The benefits of a contactless tap

The many benefits of contactless taps

Chances are you have already used or seen such a non-contact tap. The principle is very simple: as soon as you bring your hands near the tap, the water jet activates. If you pull your hands away again, the water stops flowing. You find them mostly in public buildings, but they are also available for private homes these days. How exactly does such an automatic tap work, what are its advantages and how do you choose the right one? Here are the answers to all your questions.

How does an automatic tap work?

The technology used for contactless taps is the now widespread use of sensors. These detect a movement and convert it into an electrical signal, such as activating a sound, or the water jet in the case of our tap.

In this type of tap with motion sensor, the sensor is placed on the head or spout. That way, all you have to do is hold your hands close to the sensor/infrared detector and the water starts flowing. As soon as you remove your hands again, it stops.

What are the advantages of a tap with infrared sensor?

Saving water, better hygiene, ease of use: there are many arguments in favour of a tap with motion sensor.

Up to 70% less water consumption

The first advantage of a tap that switches off automatically is energy efficiency. From now on, no more wasting water. You can drastically reduce your consumption, with water savings of up to 70%! That's good for your budget and for protecting this precious natural resource.

Much more hygienic

In recent years, hand hygiene became a topic that everyone has become fiercely aware of. With a traditional tap, you touch the tap with your dirty hands to open it, at the risk of spreading pathogens such as bacteria and other viruses. After washing your hands, you touch the tap again to close it, again exposing your hands to germs on the surface. This makes an automatic tap enormously interesting: by definition, it is 'touchless' and therefore prevents the transmission of bacteria and viruses and the spread of the diseases they cause. This makes hand washing much safer and more hygienic. This is important not only in public places frequented by many people, but also when several people in the house use the same sink.

Easier for everyone

Last but not least, such a hands-free tap is simply much easier to use, as no manipulation or force is needed to turn it on and off. So it is the ideal type of tap, especially for children, the elderly, people with permanent or temporary disabilities or just... when you have your hands full in the kitchen!

What types of non-contact taps exist?

As we mentioned earlier, automatic taps are no longer just for public places, they are also used at home. There are taps with one water inlet (cold water only) that are perfect for hand-washing in your toilet, for example. There are also automatic mixer taps with two water inlets, cold and hot, suitable for the bathroom sink or the kitchen sink. Some manufacturers even developed them for showers and baths, so you can better control your water consumption.

Choosing the right non-contact tap

Some tips for choosing a non-contact tap:

Hand washer: fairly short spout, cold water only.
Lavabo: longer spout if possible, cold water only or mixer tap.
Kitchen sink: mixer tap with long spout, swivel if possible (more practical), and why not with pull-out hose.

What about installation ?

Another great advantage of the contactless tap is that it is available in a variety of designs that perfectly match your existing sink. No need to redesign your entire interior or bathroom! Moreover, this type of tap uses the same infrastructure and fixings as conventional taps. So you don't need any special equipment and you don't need to create any extra holes.

Only the type of power supply for your infrared sensor tap has an impact on installation and maintenance: for a mains power supply, there should be an outlet near the sink or sink. If the power supply is via a lithium battery in a small cabinet under the sink, this is not necessary. Battery life ranges from 3 to 7 years, depending on how often the hands-free tap is used. In any case, a flashing red LED alerts you that the battery is low and it is time to replace it. Replacing the battery is very easy and only takes a few minutes.

Settings and other facilities

In addition, you can set the delay between when the water jet starts and when it stops, as well as the water temperature and the range of the transmission diode (you decide whether you need to bring your hands closer or further away to make the water flow).

Connected contactless taps !

Some taps are equipped with a Bluetooth connection that allows them to communicate with your smartphone or tablet. This means you can remotely adjust the various parameters we just mentioned, check the state of the battery and easily access your consumption data. The most innovative infrared mixers for shower and/or bath allow each family member to set their own temperature and flow rate.