There have been motion sensor faucets in public restrooms and commercial areas for years, but they are becoming increasingly prevalent in residential kitchens and bathrooms. Smart faucets offer numerous advantages, including cost savings, water conservation, and the avoidance of germs.

What are smart faucets?

Whenever you’ve washed your hands in a public restroom, you’ve probably met the simplest version of smart faucets. These faucets have utilized infrared technology for decades, allowing you to activate water flow by merely moving your palm in front of them. 

In our post-Covid 19 world, not having to contact the sink or faucet to wash your hands can reduce the spread of bacteria by up to 85 percent, a crucial feature.

Smart faucets have migrated into our homes, settling in the kitchen, allowing you to use voice commands to switch on the water, shut it off, and adjust the water temperature.

Voice-Activated, Touch and Touchless Smart Faucets

One of the most appealing aspects of smart faucets is touchless activation. A touchless faucet allows you to clean your hands of raw chicken without touching the faucet. It inhibits the transmission of germs and reduces the time required for cleanup.

There are two principal varieties of touchless faucets. Voice-activated faucets operate similarly to other smart home gadgets, such as Amazon’s Alexa, by responding to voice requests. Other hands-free faucets utilize infrared sensors to detect a specific ‘depth of field’ and activate only upon entry and exit from this field. These operate similarly to the automated faucets seen in public restrooms.

Some smart faucets are touch-activated. These utilize capacitance, sometimes known as your natural body current. The capacitance of wood is exemplified by your smartphone’s display. This is a great feature of smart faucets because you can turn it on with your wrist or elbow instead than your dough-covered hands.

How do smart faucets work?

You might feel like an H20 genie is running your smart faucet. However, it is not magic; it is something more mundane.

You will see a box under the sink if you have motion-sensing devices; this is the mechanism that responds to your commands. It is equipped with a magnetic valve that permits water to flow through the faucet. Once triggered, the solenoid valve commences the flow of water and, after a timed shutdown, blocks the flow of water through the sink, much to a miniature dam.

Obviously, your smart device requires a power source in order to fulfill your demands. Some devices draw power from an outlet (the box under the sink). Others rely on battery power (AA and C being the most popular). These batteries have a two- to five-year lifespan.

The most advanced smart faucets are app-based. Some manufacturers, including Moen, make their smart sinks compatible with virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa; this is typically how voice-activated ones’ function.

Advantages of Smart Faucet 

1. Hands-free operation

You’ve seen them in movie theaters, airports, and shopping mall restrooms; motion-activated faucets are smart faucets with hands-free control that are taking over public spaces. Smart faucets are simple to operate because motion-activated sensors turn on the water when your hands approach the sink and turn it off when you move away.

2. Prevents the spread of microorganisms

In the era of COVID-19, it is more crucial than ever to avoid the spread of germs and bacteria, and a smart faucet aids in this endeavor. With a hands-free control smart faucet, you and your family’s hands never have to touch a tap with unclean hands; instead, you simply place your hands in a sink with soap provided by a touchless soap dispenser, and voila!

3. No smudges or fingerprints are visible

With hands-free control, the kitchen sink and faucet remain spotless since they are never touched. This prevents a multitude of smudges and fingerprints from being left on the faucet or sink. Additionally, you can clean and sterilize it less frequently than a standard faucet and sink that is frequently used by multiple individuals.

4. Prevents water from flooding

One of the mechanical advantages of smart faucets is that you never have to worry about sink or tub overflow. If you are the type of person who multitasks in the kitchen while cooking, you can turn your back on a running smart faucet to check on something in the oven, and it will automatically shut off without flooding the kitchen counters.

5. Observe water usage

If numerous members of your household continuously consume water, one of the most significant advantages of changing to a smart faucet is the ability to monitor water usage via a smartphone. Simply download the app from the maker of your smart faucet, and you can monitor water consumption in any room where the faucets are located. You will know how much water is used in each room each month, allowing you to design a plan to reduce your household’s water consumption.

6. Specified water temperature

On your smart faucet, you may pre-set your preferred water temperature, eliminating the need to wait for cold water to warm up. For instance, there is a temperature option for water that is ideal for hand washing. Having predetermined water temperatures prevents scorching hot water from inflicting injuries, such as burns, in the long run.

7. Smart faucets are kid-friendly

If you have children, upgrading to a smart faucet will alleviate the burden of hand-washing in your household. With preset water temperatures and hands-free control, you’ll never have to worry about smaller children getting burned by hot water, and they won’t have any trouble manually turning off the water with their small hands, as it shuts off automatically. They can also learn to wash their teeth independently because the water is turned on and off by motion sensors or touch technologies.

8. Precise water management

Having a smart faucet is a dream come true for individuals who enjoy cooking specialized dishes. When a recipe calls for “one cup of water,” you no longer need a measuring cup because you can obtain exactly one cup. You can enter specific commands such as “Fill the tea kettle” or “2 cups of water” into your smart faucet with preset water dispensing.

9. Early detection of leaks

In addition to monitoring residential water consumption, smart faucets can detect the earliest signs of water leakage. A smart faucet will notify your smartphone of a water leak since it constantly checks water usage for abnormalities. You can then contact a licensed plumber for smart faucet repair services.

10. Reduce water bill costs

Smart faucets contribute significantly to reduced monthly utility and water expenditures. You never waste water or have unexpected water leaks, such as when someone forgets to turn off the faucet at night, thanks to continuous monitoring of water usage and preprogrammed directives for precise water disposal.

How much does smart faucet cost?

Anyone who has purchased a new faucet in the past several years is aware that they likely cost more than anticipated. You can pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than a thousand dollars for a kitchen faucet, depending on the design, the finish, and whether or not you want extra features like as a commercial-grade sprayer.

Consequently, the price of a smart faucet falls somewhere in the middle of that range. You’ll also need a smart speaker if you opt for a smart faucet, and whether you choose a Google Nest Audio, Hub, or Amazon’s Echo Show 10 or Show 15, it should be in close proximity to the tap so you don’t have to shout commands.

To summarize

Smart faucets have emerged as a cost-effective way for people to have access to clean drinking water in their homes without having to touch the faucet, thereby maintaining hand hygiene and sanitation.