Sensor Faucets, Are They Worth It?
Sensor faucets are becoming more and more popular in commercial facilities. Many restaurants prefer to use them in public restrooms and other high traffic areas.
As with any appliance, there are advantages and disadvantages to sensor faucets. Some advantages include saving money, in a variety of ways, preventing the spread of germs, and more. While some disadvantages include hard to fix and faucet defaults.
No Hands, No Germs
Sensor faucets are hands-free. Patrons and customers can just tap or wave their hands in front of the faucet to turn it on. This allows for ease for them to use it. It can also be faster as they don’t have to spend time turning the faucet on and off.
Since customers don’t have to use their hands to turn on and off the faucet, sensor faucets can help stop or prevent the spread of germs. The faucet is not fully touched by the customer’s hands thus preventing the bacteria from transferring from their hands to the faucet. Or from the faucet to their hands. This prevents the germs or bacteria from then transferring to another patron’s hands.
Preventing or at least assisting with the spread of germs is more important than ever. A sensor faucet is an easy and simple way to assist in the prevention of bacteria spreading among people.
Bottom Dollar Savings
Sensor faucets help prevent water overflow from the sink. Since the faucets are timed, they turn off once a user is done with it. This prevents the faucet from continuing to run because someone forgot to turn it off. Thus not allowing the sink to overflow.
Keeping the sink from overflowing can save you money on water usage. It can also save you money on having to do any repairs from the water damage of an overflowing sink.
With timers and sensors on the faucets, water usage is limited. Timers can prevent users from running the water for long, unnecessary periods of time. And the sensors stop water from continuing to run if a patron forgets to turn off the faucet after they are done using it.
Just by installing sensor faucets, you can save on water usage and billing. Even a small office of 7 can save 12378.60 liters of water a year with automatic taps and sensor faucets. The equivalent of 155 full baths!
Prevent Injury
An advantage of sensor faucets that is often overlooked is the potential to prevent injury. The faucets allow you to set the temperature of the water that flows out. Thus allowing you to control how hot the water gets. This can prevent patrons and users from turning on the hot water too much and scalding or burning their hands.
Although this may seem minuscule in the big picture, it can save you money and reputation. After all, you don’t want a lawsuit or issue to arise from something like water temperature.
As previously mentioned, water overflow can be prevented with a sensor faucet and keeps the water from flowing onto the floor. This prevents falls and slips because of a wet floor. Again, preventing a customer or patron from hurting themselves simply because a faucet was left on.
Disadvantages of Sensor Faucets
Along with the benefits and advantages of sensor faucets, there are of course disadvantages. While these may seem small in comparison to the advantages, they are worth mentioning.
The price range for the faucets can vary in a wide range. This makes the sensor faucets more of an initial investment compared to traditional faucets. Along with the purchase of the faucets, remote control is purchased to control the units. However, in the long run, the investment will pay off with less water usage and a cleaner facility.
A small disadvantage of the faucets is that they use infrared sensors. The senor may have issues operating near reflective and bright surfaces. So be sure to avoid installing the faucets opposite mirrors or polished chrome finishes.
Another issue you may face with sensor faucets is power outages. Should the power go out or be cut, the faucets will stop working. This can be prevented by using battery-operated faucets. But be sure to keep extra batteries on hand to prevent any woes that may result from the faucets not working.
Sensor faucets typically work with fewer replaceable parts compared to traditional faucets. This can present an issue when the faucet breaks or defaults. It usually results in having to replace the whole unit versus just buying a part to fix it. However, many sensor faucet replacements or parts can many times be purchased from reputable dealers like T&S Brass.
Considerations for Choosing the Right One
While there are many options for sensor faucets, there are some things to consider before buying them. It is recommended to do a water audit to know how much water your facility uses. Then you will be able to decide how many faucets you may need and how to set the accurate time of water flow.
Your experience with the sensor faucets will depend on a lot of factors like what model you purchase and how they are installed. It can be difficult finding the right faucet for your needs. That’s why we are here to help! Give us a call!
