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You should also review these general guidelines and best practices for managing water throughout the hotel.
Mechanical Systems
- Monitor boilers and cooling towers to insure optimal efficiency of the systems.
Boilers and steam generators use large quantities of water to make up for amounts lost to leaks and "blow-down." The amounts used vary from system to system. The cost of water is not as significant as the cost of the energy used by these systems. The other cost incurred is the cost of the chemicals used to treat the water. Installing makeup and blow-down meters for your cooling tower could amount to significant savings for your hotel. (Air Force Water Conservation Guidebook, May 2002, BMP#6)
- Set up a preventative maintenance plan.
Proper maintenance and monitoring of operations can greatly improve boiler efficiency. Develop and implement a routine inspection and maintenance plan for steam traps, steam lines, and condensate pumps. Include testing of boiler water treatment.
- Include these items as part of the preventative maintenance plan.
Every two weeks conduct a flue gas analysis on the boiler to test fuel to air ratio settings and adjust air to fuel ratio to optimize efficiency.Check the stack gas temperature immediately after boiler servicing and use this value as the optimum reading. A high flue gas temperature often reflects the existence of deposits and fouling on the file and/or water sides of the boiler.After an overhaul of the boiler, run the boiler and reexamine the tubes for cleanliness after 30 days of operations. The soot collected will establish the criterion as to the necessary frequency of boiler cleaning.Check the burner head and orifice weekly and clean if necessary.Check all controls frequently and keep them clean and dry.Make sure the water used is treated to remove the impurities. This prevents the formation of scale and sludge deposits on the internal surfaces of boilers. Scale formations severely retard the heat flow and cause overheating of metal parts.
- Use a blow down meter in the cooling tower.
In a cooling tower, water is lost through the evaporative cooling process. To replace lost water and maintain cooling function, makeup water must be added to the cooling tower system. The makeup meter tracks the amount of water that passes through the meter as it goes to the cooling tower. The blow-down meter tracks the amount of water leaving the cooling tower before it actually enters the city's wastewater system. These meters allow businesses to save money by allowing the customer to pay only for the wastewater that reaches your wastewater system.
Outside the Hotel/Motel
The following water conservation opportunities exist in the exterior areas of the hotel:
- Check and repair leaks on a regular basis.
Like inside leaks, outside leaks can increase the water bill substantially. A leaky faucet that drips one drop of water every second for a year wastes 2,700 gallons of water. A visual inspection of all hoses, faucets and sprinklers on a monthly basis must be part of the preventative maintenance plan. Replacing a worn washer or "O" ring usually solves the problem.
- Use automatic shut-off nozzles.
When watering manually with a hose, control the flow with an automatic shut-off nozzle, this prevents the water from accidentally being left running.
- Use a commercial car wash that recycles water to wash vehicles.
Versus using the hotels water supply and labor.
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