Commercial bathroom touchless faucets with IR sensors and capacitance sensing technology were invented to eliminate the need to touch surfaces that had been touched by other users. 

Before that, all faucets were operated by manual handles that had to be turned on and off. 

This caused a great deal of water waste, and it also caused sanitation problems because users had to touch handles that had been touched by every other user before them.  Push button faucets solved this problem to some degree by using short bursts of water to regulate flow.  However, there was still a problem with sanitation because users had to touch the button. 

Of course now, the issues we now face are those of vandal resistance and cost effectiveness.  Infrared sensors work very well as triggers for water flow, but if they operate behind little windows that are rather easily broken through deliberate mischief, or even accidental impact.  This is not a problem for facilities with a low risk of vandalism, and that have only a few users operating fixtures with minimal risk of accidental breakage.

However, the difference between commercial bathroom touchless faucets with IR sensor, and capacitance sensing technology, lies in where the actual sensors are positioned.  With the newest, and candidly more expensive faucets, capacitance technology revolutionizes hands free operation by building all of the sensing equipment deep into the faucet housing itself.

This concealed array of electronic sensors generates what is called an omni-directional detection zone around the faucet mouth.  When the user puts his or her hands under the faucet, the water flows immediately upon the very first hand movement.  Capacitance technology is not only more vandal resistant than IR window technology; it is also easier to trigger.  IR windows can and do get dirty or covered with soap scum, and if this happens, it sometimes takes repeated hand movements to trigger the device.

When making choices between commercial bathroom touchless faucets with IR sensors, and capacitance sensing technology, it is very important for architects to carefully weigh all the factors described above with some basic considerations about the restroom itself. 

The most important thing to first consider is restroom location.  Any restroom in an area of town that has a reputation for vandalism is going to need fixtures with built in sensors, and not IR sensor windows that can be broken. 

Commercial bathroom touchless faucets with IR sensors and capacitance sensing technology should also be selected in direct correlation to restroom traffic.  If there is a high volume of users per day, all washing their hands with soap, then soap scum is going to cover sensor windows and render them increasingly less effective.  This can frustrate users and subconsciously deter repeat business.

This all being said, cost must also be factored in as a major consideration when choosing between different types of commercial bathroom touchless faucets with IR sensors and capacitance sensing technology.  At the end of the day, if a budget is a major consideration, and if vandalism is unlikely, then faucets with sensor windows may need to be installed to save money.  Cleaning crews will simply have to stay on top of their duties and make sure that faucets are wiped down regularly during times of heavy use.

XPB Lockers carries a wide variety of Commercial Lavatory & Bathroom Supplies, Commercial Signage, Lockers, andCommercial Outdoor Furniture installed nationwide. If you can not find what you are looking for call us toll free at 1-877-483-9270 and we will find it for you. Our home office is located in New Braunfels, Texas with regional distribution centers located in all 50 States including New York NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., Dallas TX, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, Houston, Texas, Boise ID, Atlanta GA, Albuquerque NM, Raleigh-Durham NC, Washington DC, Albuquerque NM, Huntsville AL, Fayetteville AR, Norfolk VA , Madison WI