Installing low-flow faucets or spray valves, historically meant low-pressure and low-performance. But the truth is that you shouldn’t feel a loss of cleanability or spray force with low-flow water accessories. In an interview, Rajesh Chowdhury, head of business development – India and the subcontinent, T&S Brass, explains how it can be surprisingly easy for businesses to go green and function efficiently, particularly if you’re using T&S products with the latest technology
What exactly is low flow?
The first thing to understand is that low-flow doesn’t mean low efficiency or productivity. Low-flow faucets and components use less water per minute than older models so you’re able to use less water to perform everyday tasks like cleaning.
On pre-rinse units, a highly designed spray valve creates the same or better cleaning force (equal or better cleanability or cleaning efficiency) while using less water than other, less efficient models. They create the same water force as older models but use less water. And it’s backed up by testing. Having the same water force means the dried- and caked-on food on your plates, pots and pans will be rinsed off better and with less scrubbing – and less water.
For faucets, using aerators to restrict the amount of water that is used for frequent activities can save significant amounts of water over time. For example, low-flow handwash sinks can save up to a gallon of water per wash.
Why should hotels switch to low-flow faucets?
The decision to switch to a low-flow faucet depends on the type of usage. For a faucet that’s used to fill pots and pans, a higher flow rate may actually be a better choice since the amount of water used will be the same. It would simply take more time to fill the pot at a lower flow rate. But for a sink that’s used for handwashing, rinsing produce or similar tasks, a flow rate of 20 l/min is excessive and wasteful.
Measuring your current flow rate is critical to understanding and calculating how much can be saved by
switching to low-flow devices. Here’s how to do it in four easy steps:
1. Place a bucket – marked in gallon or litre increments – under your faucet.
2. Turn on the faucet at the normal water pressure you use.
3. Time how many seconds it takes to fill the bucket to the one-gallon (3.8 litre) mark.
4. If it takes less than 20
seconds to reach the one-gallon mark, you could benefit from a low-flow faucet from T&S.
Does it require a lot of investment to change to low-flow?
Once you’ve determined a need for a low-flow faucet, making the change is easy. You will not need to replace the entire faucet, which keeps the cost for retrofitting with low-flow devices down. To reduce the water flow of a faucet, simply install a T&S aerator at the end of the nozzle. This inexpensive and quick update can save enough water (and corresponding energy and sewer costs) to pay for itself in a matter of days.
Going low-flow doesn’t mean giving up performance, and being conscious of the water you use is the right choice to make. T&S’ low-flow products such as spray valves, aerators, metering cartridges and electronic sensor faucets can yield particularly large savings for years to come – all for a relatively small upfront
investment.
