No matter what kind of business you have or what kind of services you provide, you always want to keep up with the newest technologies. Plumbing is not an exception. Knowing what trends and new devices appear on the market helps a plumber to be able to provide the most recent decisions for his/her clients. Besides the fact that the newest technologies usually allow a plumber to do his job faster, they also guarantee a higher quality of performance. Moreover, the customer will be pleasantly surprised if you apply any of these devices — this is supposed to mean that you are a professional!
But how is it possible not to fall behind the trends? Where can you find the most recent plumbing innovations?
This article was created to serve exactly this purpose: we will tell about the newest technologies available on the plumbing market that you, as a plumber, definitely have to pay attention to.
We delved into the topic and spent hours scrolling hundreds of Google pages concerning plumbing innovations. This allowed us to collect enough fresh information. Now we are ready to share it with you.
Smart irrigation technology is mainly about control. The idea is that you have access to all your irrigators via smartphone, to be more precise, the application on it. You can turn on and turn off the irrigation system when you want when you need it to function.
In the app, you can set up a timer, and the system will start irrigating the time you need to water your place. There is even an option of synchronizing the app with the National Weather Service—then your app will decide when the time for irrigation comes.
The most popular irrigation brands are RainMachine, Rachio, Bhyve. They are the most “searchable” among all the others.
The ability to control their irrigation systems is one of the main advantages of this technology for the customers. They always keep their smartphones close enough to check the condition of the irrigation, to start moisturizing their territories in case of drought.
Drought, by the way, is a key factor determining the necessity of watering. And if the drought begins, the homeowner wants to keep some water to conserve it. That is why smart irrigation is a nice helper—you have total control of how much you spent and how much you used.
Control over water use is a great way for people to demonstrate their responsibility towards nature. Ecological problems are becoming more and more concerning nowadays. That is why smart irrigation is the best option for those who try to lead an environmentally-friendly way of life.
People choose smart toilets for different reasons. Some are interested in the emergency flushing system in case of power outages. For others massaging bidet washing will be the decisive factor. Some, more concerned about the ecologically friendly solutions, might pay attention to the water-saving features. The most humorous guys, probably, will want to get one just for the heated seating.
Anyway, the possibilities of smart toilets are broader than one might think, that is why a plumber has to know about them. Among other things, smart toilet technology provides built-in sensors that will tell you about possible tank leaks, a self-deodorizer, and even Bluetooth and MP3 features.
If the client wants, you can even offer him/her a remote-control smart toilet, just like the remote-control irrigation system mentioned above.
However, one has to understand that not all these features are available on all smart models. You have to choose those you are definitely interested in, and then choose the toilet for yourself.
The most popular smart toilet brands are Kohler and Ove, according to Google search.
This kind of technology is great in the current pandemic circumstances. Touchless toilets allow people not to touch the button of flushing after they are done. Your hands, thus, will remain clean. In some sense, this is also a sort of smart toilet, but the simpler version.
The most popular touchless toilet brands are Kohler, Delta, and American Standard.
You, as a plumber, can order touchless toilets for the most hygiene-concerning clients. This is a great option both for personal apartments and for commercial firms. The latter might even benefit from this acquisition because this is a common area.
A smart shower is another new technology that a plumber can provide his clients with. However, this is rather a matter of comfort and luxury than a basic necessity.
Smart showers, just like any other smart technology, suggest a variety of functions. You can control the temperature of the water via the app on your smartphone. Or, you can use a control panel for this purpose. Another great function is voice control, which is also available in some models. You can turn on and turn off the water flow just by pronouncing the command words.
The most “searchable” brand producing smart showers is Moen, which is the leader in this category, according to Google. Other brands lose badly in popularity.
Despite the fact that smart showers are perceived more as luxury devices, they are becoming more and more popular. People choose them for a variety of reasons, even though they are more expensive than standard showers.
Continuing with the shower topic, let us now introduce the Bluetooth Shower Head. This, unlike the previous example with a smart shower, is definitely a luxury unit.
Bluetooth Shower Head is a technology that allows a homeowner to connect his/her smartphone or any other device to the showerhead via Bluetooth and listen to music, podcasts, audio-books, and so on. This is the only purpose of this technology.
Nevertheless, Bluetooth Shower Head technology is gaining popularity. The search traffic of this device becomes denser, despite the fact that the only practical thing about it is the ability to listen to the music in the shower.
The most popular Bluetooth Shower Head brand is Kohler, which takes approximately half of all search queries connected with this innovation.
Hot water recirculation is a popular choice for those who do not have much time or desire to wait for the water to become warm enough to take a shower. The main idea of hot water recirculation is that the system keeps water warm in the pipes without letting it cool down.
Thanks to this innovation, a homeowner can take a shower anytime he/she wants because hot water appears immediately. Without this technology, a person will have to waste some water to let the system warm it up.
The most popular hot water recirculation brands are Laing, Grundfos, Watts.
If a plumber is an ecologically-concerned person, or if one has to deal with such sort of clients, this hot water circulation is a nice device to offer. The idea is that this system allows preventing extra-waste of water since a homeowner does not have to wait before it turns from cold into hot.
This is also a matter of money waste because extra water is always about extra expenditure. If a person wants to save some money on water, this solution might be a great option.
Tankless water heaters are one of the most popular plumbing search queries in Google. More and more people want to obtain one for their places of living. And since tankless water heaters differ in their nature (they might be gas or electric, including the variety of models), people do not want to lose an opportunity to get this practical device for their purposes.
A tankless water heater is a water heater that has no tank to collect and heat water in. It heats the water when it comes through the system without keeping it inside and warming in the tank.
The most popular tankless water heater brands are Ecosmart, Rheem, Rinnai. These ones are searched via Google more times.
Professional plumbers know that tankless water heaters are slightly more efficient than standard ones, as they require less energy to heat the water. This is a better solution both for the environment and for the homeowner’s wallet since energy is an expensive resource as well.
Tankless water heaters allow people to take long showers without the fear that one moment a person will run out of it.
So, these are the advantages a plumber can use if he/she sees that his/her client is:
Another popular new technology you, as a plumber, can offer to your clients is a leak detector. Leak detectors are special devices that are set in the weak places of the pipes, where the leakage, in the opinion of the homeowner, might occur. Nobody wants to find a pipe that lets water come through it outside, thus spending it for no reason. This is why a leak detector is a smart solution.
Leak detectors are created the way so that a person could know about the leakage. They send a signal to the homeowner. If they track a leakage, you will definitely not miss it.
The most popular leak detector brands are Nest, LeakSmart, Samsung Smartthings.
Thus, there are two key advantages of getting leak detectors:
Leak detectors prevent more serious consequences. If you neglect the leakage-dangerous situation, one day you might find your house flooded. This will require furniture changing or major repairs.
Leak detectors will save your money on changing the pipes since this kind of plumbing equipment is one of the most expensive.
Another smart technology for the pandemic situation is touchless faucets. The idea behind this is that a person does not actually have to touch the faucet to make the water run or to stop it. A person just has to place the hand under the faucet so that the detector could notice it, and the water flow starts immediately.
The most popular touchless faucet brands are Kohler, Moen, Delta — you had a chance to meet them all in this article before. They all are about quality and reliability.
The kitchen is the most popular place for people to put these touchless faucets. The reason is that in the process of food preparation, one might have one’s hands dirty, and it is undesirable to smudge the remains on the faucet. The touchless faucet, thus, is indeed a smart solution.
However, the kitchen is not the only place where you can set this device. Many companies also decide to obtain touchless faucets because of the high “traffic” in the toilets.
Besides, these items are a little bit easier to use. You do not have to apply much force to turn the valve. But, of course, they are more helpful for hygiene purposes.
There are different reasons why a client might want to get a smart water heater. Anyway, a professional plumber has to be able to list the key benefits of this technology. These are:
Nest, Aquanta, and GE are the most popular smart water heater brands, basing on Google queries.
The more people will be choosing smart houses; the more smart water heaters will be appearing in their apartments. And though now they are not a popular choice, one day, people will recognize that they have a range of advantages.
Greywater systems are probably, the best decision for those who care about water consumption. The idea of this technology is that the system reuses the water, which has already been used. Of course, it does not include the water from the toilet, for example, but the water, which a homeowner used to wash dishes, might fit well.
When “recycled,” this water might be used for irrigation or even become clean enough to wash dishes again.
It is curious that, according to Google queries, people do not know much about this kind of system or its producers. The analysis did not give us any concrete brands preferred by the customers.
But still, people do set these systems in their houses because they save money and help the environment. To use these Greywater systems means to act as an environmentally responsible and financially competent citizen.
Basing on our research results, there are several key pieces of advice that we can give a plumber. If you want to satisfy your clients, you have to remember that:
If you, as a plumber, want to attract more clients, you definitely have to know as much as possible about the most recent plumbing technologies. The times change, and so must the technological progress, and one day these devices, mentioned in the article, will be considered outdated. That is why you have to follow all the newer plumbing trends to keep afloat.
I bring over 9 years of dedicated plumbing experience to the table. As a seasoned professional in the plumbing industry, I've tackled a wide range of projects, from residential repairs to large-scale commercial installations.