No Touch Solutions are – for obvious reasons – enjoying unprecedented growth in the commercial washroom sector. As big brand retail, commercial and public sector clients increasingly specify, merchants stock and installers fit, we look at some of the options available.
Who knows when lockdown will end, but one thing is for sure, it’s likely we’ll be living in a COVID-driven world for a long time to come, with the spotlight continuing to bear on hygiene and cleanliness. And the commercial washroom has a significant role to play now and in the future. But it can’t be hygiene at any cost if its role is to be a practical and sustainable one. The washroom of today (and tomorrow) must also offer green credentials with significant energy and water saving optimisation. Fortunately, innovation and experience mean there are some fantastic solutions now available.
Take for example the use of Infrared, something the team here at Cistermiser are passionate about. When it comes to specifying, refurbishing and designing commercial washrooms, occupancy-sensing product developments incorporating Infrared (IR) result in intelligent water management systems that deliver more energy and water resource saving, increased hygiene, convenience and end-user experience.
Let’s talk urinals…
Arguably the industry standard for cistern-fed urinal applications is the ingenious hydraulic valve, first patented and launched by Cistermiser over 40 years ago. An automatic, purely mechanical method of supplying water to a urinal, the hydraulic valve, normally in the closed position, uses a simple mechanism that presents waste by ensuring an auto-flush cistern is only filled, and can only flush, when the washroom is used. And along with the fact it doesn’t require any power supply, it is easy to see why more than 500,000 units have been installed across the UK.
But Infrared Controlled, rather than hydraulic, valves are also popular for commercial washrooms due to their water efficiency. Products like the IRC® which automatically manage supply to the urinal cistern, activated when the PIR sensor detects movement and triggers the solenoid valve, can reduce water consumption by a staggering 80%. Alternatively, infrared sensor-controlled ‘Direct Flush’ mains-fed urinal valves are also available. These automatically flush individual urinals after use, thus ensuring the highest levels of hygiene from the minimum volume of water. ‘Discreet’ sensor and ‘Accessible’ sensor plate with solenoid valve configurations can be specified, depending on the desired aesthetic effect.
Let’s talk toilets…
IR is also significantly changing the humble WC, thanks to its ability to offer hygienic, water-saving solutions. Our own range of infrared sensor-activated WC flushing valves has options for both cistern-fed and mains-fed (cistern-free) systems for commercial applications. Solutions are programmable in a variety of ways, giving full control over the volume of water used, and whether the toilet flush is activated by ‘Wave touchless’ operation, with a wave of the hand, or ‘Walkaway occupancy sensing’, simply by standing up and walking away no-touch toilet activation.
Let’s talk taps…
IR can play an important role in controlling individual elements within a washroom like the basin taps themselves, helping to reduce water and energy use and eliminate potential for taps to be left running due to either malicious or accidental reasons. We’ve got some exciting new additions to our deck and wall mounted, hands-free tap range to announce very soon – watch this space!
Now let’s take the total washroom
For larger commercial washroom applications, Cistermiser also has a fantastic solution which we’re going to be working hard to tell the market about in coming months, and that’s Sensazone which has been bit of a ‘best kept secret’. Sensazone offers an effective way to conserve both water and energy, based on occupancy. Monitored by IR sensors, when someone enters the washroom, all services controlled by Sensazone can be activated, including hot and cold water supplies, lighting and ventilation extractor fans are activated / de-activated.
When it comes to specifying, refurbishing and designing commercial washrooms, occupancy-sensing product developments incorporating IR can deliver a lifestyle-enhancing “added value” solution that undoubtedly increases hygiene, but can also save water resources and improve the end-user experience. These three-pronged benefits have never been more important than in this COVID-19 world, an upward trend that is only going to continue.
Call us now to find out about how range of No Touch solutions can help you save water, save money and maximise hygiene.
For other articles from Cistermiser Keraflow, visit the Our World Is Water news page.
