The little luxuries can be the most impactful. Take the case of the humble kitchen faucet. Now that we are accustomed to the excellent faucet designs that make it a cinch to fill our pots and wash our dishes and fruit, we have moved on to helpful technologies like touch and touchless water faucets. Don’t worry, these faucets still have a handle to manually control flow and temp and so on, but oftentimes you just need the water turned on and off effortlessly and these systems are a super helpful little luxury to improve your kitchen.
As experienced plumbers, we’ve seen hundreds of types of faucets and we have some idea of what makes a faucet really functional. It boils down to this; the best faucet is the one that suits your needs while being appropriate for the type of sink you have and while it provides great water flow, ease of use, and aesthetics.
So what is a touch faucet and what is a touchless faucet?
With a touch faucet, a single tap turns the water on. Touchless faucets go one step further by typically only requiring a swipe or a wave in front of the faucet sensor without having to actually touch the faucet at all. Some touchless options even use a foot pedal to control the water.
Both types are innovative and helpful and since they are usually upscale options they are all also aesthetically attractive.
Touch Vs. Touchless Faucets
Here’s what you want to know:
- Touch faucets work with a single touch with any part of your hand, arm, even your head so you can still use them safely to reduce the risk of bacterial or germ spread.
- Touchless faucets work with sensors that respond to motion, sound, or heat (or a combination of those) to turn it on without having to touch it.
- Both touch and touchless faucets can be powered either with a/c connection to the home’s power or with batteries.
- Most battery run options use lithium batteries that can last two years on average, but some brands, usually those with sensors, can use household batteries which may require frequent changing; as often as a few times a month. In most models, the battery pack is located under the sink.
- If the faucet runs on batteries, it will continue to operate during a power outage, but those running on a/c may or may not. Make sure your choice has an override or off switch if you choose touchless powered by the home’s a/c.
- Young children and the elderly can struggle with some types of sensors on touchless faucets, so make sure it is a system that fits your family before investing.
- If you choose a touchless faucet that has an activation sensor, you want to ensure it is not located in an awkward place, but one that is easy to access in typical scenarios, like when your hands are full.
- The same quality brands that make traditional kitchen faucets also make these innovative types so you will see Moen, Kohler, Delta, Grohe, Pfister, and American Standard versions which are excellent quality and will serve you well. You will be able to narrow it down based on the other features you may want like a pull-down handle, specific finishes, temperature sensors, spray selectors, and so on.
Work With An Expert Plumber
Whatever version you choose, you can benefit from expert input and we are happy to help. Here at Phend Plumbing, we have years of experience and highly qualified plumbers who can help bring your vision to reality. Give us a call to get an estimate on installing your new faucet right away at 480-388-6093.