Automatic faucet
Encyclopedia
An automatic faucet is a faucet with a hands-free mechanism for opening and closing its valve
. The use of such faucets is mainly confined to public washrooms where they are an important tool for conserving water
and mitigating the spread of germs
.
control
for a kitchen
or lavatory faucet can significantly reduce water consumption through intermittent operation. Automatic faucets do not need many functions that ordinary faucets need, they need only an operator. Operating the automatic faucet reduce the result in wasted water between the time that a hand moves from lever to the next object or task at hand to a bar of soap, a pot to fill with water, or a dish for rinsing.
of shutting off automatically after a hand wash therefore cutting down on water waste. This waste
is also a concern for people who care for the environment
. When installed in home
, sensor faucets alleviate the need for parents to ensure that children have turned off taps. Sensor faucets can benefit elderly people or those suffering from arthritis
since there are no handles
to twist or pull.
Economically, sensor faucets use less water resulting in direct savings on your water bill. In a kitchen setting, they automatically shut off after you have used the correct amount of water for rinsing a pan or washing an apple which also eliminates the worry of a sink
overflowing.
use until the late 1980's when they first appeared to the general public at airport lavatories. Story has it that the first airport to adopt the new technology, is O'Hare Airport. Called by other names such as Electronic Faucet, Sensor Faucet, Hands Free Faucet, Touch-less Faucet, even Infrared Faucet, automatic faucets have become a central theme in the American
experience
. They are now found in places far removed from airports and other institutions, places like restaurants, hotels, casinos, malls, sports arenas, as well as residential properties.
Because of their assistive qualities, automatic faucets are often found at assistive living establishments and places where the elderly and handicapped individuals call home. Automatic faucets are water saving devices, helping save 70% of the water that would otherwise swirl down the drain unused and conserve as much as 3-5% of the water used by a standard household
. Other benefits of automatic faucets are found in inhibiting the spread of germs which are known to thrive on faucet handles, as well as help prevent or mitigate scalding incidents caused by hot water
flowing out of the faucet.
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
. The use of such faucets is mainly confined to public washrooms where they are an important tool for conserving water
Water conservation
Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.- Water conservation :Water conservation can be defined as:...
and mitigating the spread of germs
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
.
Summary
An automaticAutomatic
- Technology :* Automatic transmission, or a car with an automatic transmission* Automatic firearm* Automatic watch* Automatic , a defunct American automobile company- Albums :* Automatic * Automatic...
control
Control system
A control system is a device, or set of devices to manage, command, direct or regulate the behavior of other devices or system.There are two common classes of control systems, with many variations and combinations: logic or sequential controls, and feedback or linear controls...
for a kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
or lavatory faucet can significantly reduce water consumption through intermittent operation. Automatic faucets do not need many functions that ordinary faucets need, they need only an operator. Operating the automatic faucet reduce the result in wasted water between the time that a hand moves from lever to the next object or task at hand to a bar of soap, a pot to fill with water, or a dish for rinsing.
Advantages
Sensor or automatic faucets have the advantageAdvantage
Advantage may refer to:*In military terms, advantage is the superiority in elevation which one side enjoys over the opposing element...
of shutting off automatically after a hand wash therefore cutting down on water waste. This waste
Waste
Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
is also a concern for people who care for the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
. When installed in home
Home
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
, sensor faucets alleviate the need for parents to ensure that children have turned off taps. Sensor faucets can benefit elderly people or those suffering from arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
since there are no handles
Handle (grip)
A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that can be moved or used by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tradition...
to twist or pull.
Economically, sensor faucets use less water resulting in direct savings on your water bill. In a kitchen setting, they automatically shut off after you have used the correct amount of water for rinsing a pan or washing an apple which also eliminates the worry of a sink
Sink
A sink is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture used for washing hands, for dishwashing or other purposes. Sinks generally have taps that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing...
overflowing.
History
Automatic faucets were first developed in the 1950's but were not produced for commercialCommerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
use until the late 1980's when they first appeared to the general public at airport lavatories. Story has it that the first airport to adopt the new technology, is O'Hare Airport. Called by other names such as Electronic Faucet, Sensor Faucet, Hands Free Faucet, Touch-less Faucet, even Infrared Faucet, automatic faucets have become a central theme in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
experience
Experience
Experience as a general concept comprises knowledge of or skill in or observation of some thing or some event gained through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event....
. They are now found in places far removed from airports and other institutions, places like restaurants, hotels, casinos, malls, sports arenas, as well as residential properties.
Because of their assistive qualities, automatic faucets are often found at assistive living establishments and places where the elderly and handicapped individuals call home. Automatic faucets are water saving devices, helping save 70% of the water that would otherwise swirl down the drain unused and conserve as much as 3-5% of the water used by a standard household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
. Other benefits of automatic faucets are found in inhibiting the spread of germs which are known to thrive on faucet handles, as well as help prevent or mitigate scalding incidents caused by hot water
Hot Water
Hot Water is a novel by P.G. Wodehouse, first published on August 17, 1932, in the United Kingdom by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States by Doubleday, Doran, New York. The novel had been serialised in Collier's from 21 May to 6 August 1932...
flowing out of the faucet.
See also
- Faucet
- SinkSinkA sink is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture used for washing hands, for dishwashing or other purposes. Sinks generally have taps that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing...
- Hose (tubing)Hose (tubing)A hose is a hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called pipes , or more generally tubing...
- Water conservationWater conservationWater conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.- Water conservation :Water conservation can be defined as:...
- Sloan Valve CompanySloan Valve CompanySloan Valve Company was founded in 1906 with the introduction of the Royal Flushometer, which is now widely used.The company was founded by William Elvis Sloan in Chicago, Illinois. When he initially sold his Royal flushometer in 1906, he only sold one at the time because customers were wary of...
- In April 2011, the VOA Special EnglishSpecial EnglishSpecial English is a controlled version of the English language first used on October 19, 1959, and still presented daily by the United States broadcasting service Voice of America. World news and other programs are read one-third slower than regular VOA English. Reporters avoid idioms and use a...
service of the Voice of America broadcast a Health Report about a new study of automatic faucets: Why Hands-Free Faucets May Be a Risk to Some Hospital Patients