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{{copyedit|remember that all sections must have an overview, introduce all figures and tables, and only include references used on this page}} | {{copyedit|remember that all sections must have an overview, introduce all figures and tables, and only include references used on this page}} | ||
Humboldt State University's Engineering 215 Introduction to Design, introduces the Toilet to Sink Freshwater System created by Team Greenlight at the Sanctuary in Arcata, California. The image below is the completed system in the men's bathroom. | |||
[[File:501386151.jpg |thumb|center|Toilet to Sink Freshwater System|550px]] | [[File:501386151.jpg |thumb|center|Toilet to Sink Freshwater System in the men's bathroom located in the Sanctuary|550px]] | ||
==Abstract== | ==Abstract== | ||
The | The toilet to sink freshwater system's objective is to provide The Sanctuary with a more sustainable and inspiring bathroom. Fresh water is redirected from the toilet tank to the sink to use for hand washing, this reduces the total water output used in the restroom. The greywater that flows down the sink drain after hand washing, flows to the toilet bowl used for flushing waste down the toilet to the sewer. The sink and toilet are placed next to each other, making the design unique compared to the more common sink-toilet systems, where the sink replaces the lid on the back of the toilet. This toilet to sink freshwater system was implemented by Team Greenlight from Humboldt State University’s Engineering 215 Introduction to Design class, taught by Lonny Grafman, and through funding provided by The Sanctuary and HSU student’s working on the design. The background and next steps will also be discussedon this page. | ||
{{copyedit| be specific i.g. toilet to sink freshwater system instead of this project, use formal tone instead of story tone }} | {{copyedit| be specific i.g. toilet to sink freshwater system instead of this project, use formal tone instead of story tone }} | ||
== Background == | == Background == | ||
The toilet to sink freshwater system is a system implemented by Team Greenlight in the men's bathroom for their client, the Sanctuary located in Arcata, California. Team Greenlight includes Chris Alvaro, Jocelyn Barber, Margaret Koval, and Gilbert Ordaz. The Sanctuary is a non-profit organization that promotes green technology, art, community involvement and sustainable living by the reuse of every day resources and items. The Sanctuary's objective was to remodel a bathroom that would reduce fresh water usage while at the same time inspiring the user to continue reducing their own personal fresh water usage outside of the Sanctuary. | |||
A successful design in accordance with the client is to design a bathroom that must look aesthetically pleasing in order to inspire others to recreate the system in their household. The key detail is to greatly encourage the use of this system in average households without having to completely rearrange the bathroom with a sink on top of the toilet like most existing toilet to sink designs. | A successful design in accordance with the client is to design a bathroom that must look aesthetically pleasing in order to inspire others to recreate the system in their household. The key detail is to greatly encourage the use of this system in average households without having to completely rearrange the bathroom with a sink on top of the toilet like most existing toilet to sink designs. | ||
Revision as of 04:26, 6 December 2016
Humboldt State University's Engineering 215 Introduction to Design, introduces the Toilet to Sink Freshwater System created by Team Greenlight at the Sanctuary in Arcata, California. The image below is the completed system in the men's bathroom.
Abstract
The toilet to sink freshwater system's objective is to provide The Sanctuary with a more sustainable and inspiring bathroom. Fresh water is redirected from the toilet tank to the sink to use for hand washing, this reduces the total water output used in the restroom. The greywater that flows down the sink drain after hand washing, flows to the toilet bowl used for flushing waste down the toilet to the sewer. The sink and toilet are placed next to each other, making the design unique compared to the more common sink-toilet systems, where the sink replaces the lid on the back of the toilet. This toilet to sink freshwater system was implemented by Team Greenlight from Humboldt State University’s Engineering 215 Introduction to Design class, taught by Lonny Grafman, and through funding provided by The Sanctuary and HSU student’s working on the design. The background and next steps will also be discussedon this page.
Background
The toilet to sink freshwater system is a system implemented by Team Greenlight in the men's bathroom for their client, the Sanctuary located in Arcata, California. Team Greenlight includes Chris Alvaro, Jocelyn Barber, Margaret Koval, and Gilbert Ordaz. The Sanctuary is a non-profit organization that promotes green technology, art, community involvement and sustainable living by the reuse of every day resources and items. The Sanctuary's objective was to remodel a bathroom that would reduce fresh water usage while at the same time inspiring the user to continue reducing their own personal fresh water usage outside of the Sanctuary.
A successful design in accordance with the client is to design a bathroom that must look aesthetically pleasing in order to inspire others to recreate the system in their household. The key detail is to greatly encourage the use of this system in average households without having to completely rearrange the bathroom with a sink on top of the toilet like most existing toilet to sink designs.
Problem statement and criteria
The Sanctuary wanted to improve the previous bathroom by reducing freshwater usage and at the same time inspire the users to reduce freshwater usage outside the restroom.
Criteria
The criteria listed below in table 1 includes constraints not permitted in the final design. This helped in deciding solutions for the design by eliminating the ones that didn't fit the criteria.
| Criteria | Importance |
|---|---|
| Safety | The design must work without posing any safety hazards to the user |
| Inspiration | The design must inspire users to reduce clean water usage through the use of signage and art. |
| Cost | The team’s maximum budget for the project is $400 |
| Environmental Impact | The new toilet and design should cause a reduction in the water bill. |
| Ease of Access | The design must be operable by the average nine-year-old child which is the minimum age group the client expects to have. |
| Aesthetics | The design must look better than the previously existing toilet. |
| Ease of Plumbing Maintenance | Any clogs or leakages in the design must be repairable by the average person with limited plumbing knowledge in less than 20 minutes per year. |
Description of final project
Photos and descriptions. Use gallery.
Figure 1 shows what the restroom looked like before the remodeling process began. The toilet to sink freshwater system shown in figure 2 was designed to save the amount of water used when washing your hands after using the restroom. The design uses polyvinyl chloride (PVC) piping, shown in figure 2 and figure 3, to reroute the water's drainage onto the overflow tube so that the used soapy water flows directly into the toilet bowl. The design works by attaching the toilet tank's overflow fill tube shown in figure 4 with the sink's hot water supply line using vinyl tubing shown in figure 5. The sink's water runs approximately 40 seconds when the toilet is flushed giving double the amount of time than the recommended 20 seconds according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What makes this unique to the standard toilet to sink combinations is that the sink and toilet are placed like any ordinary bathroom would have them rather than replacing the top of the tank with a sink. {{copyedit| 40 what. use figures to reference different aspects of the design. Don't use abbreviations without explaining or having a link to the abbreviation. Include a how to use and maintain section. See the how to template below.
Costs
Use Help:Table_examples#Cost_Table.
| Quantity | Material | Location | Full Price ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | PVC Plumbing | Ace Hardware | 9.90 |
| 1 | PVC Tubing | Ace Hardware | 2.00 |
| 1 | Nuts/Bolts | ACE Hardware | 4.00 |
| 1 | Masonry Sawzall blade | ACE Hardware | 30.00 |
| 1 | Masonry Bosch blade | ACE Hardware | 10.00 |
| 1 | Masonry angle grinder blade | ACE Hardware | 10.00 |
| 1 | Sink Drain | ACE Hardware | 17.00 |
| 1 | Angle Grinder | Donated from Sanctuary | 0.00 |
| 1 | Hack Saw | Donated from Sanctuary | 0.00 |
| 1 | Miscellaneous Tools | Donated from Sanctuary | 0.00 |
| Total Cost | $82.60 | ||
Testing Results
The results proved users had trouble knowing what was going on. The testing proved there had to be signage and other adjustments to explain how the design worked and make the use of it a little simpler. The problem was users would shut off the hot water valve which cut off the flow of water to the toilet bowl defeating the purpose of the design. To fix this the hot water valve was purposely stuck in the on position so it was not able to be turned off and signage was placed above the sink to inform the user. Also, because many people did not know how a toilet worked when flushed cutouts, shown in the how to build section, were made to help users better understand the process of how the water flows.
How to build
Use Template:How_to Shut off the toilet and sink from the water supply line located underneath and attached to the wall. Next replace the tiny fill tube leading to the overflow pipe located in the tank of the toilet with a vinyl tubing. This vinyl tubing is to be connected under the sink where the hot water line would normally be connected. Some clamps may be necessary to ensure the tubing is watertight. Once this is accomplished, part of the toilets fresh water should now flow through the sink when the toilet is flushed, meanwhile, the main fill valve fills the toilet tank as any toilet would. Finally, to reuse the water dispersed from the sink's faucet, a series of PVC pipes are arranged with a sufficient drop to allow the water to flow back towards the toilet tank and into the overflow tube as originally designed and end up in the toilet bowl.
Maintenance
The design may require maintenance like any other household appliance. In order to maintain this design any clogs or harmful chemicals must be accounted for. In order to get this message across, signs are hanging on the wall that say not to pour down any hazardous chemicals through the sink. Furthermore, there are two filters in case someone pours down food or any large particles that could potentially clog the pipes. Cleaning products such as vinegar should be poured down every week to prevent any cavities from building up inside the PVC piping. Finally, if a leak were to occur, the PVC pipes may easily be removed if there should ever be a clog and can either be cleaned or replaced at a relatively low price usually around $15.00.
Schedule
When to maintain what!
- Daily
- Must make sure that no harmful chemicals are poured down the sink and that the water knob is turned on at all times
- Weekly
- In order to prevent any clogging, vinegar is poured down every week to clean out any cavity formation in the PVC piping
- Yearly
- Buy cleaning supplies keep the sink and toilet from looking old
- Every _5_ years
replace the signage and art on the walls as paints may be fading at this time
Troubleshooting
This is only how to troubleshoot basic operation. For complex issues, research common restroom plumbing solutions online.
| Problem | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| No water flows through the overflow tube | Check to see if the PVC pipes have any clogs. |
| Water doesn't run when flushed | Ensure that the water handle is turned on. |
| Leaking pipes | Replace pipes or make sure that the pipes are properly connected. |
Discussion and next steps
References
See Help:Footnotes for more. Template:Reflist