What Is the Difference Between Touch and Touchless Faucets?

Updated: June, 2021

We in the modern world tend to take water for granted. But it is so precious that it is now being treated as a commodity on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. It probably won’t be long before people are trading it on their smartphones. It’s important to remember that even when it is plentiful, water is precious.
Behind the stove, the sink is the most important part of a kitchen. So if a kitchen is being upgraded, there’s a good chance that the sink will be replaced. That offers the choice of using a traditional faucet or a more advanced touchless system. Knowing the difference between these two kinds of faucets is essential for a homeowner as one may be a better fit for their requirements.

The Difference Between a Touch or Touchless Faucet

Touchless and touch faucets are modern-day upgrades replacing the traditional faucet. The old-style faucet required a person to push or pull a handle if they wanted to turn the water off or on.
Using a touchless faucet allows a person to turn on the water by getting close to the unit. A touchless faucet detects the presence of a person’s hand and starts the water flowing automatically. Utilizing a touch faucet requires physical touch. A simple tap is all that’s needed to turn the water on.

How Does a Touchless Faucet Work?

Turning on a touchless faucet is done by waving a hand in front of it. Proximity sensors inside the faucet recognize an object’s presence and send a signal to a valve controlling water flow.
One common system utilizes infrared light, which bounces off of the hand back to a detector on the faucet to let it know it needs to turn on.
Another system is based on static electricity. It is similar to what happens when a person drags their feet across a thick carpet and touches another individual, shocking them. Bodies can store electrical energy. A touch faucet can use this ability to switch on a valve controlling water flow.
Similar systems are used to adjust the water temperature.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a Touchless Faucet

There are a number of advantages to using a touchless faucet:

● Convenience: Using this type of faucet is quick and convenient. It can be an excellent choice for individuals, like children, who find it challenging to manipulate or reach a traditional faucet handle.

● Hygiene: Cleaning dirty hands with a traditional faucet can be challenging if a person has to touch a handle before turning on the water. Using a touchless faucet solves this problem, which means the spread of germs can be greatly reduced.

● Water Conservation: The water flow of a touchless faucet is designed to run slower. Doing so helps save the amount of water used when compared to a traditional kitchen sink faucet. This produces a win-win situation for the environment and the homeowner.

But there are also some disadvantages:

● Cost: Touchless faucets cost more than a standard faucet — generally twice as much but it can be substantially more than that.
● Power Usage: They use electric power, which means a touchless faucet’s sensors won’t work if a power outage occurs. However, batteries can usually be used to remedy the situation.
● Complexity: A traditional faucet works from water pressure. There is nothing to go wrong. As long as your plumbing is working, you will get water.

Why You Might Use a Touchless Faucet

The obvious advantage of using a touchless faucet is the ability to turn it on with the wave of a finger or another part of your body. The technology in this type of faucet even knows if you’re cleaning it or if you actually need water.

Using a traditional faucet after touching raw chicken or similar materials can be challenging without getting the handle all slimy and gross. Using a touchless faucet eliminates this problem, which can help stop the spread of germs.

Choosing a Faucet and Personal Preferences

Touchless and touch faucets offer advantages to a homeowner when they are used to replace a traditional faucet. Both options are available due to the difference in the requirements and preferences of individuals who use the kitchen sink.

Individuals who spend a significant time in the kitchen may be used to frequently working with raw meat, dough, or other food that can leave a person’s hands contaminated. In this situation, they may opt for a touchless option.

Other reasons why a person might want to use a touchless kitchen faucet can include the following:

• Provides durability
• Should remain shiny and not need cleaning as frequently
• Installation should be straightforward.

In contrast, some individuals prefer to have more control and might like using a touch faucet better. Using the back of a hand or wrist can activate a touch-faucet. Doing so would eliminate the problem of transferring contaminants to the faucet.

Other reasons to utilize a touch kitchen faucet can include the following:

• Cleaning this type of faucet can usually be done with just one or two wipes
• No sensors to pick up random electrical signals or movements.

Before choosing a touchless or touch-sensitive faucet, it’s probably best to consider how much time is spent with raw foods. However, even then, it can be easy to use either option. Also, all of the people using the faucet should be considered, especially if they are younger children or seniors.

Whatever choice is made for the final decision, it will likely provide more benefits than using a traditional option that requires the use of a handle.

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AUTHOR BIO

Hi, my name is Chandra. I am a professional blogger and a contributor to various kitchen improvement related websites. I recently contributed an article on “energy-saving tips for refrigerator” topic. You can refer to this article to learn the secret formula for saving energy in the refrigerator.