Benefits of an Automated Restroom

Driven by the growing concern over germs on restroom surfaces, an increasing number of commercial, private, and public buildings are installing automatic faucets, flushers, soap and paper towel dispensers, cleaning systems, and other touch-free devices in their restrooms. In addition to sanitation issues, other factors are contributing to this trend that facility managers should consider.

Germ Concerns and Phobias

Restrooms used by customers, employees, and other visitors can potentially communicate disease. Most people are aware of the risks and, whether they are working in facilities with or without restroom automation, they strive to be diligent about frequent and thorough hand washing and other precautions.

However, not all people adhere to the same level of personal hygiene. Despite the best efforts of facility managers to ensure their restrooms are clean and sanitary, a common perception among visitors is that germs are pervasive in the bathrooms. The facilities are not to blame. Rather, the general public's awareness of germs and how they are transmitted has increased, their fears fueled by widely publicized reports of new viruses, such as SARS and H1N1. Increasingly, people are avoiding contact with anything in any bathroom away from home, including the most spotless restrooms.

Conversely, friends and relatives are naturally going to feel more comfortable using restrooms that are sanitary and designed to promote cleanliness and accommodate easy maintenance. Discovering restrooms are fitted with touch-free faucets, automatic flushers, and possibly other automatic devices could contribute to their comfort level of using public restrooms

Minimizing Visitors' "Contributions"

The public's assumptions about the sanitation benefits of automation are accurate. Evidence exists that touch-free faucets and flushers can effectively reduce possible cross-contamination, but proof is not essential when the absence of handles means no one has to touch the same water activator that other people have touched.

Visitors, or course, bring their own germs. They might see the wisdom in washing their hands when they leave the restroom, but fail to do so. Even though the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases says frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, a survey conducted by Impulse Research Corporation found that 30% of Americans use bathrooms away from home only when they are desperate. The same survey discovered that among people who use public restrooms, nearly 66% employ a variety of maneuvers to avoid touching anything: using elbows to open doors, feet to flush, and paper towels to touch faucets and the door on their way out. For some, it's easier to avoid hand washing altogether.

Logic dictates that people would be more willing to wash their hands if they didn't have to touch anything at the sink. The surfaces of automatic faucets, soap, and towel dispensers won't be contaminated or transmit germs if no one needs to touch them. With automation, people can lather up, scrub down, rinse, and dry with only touching a fresh paper towel.

Reduced Cost and Maintenance

Automatic faucets save water, which only flows when hands activate the fixture. Excess water use is no longer an issue solely for conservationists, but also for the budget-conscious. People who move slowly often allow faucets to flow longer than necessary, or forget to turn them off when they are done washing. If a washcloth or paper towel settles in the sink, a blocked plug can result in flood-like conditions if not detected quickly, causing a safety hazard, a maintenance problem, and possible damage to the floor and baseboard.

Water conservation was the impetus for a decision by a nursing home in Cape May County, New Jersey, to install automatic faucets in every bathroom of its 178-bed facility, including the common areas.

"The faucets were a major investment, but they have paid for themselves in reduced water consumption and maintenance costs," says Jim Kronemeyer, manager of mechanical services for all Cape May county buildings.

He says he did not do a return on investment analysis because the savings were obvious. Before making the purchase, however, he was aware of a test at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport that compared the metered use of the automatic faucet with the metered use of a push-down, self-closing faucet. After more than 500,000 cycles, the automatic faucet used an average of 0.20 gallons of water per use, compared with 0.65 gallons for the manual faucet. After factoring in the costs of energy, sewerage, and maintenance, the automatic faucet decreased water and energy usage by 70%.

Kronemeyer says the staff members in the county's nursing home are pleased with the faucets since they save time and reduce the threat of cross-contamination. Also, the faucets are on a control loop that delivers a constant water temperature as soon as the flow is activated by the user's hands.

The county nursing home is now adding automatic flushing devices, prompted by requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The facility is equipped with tankless toilets, but ADA inspectors declared that some of the handles are too difficult to reach and create problems for wheelchair users. The toilets' position in relation to walls and support bars was also a problem, so they needed to be moved to the other side of the pipe. To avoid a costly retrofitting, the county purchased automatic flushing units that slide over the existing handles and is clamped on with two simple screws.

"We not only complied with the ADA," says Kronemeyer, "but also solved the unpleasant problem of toilets that sometimes didn't get flushed."

Automatic faucets and flushers exceed ADA guidelines requiring restroom fixtures to be operated with "one hand and with a force to activate 5 lb or less." People weak with illnesses or infirmities have no handles to push or pull at the sink or difficult-to-reach handles in bathroom stalls. Self-activating fixtures simplify the process for everyone.

New Technology Improves Acceptance

Skepticism has prevented some facilities from converting to automation because some earlier generations of touch-free fixtures proved to be unreliable, but Kronemeyer says that the failure rate of the automated products he has installed is "next to nothing." Fortunately, technological advances have made touch-free products significantly more dependable and durable. Newer products are smaller, use fewer parts, are easier to install, and are more aesthetically pleasing. In general, they last longer, are cheaper to operate, and require less maintenance.

Among the new components found in some touch-free fixtures are cam gears that replace solenoid valves. Cam gears in faucets, flushers, and soap dispensers keep all electronics away from water, unlike solenoid valves that are sensitive to moisture and can corrode and fail.

The newest automatic faucets use capacitive sensors that are more responsive than infrared sensors. They surround the fixture with a force field. Water flows as soon as hands approach the top, the bottom, or any side of the faucet, an advancement that should appeal to seniors and convalescents who might be slower moving, physically impaired, or easily confused. Also new on the market are automatic flushing devices that can be installed on existing tank toilets.

Installations in existing buildings are easier and less costly with faucets, flushers, and soap dispensers that use standard alkaline batteries as their power source instead of low-voltage hard wiring. The batteries last up to three years, partly because cam gears only draw power when the units are in use. Solenoid valves require continuous electrical draw, using more energy.

Other Products and Benefits

Automation also eliminates or reduces the puddles and pools of soap around sinks that are viewed as breeding grounds for germs. A mess is less likely with a touch-free faucet and an automatic soap dispenser because users don't have to raise their wet hands to turn a faucet handle or pump out more soap.

The bad smells and sights that convey the perception of germs can also be eliminated through automation. Automatic air fresheners, neutralizers, and cleaners are never touched by visitors to a bathroom. Clean air not only gives the impression that restrooms are free of germs and bacteria; it also makes restroom visits more pleasant.

Savings are generated from automatic soap dispensers with portion control. One shot of condensed soap from an automated dispenser is sufficient to prevent users from pumping an excessive amount of soap that takes longer to rinse off. Automatic paper towel dispensers control the amount of paper needed for a thorough hand drying.

The cost benefits of automatic bowl and urinal cleaning devices should not be overlooked. Around-the-clock cleaning and deodorizing--in addition to improving appearance, sanitation, and air freshness--eliminates the laborious task of scrubbing stains off toilets and urinals. Routine maintenance requires only washing a fixture's exterior surface.

With advancements in touch-free restroom devices, nursing homes can cost-effectively improve sanitation and health conditions, and meet the growing expectations of residents, families, and visitors.

Air Delights is a distributor of touch-free restroom fixtures, air neutralizers, and aerosol fragrances and dispensers. For more information, call (800) 440-5556, or visit www.airdelights.com.

Benefits of A Chronomite Tankless Water Heater!

Savings of up to 50%

Because the Chronomite tankless water heater eliminates the "stand by" thermal loss of traditional tank type water heaters and operates on an as-needed basis only, you will save significant money on your hot water heating costs, even if you replace a natural gas water heater. The typical savings are up to 35% over natural gas water heaters and up to 50% over conventional electric tank water heaters.

Endless Hot Water

A properly-sized Chronomite tankless water heater can provide an unlimited supply of hot water for the entire house 24 hours a day. You could literally run your shower all day long and the water would never turn cold! Various models are available to suit the unique demands of every home. In some instances, flow rates of up to 8 gallons per minute can be achieved with the most powerful models!

Space Saving Size

Conventional tank heaters are bulky, consuming valuable square footage that could be put to better use. The tankless solution is the way to go if space is a problem. Who wouldn't want to make use of that valuable floor space, especially in condos, apartments, and other homes where space is at a premium?

Quality

Since 1966, Chronomite Laboratories Inc. has been the innovative leader in providing solutions for commercial and industrial tankless plumbing applications. You can rest assured that decades of quality engineering and experience goes in to every single Chronomite water heater. Chronomite tankless water heaters are made to order in California.

Increased Safety

Each year approximately 3,800 injuries and 34 deaths occur in homes across North America due to scalding from overheated tap water. The majority of these accidents involve the elderly and children under the age of five. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges all users to lower their tank water heaters to 120 degrees; however, this often results in cold showers after very limited use. The Chronomite tankless water heater supplies endless amounts of hot water at a specific temperature as set by the homeowner regardless of flow rate (we recommend a setting of 105 to 110F).

Environmentally Friendly

The generation of electrical power through the burning of fossil fuels or the construction of hydroelectric dams creates significant and lasting environmental degradation. The reduction of energy use in the household is the single greatest contribution that we as homeowners can make to reduce these impacts. It has been estimated that 20-30% of household power consumption is for domestic hot water. Tankless water heaters will help you reduce power consumption on your hot water heating costs by up to 50%. Furthermore, since a Chronomite tankless water heater lasts up to 5 times longer than a conventional tank type water heater and is far smaller, you will also be reducing the burden on our landfills.

Air Delights offers a variety of Chronomite Tankless water heaters, from the basic Instant-Flow SR to the programmable Instant-Temp. To view our selections please visit us online at www.airdelights.com, or feel free to call toll free at 1-800-440-5556.

Benefits of a Water Filtration System

Water filters are big business, as is water as a whole. It used to be that you had Alhambra delivered right to your door, then bottled water started showing up in supermarkets, and now you can’t go anywhere without being offered bottled water from the menu. Recent studies show that bottled water is no healthier or cleaner than tap water. The FDA only requires that bottled water be as good as tap water in terms of impurities. So even though you may hear claims about “fresh taste” or “great for you”, bottled water is not all it’s cracked to be. Back to water filters. It’s highly recommended to use a water filter system either on your faucets or in your refrigerator. The best pitcher-type water filters are the PUR Ultimate Pitcher and the Brita Pitcher whose filtration systems remove lead, chlorine, benzene, off-tastes, copper, and sediment.

With the PUR and Brita Pitchers you get close to 40 gallons of filtered water, which lasts around 2 months, before you need to change the filter. For those that don’t like to wait for water to filter through the pitcher, Brita and PUR both have an alternative for you, the faucet mount system. The best faucet mount water filters are also made by PUR and Brita. These are great for people who use more filtered water for things like ice cube, coffee, etc. These faucet mounted filters remove and eliminate metals, off-tastes, agricultural and industrial pollutants. The faucet mount filters give you roughly 100 gallons of filtered water before a replacement is necessary. These systems also have a bypass switch that lets you go from filtered to unfiltered water if you wish. This bypass will help extend the life of your filter by allowing you to use unfiltered water for things like watering plants and flowers.

Bottled water is certainly something that we have become accustomed to at supermarkets, restaurants and coffee shops. People no longer get just a glass of regular tap water for fear of dirty, contaminated water. In many studies bottled water has as many impurities as tap water, but by putting your tap water through a one of our filters you can actually get much healthier water then you do from bottled water. Overall, unless you have a reason to support the $35 billion bottled water industry in the US; it’s ok to drink filtered tap water in your home. When you add up the cost of bottled water, say 1 a day for 30 days – that’s at least $30 a month, versus filtered water, you can save almost $300 a year.

Air Delights offers a wide variety of PUR and Brita pitcher style and faucet mount filtration systems. If you would like to see what we offer or if you have any questions please feel free to visit us at www.airdelights.com or call us toll free at 1-800-440-5556.

Sloan G2 Optima Plus Flushometer

The Sloan G2 Optima Plus battery-powered Flushometer, which combines advanced electronics with a new sleek hi-tech appearance, is now available from Air Delights.

The G2 Optima Plus Flushometer incorporates Sloan's patented Isolated Operator that provides reliable performance regardless of water quality, and a flex tube diaphragm flushing mechanism that helps conserve water. Designed to eliminate detection errors caused by lighting conditions and reflective surfaces, the G2 also saves installation time with minimal need for field adjustments. G2 features an electronic module that meets NEMA 6 sealing requirements, and gold-plated battery contacts to ensure consistent electronic connections.

The battery-powered G2 has a newly styled cover, with an easily replaceable lens. Batteries can be changed, or the module serviced, without shutting off the water supply. A rear drain/weep hole allows condensation to escape and the G2's automatic "fit" ensures proper control module placement.

This addition to Air Delights’ line of Flushometers provides consistent, reliable performance designed to help architects, engineers, contractors and building owners achieve their water conservation goals.

For more information on the G2 Optima Plus Flushometer, please visit us at airdelights.com or call us toll free at 1-800-440-5556.

Advantages Of a WaterFree Urinal

A Waterless urinal saves on average up to 45,000 gallons of water a year. Twenty-two Waterless urinals can save up to 1,000,000 gallons of water per year. It can be estimated that there are approximately 8 million urinals installed in the US alone with approximately 100 million people using these fixtures. Assuming an average 2 gallon flush, the potable water use of urinals alone, in this country per year, is approximately 160 billion gallons! 160 billion gallons of water is equivalent to the water usage of 490,000 homes or 1.9 million people per year. This vast amount of outflow to the sewer and septic systems can be eliminated and will not run into our natural waterways and oceans. On your local level this could mean: A typical office building rest room with three urinals and 120 men equals a yearly water use of 237,600 gallons of potable water flushed down the drain. This assumes three uses per person per day and only 220 working days.
If you have any questions about waterless urinals, or would like to place an order please check us out at www.airdelights.com or call us toll free at 1-800-440-5556.

New Flush Valve and Hand Dryer Technology

There are many choices when it comes to flush valves and toilets that reduce water use. Zero-water-consumption urinals have become more widespread, and can save up to 40,000 gallons of water per year compared to a standard 1 gallon-per-flush urinal. New urinals are available that use as little as one pint-per-flush.

Toilets also come in a variety of options, from 1.6 gallons-per-flush models to high efficiency models that use 1.28 gallons per flush. There are also dual-flush models that use 1.1 or 1.6 gallons, depending on how the handle is activated.

Technology improvements have spread to all facets of restroom products. Consider hand dryers. Hand dryers on the market today are available in high-velocity models intended to speed the drying process. Some models even allow the velocity to be adjusted, to fit your need.

"What has happened is product designers have seen the writing on the wall and seen the opportunity available and they have met the challenge with a suite of materials designers actually like," says Bob Kellner, director of design for NELSON's New York office.

Both hand dryers and touchless towel dispensers are now available in stainless steel versions, making them a better fit for high-end facilities.

"From a facility management perspective, just make sure you understand what drives the organization and how you can package that message," says Gilmer. "There are lots of different ways to get the end result of dry hands."

Air Delights has a great selection of high efficency flush valves, or for those that want to go even more eco-friendly we have waterless urinals. We also carry the most efficient hand dryers, many of which dry hands in 15 seconds or less. If you have any questions about our products, feel free to visit us at www.airdelights.com or call us toll free at 1-800-440-5556.

What the Restroom Communicates About Your Building

Like it or not, your restrooms tell a story. Often the stories are
unintentional. Grimy restrooms signal that management is indifferent to employee welfare. Using vinyl instead of tile on the wet wall raises questions about the organization's financial health - especially as maintenance problems develop.

Still, the restroom is also a place where facility executives can proactively tell a story about the organization. Today that story is more than likely not about sustainability.

The trick is telling the story without going off script or over budget. For those who are renovating an existing restroom, technology developments give facility executives a number of options to consider.

"In the last few years, there has been a whole suite of technology advances when it comes to plumbing fixtures," says Lois Vitt Sale, director of sustainability for NELSON.

A starting point is touchless metered faucets, experts say. Improvements in sensing technology over the years have contributed to widespread acceptance of touchless technology. The standard for lavatory faucets is to dispense water at a rate of 2.2 gpm at 60 psi, a standard that has remained static since the 1992 Energy Policy Act (EPAct).

Faucet aerators can cut that flow to as little as .5 gpm. "That's a change you can make with pretty much no up-front cost," says Tom Breu, plumbing department manager for Cogdell Spencer Erdman. Aerators are now made in varying designs, including 1.0, 2.2 and 2.5 gpm, Breu says.

For major renovation projects or new construction, facility executives should reduce the length of hot water lines if they intend to use the most aggressive faucet aerators. Because aerators slow the water flow rate, it will take longer for hot water to reach the fixture.

"What might have been a two- or three-second wait for hot water is now a 15-second wait," says Breu. "Waiting that long to get warm water in the sink makes it more likely you're going to get complaints."

If making hot water lines shorter is not an option, add a circulation loop to the design. A circulation loop adds a third line and uses a small pump to constantly move water in the line to keep it hot.

Faucet aerators also reduce energy use because they reduce demand on hot water heaters. For that reason, in new construction projects where each floor has its own water heater, facility executives may want to ask whether they can downsize hot water heaters.

At Air Delights, we specialize in products that improve the story of your restroom. From automatic faucets and soap dispensers to instant hot water heaters and touchless hand dryers, we offer all the products you’ll need to give your restroom's story a fairy tale ending.

Feel free to visit us at www.airdelights.com or call us toll free at 1-800-440-5556 with any questions regarding our products.