Touch faucets are often used in commercial kitchens and public bathrooms to conserve water and reduce the spread of germs from one person to another.
This advanced technology you can use in your home. But there could be a question in your mind “are touch kitchen faucets worth it”.
The answer is yes, touch kitchen faucets are worth buying it. The touch faucets sound like a great option, even if they are a bit expensive. The idea of turning the water on and off by touching anywhere on the faucet sounds very convenient. However, you can also save your money over time by reducing water usage since they have an automatic shut-off feature.
In this article, we will discuss what are the advantages and disadvantages of touch faucets and there are some myths about touch faucets that you need to be aware of.
What Is Touch Kitchen Faucet?
First, let’s understand what touch faucet is and how they are different from regular kitchen faucets. Touch faucets are in the market for many years, but nowadays, the technology is becoming more advanced.
The touch faucet gives you advanced features so that you can activate or deactivate it by simply touching the faucet. If you touch anywhere on the faucet, it will easily turn on and off.
Also, some faucets have extra features. For example, they will automatically turn off after running for a short amount of time, without doing a second touch.
Since the touch faucet has a handy feature so it can sometimes be activated by mistake. A cat might activate the faucet with its nose, so the auto-shutoff option is helpful in case this happens when there is no one at home.
There could be a question in your mind, if you clean the faucet by touching it then the faucet will turn on but that’s not true.
These sensors are designed in such a way that they can easily understand the difference between touch and rub.
Also, make sure that touch faucets are different from touchless kitchen faucets. Touchless faucets have different type of sensor that detects when there is a motion of a hand in front of it rather than touching it.
How Do Touch Kitchen Faucets Work?
So how do touch faucets work? There is a little bit of science – but will try to keep it simple so that you can easily understand it.
Touch faucets work on the theory of capacitive sensing. That means when you touch anything with your hand, it releases a static charge due to capacitance.
Capacitance is an electric charge that is already available in your body and it is measured in farads.
The capacitance of the human body is approximately 100 Pico farads, and touch faucets have inbuilt sensors that detect the capacitance when you touch the faucet.
In simple words, when you touch the faucet, the sensor detects the charge produced by your body, and this activates the faucet.
Generally, the faucet is made of a conductive metal, this means if your hand or any part of the body comes into contact with any part of the faucet, the sensor will be activated and the faucet will turn on.
There are some models that have automatic shut-off features. That is when you touch the faucet the first time, the water will flow at full force and then the flow will slow and eventually stop.
You can also choose a faucet that requires a second touch to stop the water. Basically, there are two settings available in the touch faucet – automatic or manual shut-off. You can the settings according to your needs.
Also, note that many models have a traditional function. That is if the battery is low or the electronic breaks, you can still use the traditional way of turning the handle on and off.
Advantages Of Touch Kitchen Faucet
1.) The best thing about touch faucets is that you can easily activate them, even if your hands are busy. Imagine you are washing the dishes and holding the plate with your soapy hand.
To turn on the water, you just need to touch the faucet with your forearm rather than using your soapy hands on the shiny clean faucet.
2.) One more example you can take. Maybe you are working on your car and your hand is full of grease or oil. Now you need to wash your hands, but you don’t want to touch the faucet with your dirty hands – so you can simply touch the faucet with your forearm, elbow, or any part of the body to activate the water.
3.) Your faucet will always look new and shine for many years because you are not touching the faucet with your dirty hands.
4.) The other plus point is that touch faucets can help to save water. Since it will automatically shut off after a certain amount of time, you can avoid water being wasted.
Because sometimes we leave the faucet on when it’s not needed. So in the long run, a touch faucet helps to reduce your water bills.
Disadvantages Of Touch Kitchen Faucet
1.) The main disadvantage of touch kitchen faucets is their price. Since they use advanced technology and sensor in their faucet and sensor increase the price of the faucet.
If you are thinking to install the faucet in your kitchen then you need to pay a higher price as compared to the regular faucet. Still, the price is not that high and they are becoming affordable nowadays.
But believe me, the price is worth it if you want more convenience and flexibility in your kitchen.
2.) Another concern is that touch faucets required power to run. Basically, they are powered by a battery, and it needs to be changed from time to time.
But the battery last for 2 to 3 years and you need to change the battery after every 2-3 years. However, some faucets have led indicators to remind you when it’s time to change.
3.) However there are only one or two disadvantages but many people think that if water and electricity mix, we get shocked but that’s not true. These faucets are designed to be completely safe and you don’t need to worry about it.
Here Are Some Myths About Touch Kitchen Faucet
Here are some most common myths about touch faucets and why you don’t need to worry about them.
Faucet turns on or off without touching
Many people think that touch faucets turn on or off automatically, but this is not true. Touch faucets have advanced inbuilt sensors.
These sensors are only activated when they feel some kind of electric energy. This energy is only produced by the human body and not from other inactive objects.
These days touch faucets come with advanced technology, so they can understand the difference between human energy and normal energy. Due to this technology, faucets do not turn on or off automatically.
They are hard to clean
There are many people who are concerned about this. If you turn on the water by touching the faucet then, how you can clean the faucet without the water switching on and off.
The simple answer is that touch faucets don’t respond to every type of touch. The sensor in the faucet is designed in such a way that it can differentiate between a normal and a touch of the sponge.
Electricity makes the faucet dangerous
The biggest myth in people’s minds is touching a faucet may give them an electric shock. But that’s not true. The touch faucets are not connected to the main supply line.
They have dc power only and use a 1.5-volt battery to run. The total amount of voltage is a maximum of 9 volts, which will not harm you in any way.
Also, the electricity is connected to the outside of the faucet, and water that passes through the pipe is non-conductive. So, there is no chance of electricity coming in direct contact with water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do touch faucets need electricity?
Yes, touch faucets have a sensor that requires electricity to work. The electricity is usually generated by batteries. Some touch faucets are connected to the power supply, which helps to save your time on battery replacement. We had already mentioned that touching the faucet will not give you an electric shock.
How long do batteries last in the touch faucet?
We had already discussed in the article about battery life. In touch faucets, the battery can last up to 2 years. So if you are worried about battery replacement, you have to change it every 2 years with AA batteries. C batteries can last up to around 5 years.
Which company makes touch faucets?
So delta faucet is one of the most popular companies that makes touch faucets. Delta faucets are experts and reputed brands in kitchen and bathroom appliances and they are continuously upgrading their technology with every new faucet model.