Hands-Free Faucets Move Into Homes

Here's a good way to cut the germs moving from person to person in your home. These faucets also regulate the temperature automatically. So no scalding hot water to burn your toddler.

Peggy

"Hands-Free Faucets Move Into Homes"
Cleveland Plain Dealer (OH) Hebert, Melissa

Hands-free faucets, similar to those used in restaurants and rest stops, are becoming popular additions to the residential market.

Moen will soon unveil its stylish Destiny hands-free faucet, Delta has offered a hands-free faucet for residential bathrooms since 2001 and will offer a kitchen model next year, and Kohler recently made its touch-less kitchen faucet available.

Bob Rodenbach, senior manager of research and development at Delta, said the residential demand for electronic faucets is very different than that of commercial clients, which are more concerned about sanitation and water conservation.

The initial residential target was families, as hands-free faucets automatically regulate water temperature to avoid scalding and children would be unable to leave the water running.

Designing an automatic faucet for the kitchen was a challenge, according to Rodenbach, as kitchen faucets need to be able to perform so many functions; but a manual override allows for pots and vases to be filled without the water turning on and off, and the hands-free system is more sanitary for washing meat and produce.

Residential hands-free faucet systems range in price from $700 to $1,100, and increased competition is making a wider variety of styles available.