Touch vs touchless taps

From a young age we have been encouraged to wash our hands after using the loo, before food prep and many other activities to eliminate germs. We’re now living in a generation where hand washing is paramount and touch-free products are most desirable. In any semi-public or public space such as places of work, leisure facilities, schools, transport hubs, holiday parks, football stadiums or restaurants one of the main factors to consider is hygiene and water consumption. Choosing the correct products for your facility can take your building from an environmental and hygienic nightmare to a sustainable, safe, and sparkling establishment. Although the washroom is not the forefront of any building it can often leave a lasting impression.

80% of common infections are spread by hands, so when you’re out and about practising good hand hygiene is vital. However, with many surfaces in a washroom is washing your hands enough to decrease the spread of germs? As we move into a hygienic era it is important to consider touch-free solutions throughout the washroom to help prevent the spread of infection.

Traditional taps

Of course, we know any sort of tap and soap is effective when washing hands, but prior to hand washing you may already be carrying germs on your hand from touching door handles, toilet seats or flush plates. Traditional taps are often designed with levers or handles. So, before you even start washing your hands you could potentially contaminate the faucet when you activate it. Not only can touch taps harbour germs but they can often be left running whilst soaping hands which can unnecessarily waste a lot of water.

Water conservation is such an important factor to consider when designing “green buildings” with only 1% of water being readily available to us. The average flow rate of a traditional tap is between 4-6 litres per minute, however modern touchless tap can have a flow rate as little as 1.5 litres per minute, over a year in high usage washrooms this could save thousands not only in costs but also litres of water. So, whilst a lot of traditional taps still serve their purpose by allowing us to clean our hands, they are arguably not the most hygienic or sustainable solution for a modern-day washroom.

Touch-free and sensor taps

The hygiene aspect of sensor and touchless taps is important to consider when specifying new builds or simply renovating a washroom. We know by now that most germs are spread through hand contact, so washing your hands correctly after using the toilet and providing a touch-free solution in the washroom can help decrease the spread of germs.

A general concern with touchless taps is that they may increase a buildings energy usage as they require either battery or mains operation. Sensor taps with a pre-set temperature use less energy as the temperature is kept at a constant. And less water is used and therefore less water is heated, making them more energy efficient.

Many sensor taps stop flowing once hands are removed from under the tap and can save copious amounts of water whilst a user is lathering their hands with soap.

Traditional taps do not use energy to operate, but they can be extremely inefficient in terms of water consumption and heating. Traditional taps don’t tend to have pre-set temperatures so users can alternate between hot and cold, potentially wasting energy and water.

So, whilst touch-free electronic and sensor taps do require an energy source, their water consumption rate and pre-set temperature factors can make them a much greater option for lifetime usage and efficiency within a building.

Additional considerations

At Franke Water Systems we have designed a range of touch-free products to provide a full hygienic solution. The range includes soap dispensers, electronic paper towel dispensers and hand dryers for washrooms, and hand sanitiser stations which can help eliminate cross contamination both inside and outside the washroom. The stations can be placed almost anywhere in a building to help eliminate the spread of germs, whether it be in the entrance of a workplace, school, leisure facility or retail stores.

To find out more about our touch-free solutions, visit our product explorer or get in contact with a member of our team who will be able to advise you.

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