Scarcity of fresh water sources has given rise to a growing number of methods of recycling and reusing water. Climate change, growing population, industrialization, droughts, etc. has further reduced the existing limited supply of fresh water. Water is one of the most essential resources for survival, it’s extremely vital to human health, community, and environment. Although 71% of the Earth is covered with water (in different forms such as oceans, water vapor, fresh water in rivers and lakes, etc.), many parts of the world suffer from shortage of clean water primarily because oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth’s water. As per The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “Conservation of water refers to the preservation, control and development of water resources, both surface and groundwater, and prevention of pollution of these sources”. Conservation of water involves judicious use of water. Science and Technology has advanced exponentially to devise smarter and efficient means of water conservation. Smart faucets are one such example of the latest inventions.
Smart faucets with motion sensors, touchless and voice-activated technology, have helped customers save as much as 30% to 50% on overall water consumption. The in-built motion sensors help reduce water shortage by flowing intermittently as per individual use. Additionally, the touchless technology facilitates users to avoid touching surfaces thus preventing risk of catching bacterial/viral infections. In 2018, the global smart faucets market size was valued at USD 301.9 million and is projected to exponentially increase by USD 3.48 billion between 2021 and 2026. Consumer preferences have drastically changed post Covid-19 with heightened awareness and necessity for maintaining proper hand hygiene and sanitation. Plus, the convenience and comfort of touchless technologies have given impetus to the growing market size of smart faucets. Additionally, with the assistance of these advanced technologies, consumers can monitor and control their water usage frequently on a regular basis.
Household appliance market has been revolutionized with the introduction of smart touchless and voice-activated faucets. Smart faucets have emerged as a good solution for people to have access to clean drinking water in their homes at minimal cost without the need to touch the faucet thus maintaining hand hygiene and sanitation. This article reviews two of the most popular brands of smart kitchen faucets available in the market today. SaniWater has been at the forefront of providing their customers with the latest products and advanced water treatment technologies available in the drinking water industry. With “Smart Kitchen Faucet Series”, Sani Water aims to educate and inform their customers about the fundamentals of Smart Kitchen Faucets and some of the most popular brands of Smart Kitchen Faucets available in the market today.
REFLECTION POINTS
REVIEW OF SOME POPULAR SMART KITCHEN FAUCETS
1. Delta Faucet VoiceIQ Module with Touch2O Technology Kitchen Sink Faucet
The Delta VoiceIQ Module converts an existing touch-activated faucet into a voice-activated faucet. To elucidate, installing the Delta VoiceIQ technology enables the user to demand the exact amount of water needed for drinking or cooking purposes and the faucet will dispense the same amount as specified by the user. Other features include commands such as turning the faucet on and off, warming the water to a specific temperature, or dispense a specific amount for filling the pot for soup, pasta, coffee, etc.
- Delta designed this sleek faucet to be gently touched on any surface of the faucet, with any part of your hand or arm, to turn it on and off – which is particularly convenient during cooking when your hands are covered in food.
- The temperature and water flow still comes out at whatever you’ve got the physical faucet set to, and a visible LED light lets you check the water temperature from across the kitchen. It easily integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for commands like turning water on and off, adjusting temperatures, and pouring specific amounts of measurements.
- Hooking up your sink’s spray attachment is simple too, and snaps right in with magnets, while the integrated supply lines are designed to protect against leakage. But just be aware: an AC adapter (and a nearby wall outlet) is required for voice activation, while six AA batteries are necessary to activate the Touch20 tech.
- Automatic water flow shut-off after four minutes if the water is left running
- DIAMOND Seal Technology features a valve embedded with diamonds to ensure like-new operation for the life of the faucet
2.U by Moen Smart Pulldown Kitchen Faucet
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Moen’s smart-faucet features a handy LED light that tells you the temperature before it comes out, with blue for cold, red for hot, and purple as an in-between warm.
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Setup is simple too, and can be completed in a few hours. The faucet also connects to the Moen app, from which you can add and edit your presets, see how much water you’ve been using per day, check what your peak hours are, even change the water temperature instantly. Other settings come in handy to conserve water usage, like setting an auto-shutoff after a certain amount of time.
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Another neat feature is “Freeze Protection,” which can keep the water in the pipes moving just enough to keep them from freezing on a chilly day.
REFERENCES
- https://www.worldvision.org/clean-water-news-stories/global-water-crisis-facts
- https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=2903
- https://www.h2ouse.net/why-save-water/
- https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/smart-faucets-market
- https://stories.hansa.com/en/how-touchless-faucets-can-help-save-water
- https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/smart-home/best-smart-faucets-touch-motion-sensor-1040320/
- https://www.deltafaucet.com/kitchen/product/EP100855.html
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083X76HH2?ots=1&slotNum=3&imprToken=12bd844e-ffbf-b602-13c&tag=rollingston07-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&language=en_US
- https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/residential-digital-faucets-market