When you think of technological advancements and cool inventions, I’m going to take a wild guess and assume plumbing isn’t the first thing that comes to mind! Nonetheless, just like any other industry, the plumbing world has seen more than its fair share of changes over the years. Fortunately, having personally been involved in the industry for the past 40 years or so, I’ve had the opportunity to see many of these innovations truly come to fruition first-hand.
For those that have followed our blog in the past, you know that we cover a little bit of everything here! That could mean anything from real-world plumbing tips homeowners can implement, an inside look at different brands currently on the market, or as this blog post goes, a quick history lesson on plumbing. In any case, we would like to thank any new visitors and returning visitors for checking out this week’s blog post. As briefly mentioned above, we’ll be checking out some of the coolest plumbing inventions to hit the market over the years.
Smart Plumbing Fixtures
While there are more than a few of them to have hit the market, it goes without saying that smart plumbing fixtures possess some pretty cool features! Whether it be a faucet, toilet, water heater or anything else, you’d be surprised what some of these fixtures are capable of! Here’s a few that’ve caught our eye in recent years.
Smart Toilets – If you’re like most people, chances are you’ve always thought of a toilet as a sort of one-size-fits-all fixture. After all, do you really need all of the bells and whistles for just a toilet? However, for the purposes of this blog, aren’t you a little curious what’s possible with a smart toilet? Well…let’s take a quick look at Toto’s Neorest NX2 Dual Flush Toilet. If you’re looking for a toilet that truly does have it all, then this is what you want. Whether it be the cleaning system that’s actually built into the lid, the heated seat in which you can control the temperature, automatic opening/closing or a wide range of other features, it’s safe to say this is a pretty cool toilet!
Smart Water Heaters – For those that have seen our water heater content before, the brand “Rheem” probably sounds a little familiar. They are one of the industry-leaders and produce a smart water heater with plenty of useful tools. For one, you can control everything directly from your smartphone, including the temperature and vacation mode settings. In addition, it offers a bevy of other benefits, like knowing how much hot water is available at any given time, a highly-advanced leak prevention system and plenty more. Here’s a link to check it out in greater detail.
Smart Faucets – As if the two plumbing fixtures above didn’t provide enough cool features, why not add smart faucets to the mix as well? It goes without saying that the faucet world has seen its fair share of innovation over the years. Whether that be touchless technology becoming widely popular in the commercial sector or simply new styles and designs hitting the market, faucets look much different now than they did a few decades ago. And when it comes to smart faucets, U by Moen is certainly one worth checking out. It has smartphone connectivity (which is a staple amongst smart fixtures), as well as voice-activated controls. To add to it, you’ll notice it also comes in a number of different finishes, so you’ll have no trouble finding a style that matches your vision for the space.
In the end, as each of these items above displayed, technology and plumbing are now thoroughly intertwined. While some of these may seem to be more of a luxury, as opposed to a necessity, it’s clear that many of the major brands are placing an emphasis on making their customer’s lives easier. And if you look at a few of the brands referenced above, these are all leaders in their respective fields. Moen, Rheem and Toto have all been around quite a while and that doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon.
Sewer Line Inspection Cameras
Considering sewer lines aren’t readily accessible (since they’re more than a few feet underground), you might wonder if there’s an easy way to tell when something may be acting up inside your pipes. Say hello to sewer line inspection cameras. If you follow us on Instagram, chances are you’ve seen these in-action on a couple of Reels we’ve posted. Anyways, when it comes to sewer line inspection cameras, they’re exactly what they sound like. It allows plumbers the ability to get an inside look at the current state of one’s line.
Furthermore, as is the case with many of the items mentioned throughout this blog, the quality of these have improved tremendously as well with companies like Ridgid consistently perfecting their products. Long story short, it’s a tool that saves countless time and money, by knowing beforehand whether or not you need to excavate anything to make repairs.
Low-Flow Toilets
While we discussed the best-of-the-best with smart toilets above, the truth is that toilets have consistently received improvements over the years. One of these advancements involved a heightened focus on water conservation and using less water per flush, also known as low-flush toilets. To start, let’s rewind the clock back to the 1980’s. If you do a quick Google search, you’ll see models from the 80’s were found to have used up to 5 or even 6 gallons of water per flush. However, as passed in 1992, there is now a federal standard that requires toilets to use a maximum of 1.6 gallons of water per flush. When you think about how many times toilets are flushed each and every day, it’s not hard to see how this results in significant savings.
In addition, keep in mind that 1.6 is simply the federal standard. There are models out there that’ve gone above and beyond this baseline figure, including the Toto Neorest NX2 mentioned above. This smart toilet operates at a highly-impressive 1.0 gallon per flush.
Showerheads with Music
Looking to change up your morning routine? Why not jam out to your favorite tunes while you’re in the shower. With Kohler’s Moxie showerhead, you can do just that! Through bluetooth connectivity, you can pair the showerhead with your phone and listen to any music or podcasts you want to. The audio has been tested to be high-quality and this is yet another example to add to the list of how technology has taken plumbing up another level!
Call Your Local KC Plumbers at Stine-Nichols!
No matter what the industry may be, it’s critical to adapt and learn from new technology. There’s no denying that statement. While plumbing might not be something that you expect to consistently be changing, it’s critical for all plumbing professionals to be mindful of advancements and figure out ways to incorporate these into their own practices. That could mean utilizing new products hitting the market, as a way to offer better services to their customers. Or it could even involve adopting more efficient techniques to provide more competitive pricing and better overall experiences for homeowners. In any case, plumbing has advanced so much in the past few decades and it’s no doubt exciting to see what may come in the future!
Need a plumber in the Kansas City area? Our team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing currently serves the entire KC area, as well as all of the surrounding cities, and would love to have the opportunity to earn your trust! To speak with a member of our team or schedule a free estimate, don’t hesitate to give us a call or fill out the form linked here.