If you run a restaurant, you already know how important water is to your business. It is vital for both cooking and maintaining clean and sanitary conditions in your kitchen and serving areas. It is also probably one of your major costs of operating the business; you pay to bring water into your business, pay to heat it and then pay again to get rid of excess water. Keeping your plumbing in tip-top shape and conserving water when you’re able to can help keep your utility bills down without compromising the health and safety of your business. Consider these ways to make the most effective and efficient use of water in your restaurant.
Check that faucets function properly and do not leak when they are not in use. A small drip can go unnoticed in a busy restaurant but can make a big impact on your utility bills. Look for evidence of leaks around the pipes and under the sinks and repair them as soon as possible. You can also save water and energy by installing low-flow aerators at all your sinks. Switching from the standard 2.2 gallons per minute aerator to .5 gallons per minute aerator can save up to $100 per year for each sink, and it won’t affect the function of the faucet.
Water brooms are faster and more efficient for cleaning spray-down areas than traditional garden hose nozzles and can save a bundle in energy costs too. A garden hose nozzles typically uses up to 7 gallons of water per minute, while a water broom uses only 2 gallons per minute. Look for one with a wide spray arm with multiple jets to manage the use of water.
Keeping your water clean and free of contaminants is only one of your concerns about water quality. High levels of chloramine in municipal water can also wreak havoc with your equipment and can deteriorate stainless steel. Installing a whole water filtering system can ensure your water is safe to use and prevent deterioration of your equipment.
Most areas require the water to be cooled down before it can be dumped into the sewer system, that means your hot water from dishwashers and other equipment must pass through a drain tempering kit before it exits the building. Using copper pipes, instead of plastic, will ensure that the pipes don’t melt or warp from repeated exposure to water at high temperatures.
It may be tempting to only use grease traps on sinks where you know it will be an issue. But the truth is, grease is often a problem in all sinks in a restaurant or kitchen. Installing grease traps on all your sinks may save you aggravation and the cost of emergency calls to the plumber.
Learning good water management practices is important to the success of your business. If you have concerns or questions about ways you can improve your water management, contact us at Crawford Mechanical Services today. We provide both commercial plumbing and emergency services and are always here when you need us.
