To help keep your company up to speed with trending plumbing technology, Proudly Essential powered by MORSCO, analyzed recent search and traffic analytics to compile a list of the top five plumbing upgrades you should keep an eye on this summer. Take a look at the plumbing technology trends to watch.
1. Tankless Water Heaters
With a monthly user search volume of approximately 201,000 and a total of 24.4 million search results, tankless water heaters are currently in huge demand. Offering your customers tankless water-heating solutions is the way to go, as they continue to search for more efficient and sustainable water-heating options for their homes. Water supply heats on demand using a compact electric or gas heating element without the use of a bulky water storage tank. This heat-on-demand feature helps save customers money on energy and utility bills, which is a fantastic selling point for plumbing contractors.Top brands of tankless water heaters include Rinnai, Rheem, and AO Smith. These various models are significantly smaller than typical full-sized water heating solutions, which makes them a top choice for customers in smaller homes, apartments, or condos. These more condensed systems make replacement and repair efforts simple and stress-free for both you and your customers. Plus, many of these models also offer smart technology features to help homeowners monitor water usage and performance to further contribute to savings.
2. Hot Water Recirculation
Producing nearly 865,000 search results alone, hot water recirculation technology is another water-heating solution that's currently trending across the nation. With typical water-heating solutions, customers may have to wait several moments for the shower to reach their desired temperature, which wastes gallons of water in just minutes. When they have a hot water recirculation system, any unused hot water goes back to the water heater, as opposed to sitting in the pipes and losing heat. This feature eliminates the need to wait on hot water and creates a type of heat-on-demand feature similar to that of tankless water heaters.Watts, Grundfos, and Laing are the current leaders in the hot water circulation technology space. Typical hot water circulation systems include installing an additional pipe and pump that loops back any unused hot water to the customer’s hot water tank. Because the system is constantly recirculating back to the home’s hot water supply, customers always have instant access to hot water. Removing hot water wait times cuts back on both water consumption and water costs, and is an excellent plumbing upgrade selling point for your eco-conscious customers.
3. Smart Irrigation
With the constant evolution in plumbing technology trends, your customers will be looking for both indoor and outdoor innovative solutions. Smart irrigation systems are eliminating old-school sprinkler systems with fresh, AI-based features—and they’re generating 114 million search results alone. Rather than rely on manual timers that still water lawns on rainy days, your customers can use smart irrigation systems that provide fully customizable control over their watering schedules and preferences.Currently, the leading smart irrigation technology leaders are Rachio, RainMachine, and B-hyve. Using a typical smartphone, your customers can control their irrigation systems from anywhere with just the touch of a button. Along with customizable smart timers that allow users to set when and where their sprinklers turn on, some systems can even sync with National Weather Service forecasts to eliminate unnecessary water waste on rainy days. As with many plumbing upgrades, these trending features offer significant water conservation to contribute to lower energy costs and water bills.
4. Leak Detection
More homeowners are looking to protect their homes from unexpected leaks using leak detection technology, which can potentially save thousands in damages. Leak detectors are a simple and easy-to-install technology that you should consider adding to your plumbing services list. Much like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, leak detectors can identify an emerging issue before it becomes a costly one. Plus, this plumbing upgrade averages at least 12,100 searches a month with over 270 million results.Samsung, Moen, and Nest are all top-quality leak detection providers that work to protect any household or business. Installation of most of these leak detection systems only requires placing a few sensors across the home and an attachment to the home or business’s main water supply valve. The system routinely monitors water usage, pressure, and flow rates to detect potential pipe or pinhole leaks across the home. As an added comfort for those who are frequently out of town, systems can also cut the main water supply in the event it detects a leak, which further prevents large-scale damage.
5. Smart Fixtures
For touchless faucets alone, over 13.9 million results populate on Google. Toilets, faucets, and showers are all smart options that make it easier than ever to conserve water and reduce energy costs. Smart technology has already made its way around the plumbing industry, and customers are looking for additional ways to reduce concerns of infection through touchless technology. Following the recent COVID-19 pandemic, these smart fixtures have become even more popular for homes and businesses.Leading brands such as Kohler, Moen, and Delta have already introduced numerous smart plumbing options perfect for any home or business. Many of these smart plumbing upgrades come with both luxury and sanitation features to keep customers safe and comfortable. As a matter of fact, some smart toilet options offer features such as automatic and touchless flush, self-cleaning, emergency flush during power outages, and of course, heated seats.
Likewise, smart faucets and showerheads help your customers monitor and conserve water use for boosted savings across the home. With numerous smart fixtures already available, and more and more coming about as time goes on, including these plumbing technology trends in your product offerings is an excellent way to serve your modern customers.
Upgrade Your Service Offerings With These Plumbing Upgrades Today
In an industry where trends are constantly changing, it’s more important than ever to ensure your service offerings match current demand. Proudly Essential Pros, powered by MORSCO, we know just how competitive the plumbing sector can be. To ensure your business remains a local leader, you need to keep up with current plumbing technology trends—and the customer demand that comes with them. From leak detection technology to smart toilets, there are countless plumbing upgrades you can add to your services list to help you stand out from competitors.