Touchless bathroom plumbing fixtures such as sinks and toilets are becoming more and more mainstream and making their way into bathroom remodels everywhere. Homeowners love the sleek design and high-tech features that provide a host of benefits – some obvious, some not so much.
We have all seen toilets in public restrooms that employ a motion sensor to flush the toilet when the person who just used the toilet steps away. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Without getting too graphic, perhaps you have experienced an unsanitary splatter as a result of a quick automatic flush, or had to reactivate the flush mechanism because the first flush was insufficient. Similar to the way touchless faucets work, public toilets rely on a beam of light from an infrared sensor to trigger the flush when the beam is broken by a person’s movement.
Handsfree toilets in the home also use a type of technology that works on a motion sensor, but in this case, the sensor is located on the top of the tank and requires a hand be waved over it to activate the flush. This allows the user to close the lid before flushing. But, do you really need to go hands-free when it comes to flushing the toilets in your own home? Consider the benefits, then decide for yourself.
Top 3 Benefits of Having Motion-sensor Toilets in the Home
- Reduce worries about hygiene and health of family members and visitors to the home. No one is perfect. No matter how often we wash our hands with soap and water or clean them with hand sanitizer, we cough, we sneeze, or we come into contact with someone else who does. A handsfree toilet flush mechanism lets you minimize the spread of germs and bacteria, since you don’t have to touch a toilet handle containing germs from other users of that toilet. A gentle wave of a hand over the sensor means everyone keeps their hands – and their germs – to themselves.
- Got kids? Then you have germs. Children are germ magnets. And with their little hands everywhere – from floors, to toys at pre-school, to the family pet, and then to the bathroom – the germs they pick up are easily spread to anything they touch. You can minimize the spread of germs from children by installing a handsfree toilet. They’ll love waving their hand over the top and hearing the satisfying flush as a result. And, from the toilet, they can step to the handsfree faucet and wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water!
- Ease of Use for the Elderly. An elderly person who gets around the house with a walker, or whose hands are crimped with arthritis, will find motion-detector toilets easier to use. They won’t have to reach to the side to manually flush, which could be painful, but simply pass their hand over the sensor to accomplish the task.
Motioned-sensor toilets can be installed new or existing flush-handle toilets can be retrofitted with a motion-activated device. Do your homework to determine the type that will meet your needs and your budget. To get more insights and even expert opinion, speak with a plumber or general contractor who has experience installing handsfree toilets.
Steve Rush, owner of Sovereign Construction Services (sovereignconstructionservices.com), is a full-service home building and renovating contractor. Steve is available to answer all your questions regarding the use and installation of hands-free faucets. Contact Sovereign
Construction today at 610-639-2986 or via email at steve@sovereignconstructionservices.com.