At the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo this past week I had an opportunity to see first hand some of the hands free faucets I wrote about in my new article on the faucets that are also known as electronic, touchless, or sensor faucets (click here for article). In one demonstration by a Sloan representative, I was shown a faucet that is part of the company’s BASYS line that on the topside of the faucet shows you the temperature of the water as well as the duration of water flow—ideal for not only healthcare applications but also back-of-house hospitality kitchen operations. Sloan is just one of many companies that sell hands free faucets.
Of course these types of faucets are best for public restroom facilities but there may come a day soon when they gain acceptance for hotel guestroom bathrooms. Hands free faucets save a lot of water thanks to the non-constant water flow and low-flow aerators typically included in them. They also save on energy to heat the water, improve hygiene, and are easier to clean than traditional faucets. They come in many different styles and can incorporate both solar and hydro technologies to help charge the batteries that power the faucets. Not all are powered by batteries; they can be AC powered as well.
Hands free faucets reduce the impact of vandalism. In an area where a standard faucet is used, it can be left running for hours. If a drain is blocked flooding can occur. Of course it would be much more difficult for this to happen with a hands free faucet; someone would have to stand there and hold something under the faucet for a long period of time to cause any damage. During my time at Greenbuild I also had a chance to stop at Moen’s booth. A representative of that company showed me how vandal-resistant faucets have become. These days it is pretty much impossible to remove an aerator or any part of the fixture.
Consider How Faucet Will Be Used
The most important lesson I learned while conducting research for my article is that the hands free faucet you purchase must perfectly match the application for which it is used. For example, you would not want to use a faucet with a solar option if the room it is in also has a sensor that turns off the lights when nobody is using the room. Also, you would not want to purchase a faucet that includes hydro technology—one where water flow helps recharge batteries—in areas where the faucet is not used frequently.
Don’t be surprised if there comes a day soon when faucets “talk” to each other and make it easy to know how often they run, where a battery charge stands, and whether maintenance is needed.
Thank you to the folks at Sloan, Kohler, Moen, and Delta Faucet for helping me with my article.
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