Advice for automatic/motion sensor faucets?

11 years ago

I'm hoping to replace an existing bathroom faucet with a "hands-free" model that senses motion. I'm getting this for my husband's dental office in their "toothbrushing station." I figure it would be easier for kids to have an automatic faucet.

Does anyone have experience with these? I see in the Kitchen forum that some like Delta Touch faucets, but that still requires you to physically touch the faucet. Unless I put up a sign, I could see lots of kids getting confused re: the lack of handles and how one needs to touch it to turn it on.

I also assumed we need to avoid a battery-operated model as we could have 50-60 patients/day using the faucet, unless the battery replacement is really easy to do. Yet I found a Sloan model (SF-2200 with plug-in adapter/2250 with batteries) and the battery-operated version says the batteries will last 2 years if used 8,000 cycles/month. Does cycles mean each use? If so, I don't think there would be 8,000 uses/month.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! Please let me know if this is the wrong forum, too.

Featured Answer

smiles33
Original Author

11 years ago

Thanks, Alan. I did some more research and found Toto's ecopower model that doesn't require AC adapter or regular battery replacement. I assume Toto is a good brand from the limited web research I've done so we may go with this one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Toto Ecopower

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Comments (8)

alan_s_thefirst
11 years ago
I've seen some in commercial public washrooms that had a little solar panel on them. Don't know the brand, but you might want to see if there's a site for commercial tapware.
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writersblock (9b/10a)
11 years ago
Kohler, Brizo, and American Standard also make touchless faucets, in case you haven't found their models yet.
enduring
11 years ago
I've seen a lot of Sloan brands in restrooms that are electronic. I've never seen a solar model but I found one at the site linked below. I don't know if the price is good or not at this dealer.

Here is a link that might be useful: solar sloan
smiles33
Original Author
11 years ago
Just wanted to update that we installed the Toto last weekend and it's AWESOME. Very responsive as soon as you place your hands under the faucet, turns off almost immediately once you remove your hands, and it has a sleek unobtrusive sensor (I don't even know where it is) so it's less likely to be vandalized.
lazypup
11 years ago
I am a retired Master Plumber and I couldn't begin to count how many of those I have installed in public restrooms.

To answer your specific question about kids getting confused. The motion senser turns the water on as soon as your hand is within 5 or 6" of the faucett so children have no problem with them, aside from trying to figure out the magic that makes them work....LOL

Most of the ones that I worked with use the little oblong 9v transistor batteries and changing batteries if easy. To give you some idea of battery life, they use those type of faucetts in the public restrooms on the Ohio Turnpike and they only change batteries about once a month. Check with your local Walmart store. Most of the Walmarts now use them in their public accessible restroom at the front of the store and they get about a month to 6 weeks battery life.

Now here is another think you may want to consider. Consumer Affairs magazine periodically hires an Enviromental Hygene company to check the bacteria levels on different surfaces in an average home.

Believe it or not, the toilet seat is not the dirtiest spot in the house. On average there is about 100 times as many bacteria per square in on your kitchen counter top as there is on the toilet seat, but even that is not a big deal. According to there last report, the dirtiest spot in the house is the bathroom faucet handle.
a2gemini
11 years ago
One reason we instruct hospital employees not to touch the faucet handles but use the paper towel to turn off the faucet and manage the door.
I think Chicago faucets seem pretty good - not sure I would want an auto faucet in the bathroom as I need to vary the water temp frequently.

Now - if you have money to burn - Toto has this awesome looking sink/faucet but definitely out of my price range - told DH, sink and faucet or a new bathroom...
The sink has LED lights and a circle to turn on the water at the left front of the sink. The LEDs change colors based on the temp.
keira bobeira
6 years ago
hello Smiles33. I know its been over 5 years since you posted this so looking for a response from you may be a long shot!. we are currently looking for a wall mounted automatic faucet for our half bath and the toto ecopower caught my eye.

I was just wondering how well your toto has been holding up. thank you.