Oras single lever mixer taps available from Enware Australia

Read article : Oras single lever mixer taps available from Enware Australia

Elegant commercial quality Oras single lever tapware is being introduced by Enware Australia for applications requiring smart appearance combined with durability.

The range of four European styled mixer taps all share a standard robust cartridge design with metal stem for superior strength, long life and simplicity of maintenance.

Tap handles and their connection to the cartridge have been engineered to help cope with more aggressive impacts encountered in busy domestic, commercial, healthcare, hospitality and workplace environments.  

As a key design element, the handle may detach under extreme load before the internal cartridge or connecting spigot is damaged,  reducing the cost, time and labour required for servicing.

By sharing a single cartridge type, inventory needs and maintenance costs and complexity are reduced. The Oras range is backed by the national service resources of Enware Australia, ensuring that parts and technical backup are freely available.

Oras tapware includes internal strainers, protecting the cartridge from debris. The swivel range can be adjusted to suit corner or centre positions on sink installations. Basin taps are supplied with standard Red/Blue indication and Yellow/Blue for health and aged care applications.

Oras tapware is also a part of a comprehensive range of Enware Australia’s commercial tapware and washroom products including:

• Sensor activated no-touch tapware that helps minimise cross contamination.
• Touch activated self-closing tapware with electronic time flow technology.
• Hygienic, robust lever-action Leva range, which uses elbow, palm or wrist activation to reduce the risk of cross contamination when washing the hands.
• Aquablend thermostatic mixing valves, for delivering water at a pre-set temperature
• Pressalit Care bathroom products for the elderly or disabled.

Greenbuild exhibitors get down to business

Read article : Greenbuild exhibitors get down to business

TORONTO — The exhibits at the annual Greenbuild Show continue to become increasingly practical and pragmatic, much like the university competition that is the Solar Decathlon in Washington that wrapped up earlier in October. There was little to see that was far outside of the mainstream.

The U.S. Green Building Council's annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo featured four days of networking, educational sessions, green building tours, master speakers and plenary events. The 140,208 gross square meters (1.5 million-sq.ft.) of the North and South building expo floors of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre were fully sold out and comprised of 1,700 booths.

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Greenbuild 2010 showcases innovative solutions

The 23,000 attendees must have been in the educational sessions because they weren’t on the show floor, making it easy for CONTRACTOR to speak with any of the exhibitors at any time. Kohler stood out with a 40-ft. x 40-ft. booth that was made of recycled barn wood. Kohler has converted all faucets from its residential lines to meet new low-lead guidelines.

Additionally, the company unveiled two advanced commercial faucets at Greenbuild that now comply with the lead regulations, the Gooseneck and the Streamlined Touchless faucets. In addition to their low lead content, the faucets boast a touchless design that uses Kohler’s proprietary Insight adaptive infrared sensor technology and runs off the industry’s first ever 30-year Hybrid Energy System. The firm also showed off its enameled cast iron products that are made from at least 80% recycled material.

Reduce, reuse and recycle was the theme for Charlotte Pipe & Foundry. The company pointed out that its cast iron pipe is made from 100% recycled material from everything from refrigerators to car engines. Charlotte’s RePVC plastic pipe has recycled material in the center with virgin material in the inner and outer skins. It is the first NSF-listed Schedule 40 pipe made with recycled materials. The company’s ReUze purple CPVC pipe is made for rainwater and graywater systems and is labeled, “Warning: Non-potable water do not drink.” ReUse meets all the same requirements as FlowGuard Gold CTS CPVC domestic water piping.

Sloan Valve showed off its Solis line of PV-power flushometers and hand-washing faucets. The company displayed a brand-new faucet line, Basys, which includes automatic shutoff, visible diagnostics, interchangeable parts, multiple power options, automatic line purge and three flow options. The crown of the Basys faucet is easily removed for access to all the internal parts. Sloan also showed off its Greenbuild-appropriate Aqus graywater system that collects water under the lav, cleans it, stores it and then uses it to flush the adjacent toilet. Aqus works with most toilets, even dual flush, and it is UPC-listed.

American Standard displayed its new Decorum FloWise high-efficiency urinal designed for luxury buildings, clubs and resorts. Decorum uses 0.5-gpf, half the amount of a standard urinal, meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program requirements. Moreover, commercial specifiers can now select thirty-four pairings of commercial urinals, toilets and flush valves to make commercial specifying more efficient. In addition to streamlining the specifying function, this consolidated process helps expedite delivery and paperwork for large volume commercial projects. The company also showed its Studio dual flush toilets. These luxury performance (dubbed LXP) toilets offer users the choice between a standard 1.6-gpf for solids or 1.1-gpf for liquids, meeting WaterSense criteria for using 20% less water than standard models.

The green emphasis at Delta Faucet was that all of its residential lavatory faucets flow at 1.5-GPM at 60-PSI. A majority of Delta products are also WaterSense labeled. The WaterSense label provides consumers with assurance that bathroom faucets, such as Leland, Lahara, Addison, Dryden, and Victorian, are approximately 30% more water-efficient than their 2.2-GPM counterparts. In the commercial sector, all Delta brand lavatories have a 1.5-GPM outlet as standard, with the option of 0.5-GPM for further savings. In addition to contributing LEED credits, Delta Faucet Co. also provides electronic and manual commercial metering products for reassurance that the faucet won’t be left running.

Moen recently introduced new eco-performance retail kitchen faucets that allow users the option to switch between three water-flow settings. For everyday tasks that require constant, yet low water flow, such as washing dishes or preparing foods, homeowners can choose eco-performance standard stream or aerated spray modes. These settings provide a reduced flow rate of 1.75-GPM. For tasks that require a set amount of water, however, such as filling a pot or pitcher, they can switch to the fast-fill mode, which flows at 2.2-GPM. Moen’s Commercial Division has created Eco-Performance shower systems that are certified to meet WaterSense criteria, with flow rates as low as 1.5-GPM. Commercial shower systems combine Moen’s Eco-Performance showerheads with the Posi-Temp valve to reduce water consumption and eliminate shower shock.

ClimateMaster introduced the Tranquility Modular Water-to-Water (TMW) Series in 360 (30-ton) and 600 (50-ton) sizes. This water-to-water series offers high efficiency with advanced features and application flexibility at competitive prices. As ClimateMaster’s most adaptable EarthPure HFC410A refrigerant units, the TMW series can be used for radiant floor heating, snow/ice melt, chilled water for fan coils, hot/chilled water for make-up air, and many other types of HVAC applications. The TMW 360-600 has advanced digital controls for BAS interface, four LEDS for unit status and compressor isolation switches. Other features include front and back service access panels that allow for side-by-side installation; larger capacity, requiring fewer units per job site; staggered top water connections for ease of manifolding multiple units; and DDC controls with 11 safety protections for the refrigeration circuits.

Aquatherm displayed its Greenpipe recyclable polypropylene-random (PP-R) piping system designed for potable water applications. The pipe is joined by heat fusion. The PP-R material used in Aquatherm pipe is an abundant byproduct of petroleum processing. It also requires far less energy for initial production than other piping materials, and involves none of the environmental effects associated with mining operations.

Additionally, the pipe has a natural R-value of 1-1.5 depending on pipe size and SDR. Aquatherm Lilac, developed for graywater applications such as toilet/drain water, rainwater collection, laundry/cleaning, irrigation, and similar uses, is comparatively low priced and has a list of steadily growing code approvals (it currently meets ASTM F2389 and CSA B137.11).

McQuay International previewed the new Daikin McQuay SmartSource Water Source Heat Pump (WSHP) product line during Greenbuild. The line includes the industry’s first variable-speed inverter WSHP. The new line of water source heat pumps comes in a range of sizes and options that include smart dehumidification, waterside economizers and internal electric heat. The SmartSource platform is geothermal ready with factory-mounted loop water pumps. McQuay also introduced the Daikin McQuay Rebel rooftop unit. The new unit claims energy efficiency at almost double the ASHRAE 90.1 minimum standard, while functioning as a Variable Air Volume heat pump unit down to three tons. In addition, the Daikin McQuay Rebel is the first packaged rooftop system to use variable heat pump technology with auxiliary gas heat, as well as, Daikin’s advanced variable inverter scroll compressor.

Taking the spotlight in Niagara’s Greenbuild booth this year was the Stealth Ultra-High-Efficiency Toilet, featuring 0.8-gpf technology. The Stealth was set-up for live demonstrations for Greenbuild attendees. For the shower, Niagara displayed the high-efficiency Sava Spa Showerhead and the Tri-Max Showerhead with three flow rate options. With a new line of faucet aerators, the Niagara booth showcased both kitchen and bathroom faucet aerators, including its new Versa Kitchen Aerator, Tri-Max Aerator, Lead-Free Aerator and Bathroom Sink Aerator. Niagara also introduced the Energy Saving Smart Surge Protector and the Eco-IQ Programmable 5-2 Thermostat.

Jaga, a European manufacturer of stylish panel radiators and unique fan-powered hydronic baseboard, announced that it has filled out its U.S. representation and it is available across the U.S. Jaga’s product lines include the Energy Savers low-H20 radiators and the Eye Catchers line of visually appealing heating solutions. Because of its heat exchanger technology, Jaga’s “Energy Savers” radiators require only 10% the water of traditional panel radiators, resulting in a 12% energy savings. This lowers energy bills and reduces annual CO2 emissions per dwelling by almost a ton. Jaga’s Eye Catchers heating solutions use innovative materials and production techniques to elevate the radiator from a design object to art.

Encore, a division of Component Hardware Group Inc., has introduced a hygienic, water-conscious solution for converting a standard faucet into a low-flow metering faucet. The One-Tap Metering Aerator fits most faucets with an existing aerator, enabling a speedy, hassle-free transition to a water-conserving faucet. The One-Tap Metering Aerator offers a cost-effective alternative to electronic faucets. Water flow starts with a single touch and the adjustable metering activator automatically stops the flow in two to 20 seconds. This action reduces the risk of cross-contamination and provides up to 87% water savings over conventional faucets. The One-Tap Metering Aerator comes with a tamper-proof housing, installation/adjustment key and 15/16-27 female by 55/64-27 female thread adapter to fit most standard faucets with aerators.

Bathrooms on a budget

Read article : Bathrooms on a budget

Consumer expert Jennifer Newton investigates the latest basin tap designs and what they have to offer. 

Image above: Water Square Lights monobloc basin mixer, (H) 12cm, £875, Crosswater.

When it comes to fitting a new bathroom, it’s worth prioritising your budget on items with moving parts. ‘You turn a tap on and off hundreds of thousands of times during the lifetime of the bathroom. It therefore needs to be durable and reliable, so spend as much as you can afford,’ says Martin Mongan, UK managing director for Hansgrohe.

Technology features

Manufacturers have, until recently, focused on improving kitchen taps and shower mixers, but technology for bathroom taps is also improving now. Digital and sensor bathroom taps that include hand-drying are possible but, at £700-£2,000, it will be some time before they are considered standard. There are also taps with a light that changes from blue to red, indicating temperature – but the price tag is high. For example, Crosswater’s Water Square basin monobloc tap retails at £315, but jumps to £875 with changing light effect.

Sensor controls

Touch-free sensor taps offer maximum hygiene, with water automatically stopping when the user moves away. Tap specialist Hansgrohe now sells Axor basin- and wall-mounted mixer taps operated by sensors, where the temperature can be pre-set – ideal for areas such as cloakrooms. EcoSmart technology limits water flow to five litres per minute, and the sensor itself saves even more water and energy due to the short run time of 1-1.5 seconds. Dyson has also entered the market with the Airblade, boasting a sensor tap and a built-in automatic hand- dryer, for £980.

Image above: Left: Axor Citterio electronic basin mixer, (H)22cm, £1,236, Hansgrohe.

Image above: Right: Country basin mixer with filtration, in Pewter (H) 23.5cm, £711.24, Perrin and Rowe. 

Digital revolution

Bathroom technology at its best, the Grohe Ondus range is controlled via a smart panel that’s pre-programmed with preferred temperature, flow rate and duration. Taps can be basin- or wall-mounted, and a co-ordinating shower and bath mixer is available. Colours include Velvet Black, Moon White and Frosted Titanium, but this technology is still costly at up to £2,000.

Water filters

Perrin & Rowe claims that Triflow is the world’s first three-way tap technology, delivering hot, cold and filtered water through a dedicated bathroom waterway. Made in the UK, Triflow taps are designed to reduce heavy metals and particles but let through necessary minerals. Or, try the Country basin mixer, which has a handle to mix hot and cold water and a separate handle for filtered water. David Cole, sales director at Perrin & Rowe, says: ‘Opting for a filtration tap ensures clean, hygienic filtered water with the ease of a standard tap.’

Smart Devices in the Washroom? It's Not as Crazy as You Think

Read article : Smart Devices in the Washroom? It's Not as Crazy as You Think

Advertisement

For centuries, the washroom has arguably been the most private room in the house. You could shut yourself away inside, lock the door, and escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life.

Not anymore. Hundreds of companies are trying to join you in there, ready to log, record, and advise on every aspect of your bathroom routine.

Whether that’s for better or for worse is highly debatable. However, I’m not here to discuss the relevant merits of smart devices in the washroom — I just want to let you know about the best gadgets available right now.

Here’s what an average day could look like in a smart bathroom.

Morning

First, let’s take a look at a typical morning routine.

7:00 AM: Empty Your Bladder

Time to get real. The first thing we all do in the morning is head to the toilet. And at that ungodly hour, the last thing you want to be doing is dealing with cold surfaces, loo roll, and toilet seats.

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It’s easier to get a smart toilet and let technology do the hard work.

The Ove Smart Toilet offers all the bells and whistles you could ever want. It has a heated seat, a five-jet bidet, water temperature controls, an automatic flush, a self-cleaning feature, and an automatic seat. Models from other manufacturers might even offer foot warmers, overflow protection, nightlights, and Bluetooth speakers Best Bluetooth Speakers Under $25 and up to $300 in 2016 Best Bluetooth Speakers Under $25 and up to $300 in 2016You can't beat the convenience of going wire-free. Great audio quality may always need wired speakers, but for music on your phone Bluetooth speakers are a must-have accessory nowadays. Read More.

7:05 AM: Weigh Yourself

Once you’ve emptied yourself, it’s time to get on the scales. If you weigh yourself before you start eating and drinking, you’ll get the most accurate results.

However, if you’re striving for a 21st century bathroom, an old analog scale isn’t going to cut it. You need a high-tech body analyzer Use Automated Health Tracking to Lose Weight and Live a Healthier Life Use Automated Health Tracking to Lose Weight and Live a Healthier LifeHealth tracking is about taking care of your food, your workouts, your productivity, and your moods. Modern fitness trackers can now automate it all to help you lose weight and live a healthier life Read More.

Check out the Withings Smart Body Analyzer Wi-Fi Scales (UK). Obviously, these scales can tell you what you weigh, but they will also display your body fat measurements, body mass index (BMI), heart rate, and information on the air quality in the room.

Withings Ws-50 Smart Body Analyzer, White Withings Ws-50 Smart Body Analyzer, WhiteHeart rate measurement by stepping on the scale Buy Now At Amazon$119.00

7:15 AM: Shower

Opinion is split on whether a steamy bathroom is a good thing. On the one hand, it is great for your lungs and offers some welcome warmth on cold winter mornings. On the other, everything gets saturated (including electric plug sockets), and you then have to wipe down the mirror.

If you prefer a stream-free washroom environment, get a humidity sensor such as the Aeotec MultiSensor 6 (UK).

Rather than powering up the extractor fan every time you turn on the bathroom light, you can combine the two so it only runs whenever excess humidity is detected. This little sensor can save you power and cut back on unnecessary noise.

Aeotec Multisensor 6, Z-Wave Plus 6-in1 motion, temperature, humidity, light, UV, vibration sensor Aeotec Multisensor 6, Z-Wave Plus 6-in1 motion, temperature, humidity, light, UV, vibration sensor6-in-1 Z-Wave Plus MultiSensor: motion, humidity, temperature, light lux, UV, vibration sensor. Buy Now At Amazon$58.99

7:30 AM: Get Out of the Shower

Once you get out of the shower, you’ll need a towel. And, if you’ve installed a humidity sensor, it’d be preferable if the towel was already warm since there’s not going to be any hot steam in the room to keep you toasty.

Sounds like you might need a heated towel rail. However, if you want a smart heated towel rail, you need to connect it to a smart switch The Automated Outlet: What Can Smart Outlets Really Accomplish? The Automated Outlet: What Can Smart Outlets Really Accomplish?Here are seven creative and useful ways you can make smart outlets work for you. Read More. It will let you program your towel to get warm at the same time every morning.

Consider pairing the VonHaus Electric Towel Rail, which has an AC adapter, with a Belkin WeMo Smart Switch (UK).

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8:00 AM: Get Ready

After breakfast, it’s back to the bathroom to prepare for the day. For most people, that means a lot of time spent looking into the mirror.

Smart mirrors are becoming increasingly popular. For example, in October 2016, Panasonic debuted its Smart Mirror at the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies conference in Japan. It can do everything from offering make-up advice to recommending what outfit you should wear in light of the weather forecast 5 Apps That Make the Weather More Entertaining 5 Apps That Make the Weather More EntertainingWeather apps with jokes and GIFs; with pixels and profanity. Your morning will never be the same. Read More.

I covered smart mirrors in more detail when I described a smart home of the future 10 Future Technologies You'll See In Your Home in 3 Years 10 Future Technologies You'll See In Your Home in 3 YearsWhat technology do experts think you'll have in your house by the turn of the decade? I'm going to walk you through a typical day in the smart home of the future. Read More elsewhere on the site.

Another option is the Tech2O Cyber Mirror. It’s a mirror, TV, and web portal all rolled into one. It boasts a 32-inch screen, and it’s got an IP65 waterproof rating, meaning it’s safe for using in damp conditions.

Evening

After a long day at the office, a smart bathroom can offer you everything you need to unwind.

7:00 PM: Bath Time

If you thought running a bath was as simple as putting in the plug and turning on the tap, think again.

You can now get baths that offer “chromotherapy.” For those that don’t know, chromotherapy attempts to use colors to make your body healthier 4 Subreddits You Should Read For Tips To Stay Healthy and Fit 4 Subreddits You Should Read For Tips To Stay Healthy and FitI will tell you right now that I couldn't possible write an article about living a healthy life. I'm a self-confessed Taco Bell connoisseur. However, I can certainly tell you where you can find some other health tips.... Read More and more harmonious. Pegasus offers a bath with 11 different colors and five preset energizing programs. And if you’ve already got a Whirlpool bath, you can buy chromotherapy lights directly from the company’s online store.

If you’ve not got time for a bath, don’t worry. There are plenty of smart showers to choose from as well.

KOHLER K-9245-CP 2.5 GPM Moxie Showerhead and Wireless Speaker, Polished Chrome KOHLER K-9245-CP 2.5 GPM Moxie Showerhead and Wireless Speaker, Polished ChromeIncludes showerhead, wireless speaker and micro USB charging cable Showerarm and flange not included Buy Now At AmazonToo low to display

One example is the Moxie showerhead. It has Bluetooth speakers that can play music, podcasts, or the radio for up to seven hours continuously. You can also adjust the water flow from a bill-slashing 2.0 GPM to a full-force 2.5 GPM.

If you want to go more upmarket, check out the offerings from Moen. Its “U” product has a connected app that can program the shower to start at the same time each morning, adjust the temperature, and even set which nozzles are used.

10:00 PM: Freshen Up for Bed

As the evening wears on, you might want to freshen up your hands and face in a bid to relax yourself before bed. Your splash-and-dash wash will be much more enjoyable if you have a digital electronic faucet.

They are touchless (and thus reduce germs), they have digital flow controls (saving you water and money), and frequently come with digital temperature control settings and programmable flow configurations. The programmable flow is especially useful when you’re brushing your teeth. The water won’t cut off if you take your hands away from the infrared sensor.

Check out the offerings from Grohe if you want one in your washroom.

Would You Like a Smart Washroom?

In this article, I’ve shown you 11 devices and appliances that can turn your boring “dumb” bathroom into a washroom from the future.

But is a smart bathroom right for you? Would you enjoy having all this tech around you while you shower, or do you appreciate the bathroom’s value as one of the last bastions of tech-free living?

Whatever your opinion, I’d love to hear from you. You can leave all your thoughts and opinions in the comments section down below.

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