets the specified choice in many of the finest building projects throughout North America.

As European market leader, the Geberit Group is a global provider in the area of plumbing technology with sales of CHF 2.3 billion and about 6,200 employees in 41 countries worldwide.

Though the Kampani School and Clinic in the Zimbabwe’s remote Tsholotsho District aren’t far from the world famous Victoria Falls, it had been twenty years since either had a reliable source of fresh drinking water. Women and children walked an average of seven miles a day to haul surface water by bucket—and many of the clinic’s patients suffered from water-borne diseases. That all dramatically changed in 2013 when Franklin Electric’s Franklin Wells for the World Foundation (FWWF) installed five wells in the region powered by Franklin’s innovative new SubDrive SolarPAK pumping system. Now more than 12,000 people—many for the first time in their lives—have easy access to clean water.

According to Franklin CEO Scott Trumbull, “Five thousand children a day die in Africa of water-borne diseases. But that problem could be solved if they could get to the aquifers 200 feet under their feet. We established Franklin Wells for the World Foundation in 2009 to address that problem.”

Since then, FWWF has installed wells in Kenya, Sudan, Botswana and Zimbabwe using Franklin’s proven submersible pump systems powered by diesel generators. With the introduction of the new SubDrive SolarPAK in 2012, Franklin saw an opportunity to make new FWWF installations even more efficient and reliable.

“With the SubDrive SolarPAK system there are no moving parts other than the highly reliable pump that is 200 feet underground,” explains Trumbull, “So it will be a much longer lasting solution for those communities.”

In fact, SubDrive SolarPAK technology gives water pump installers and users the option to use solar as the power source on virtually any 4” well. The rugged, high-output system is capable of a wide range of applications, including irrigation systems, tank and cistern filling, renewable energy projects and rural water supply for villages, cottages and homesteads. Thanks to the SolarPAK’s variable frequency drive (VFD), the pump produces water even on cloudy days or with minimal sunlight.

Besides the Kampani School and clinic, FWWF also installed new wells at the nearby Jabulani, Jakalasi, Mpindo and Zigo schools. Because the SubDrive SolarPAK system is designed to deliver higher flow rates than most existing solar powered products, each one of the new Zimbabwe installations is able to fill large, above-ground water tanks at the rate of 5,000 to 10,000 liters a day.

“Each one of those will provide enough water for drinking, bathing and garden irrigation,” says FWWF Project Leader Attie Jonker. “For many of the people in the region—especially the children—that’s literally the difference between life and death.”

To view a video of the applications by Franklin Wells for the World in Africa narrated by Scott Trumbull, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVgOS38TL_I

For more information about Franklin Wells for the World Foundation and the SubDrive SolarPAK system, visit www.fwwf.org and www.franklin-electric.com/solar.

Wilo USA, a provider of pumps and pump solutions for water management, building services and groundwater, has promoted Mark Schmittzeh to the position of National Sales Manager for its Building Services sector. Mark started with Wilo in 2010 as a District Sales Manager and was later promoted to Regional Sales Manager in the Northeast. He will continue to represent the Northeast while serving in his new capacity.

Before joining Wilo, Mark was the director of sales and marketing for Blackman Plumbing Supply, a plumbing and HVAC supplier with 22 showrooms and branches in the metropolitan New York area.

Wilo USA LLC, 9550 W. Higgins Rd. #300, Rosemont, IL 60018

Phone: 888-945-6872, Fax: 888-945-6873

Email: info@wilo-usa.com, Internet: www.wilo-usa.com 

From March 17 to 23, 2014, WaterSense partners held more than 50 events across more than 15 U.S. states and Canada in celebration of EPA’s sixth annual Fix a Leak Week. The national awareness campaign encourages Americans to help put a stop to the more than 1 trillion gallons of water lost annually due to household leaks. In honor of this year’s “Chasing Leaks” theme, partners held a variety of road races and race-themed events, inspiring consumers to chase down water-wasting culprits.

From coast to coast, WaterSense partners set the pace for water savings by educating hundreds of homeowners about the importance of nipping drips inside and out. Here are a few examples of how partners helped consumers catch running toilets and compete for water savings:

• To kick off Fix a Leak Week, the City of Santa Rosa, California, hit the ground running with the city’s third annual St. Patrick’s Day 5k . Adding a little extra “green” to the race, the city’s Water-Use Efficiency Team hosted a booth with giveaways, activities, and water efficiency tips.
• The Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) held its fourth annual One for Water 4-Miler  race on March 22, 2014. Runners raced alongside AMWUA’s life-sized toilet mascot, Leaky “Loo” McFlapper and Flo the WaterSense spokesgallon.  The event also featured a family fun festival, which promoted finding and fixing leaks indoors and out.
• The City of Charlottesville, Virginia, once again hosted the Fix a Leak Week Family 5k , featuring activities, water-saving tips, and a prize for catching its own running toilet mascot. To help participants learn how to do it themselves, the event held a demonstration on how to fix leaks.
• In Utah, the City of St. George and Washington County Water Conservancy District partnered with the Spectrum 10k  and entered a runner dressed in a toilet costume. Race packets contained Fix a Leak Week information, and the two organizations hosted an informational booth where participants could pledge to fix household leaks.
• The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s second annual Water Drop Dash 5k Race and Water Festival  offered a children’s fun run and a 5k race along the Chattahoochee River. The festivities culminated with water conservation education and activities at the Water Festival.
• Colorado Springs Utilities’ water conservation mascot Dewey the Drop hosted an educational booth  at the local Jack Quinn’s running club weekly 5k run. Participants and visitors received toilet leak-detection dye tablets and information about fixing leaks around the home.
• WasteWater Education in Benzonia, Michigan, held a “virtual” Golden Plunger Relay Race  on Twitter. Users formed Twitter “teams” competing to see which online group could achieve the highest number of retweets, or the greatest Twittersphere distance covered, for a prize. The Twitter user posting the most original screenshot of where a Golden Plunger was sighted also won a prize. The inaugural winners  were AMWUA’s “Fix a Leak Week Arizona” campaign and the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.

The EPA WaterSense Facebook map  tracked these events and more. Learn ways you can continue to chase leaks year-round by checking out tips for finding and fixing leaks inside