Touchless Bathroom Fittings: Smarter, Cleaner & More Hygienic

When the touchless bathroom fixtures began appearing in commercial restrooms a little while ago, I was incredulous. I was in plumbing and I had watched the arrival of new products for years that created more problems than they solved. But the more of these systems I have installed and managed over a few years, the less that meant anything.
Touchless fixtures are not just gadgets anymore. They’re only just now beginning to become something genuinely useful for home bathrooms, though — especially if you have little kids who might not remember that anything was ever said about washing your hands or are the kind of person that is starting to think a bit more seriously now about how many germs there are around your house.
Let me show you what to actually be thinking about, and what’s just overpriced hot air marketing.

Why Touchless Makes Sense

It’s easy enough to make it a hygiene argument. You do not want to touch that tap when you have just handled that raw chicken, or before you wash your hands. Simple as that. Hands-free taps certainly earn their keep when illness is rampant: They potentially could curb germs from zooming around in the bathroom.
But here’s what got me, as a plumber — water savings. Wave goodbye to those kids who leave taps running while they brush their teeth, and adults whose handwash is cut short halfway through. The water runs only when hands are placed beneath the spout. I have met families with a couple of kids significantly cut their water bills after getting these installed.
And there’s the wear-and-tear dimension. Old-style taps are turned on and off dozens of times a day. These are nothings; washers become worn and spindles break, and handles go wobbly. Touchless fittings help to avoid the wear and tear that can accompany repeated turning — and may extend the life of the fitting, too. Though, I suppose the flip side is now you’re reliant on electronics and sensors which also have problems.

Sensor Tapware 

Not all sensor tapware is made the same. I have had ones that were cheap and couldn’t really read dark skinned hands (shocking) would light up when someone walked by the bathroom. Absolute nightmare.
Most of them require power for installation. Annoyingly, at least some run on batteries you must replace annually or every few years. Some need to be hard-wired into mains power, so you’ll need an electrician unless there is already a power point near your vanity. Factor that into your budget.
These taps are not something you can type on feather like. Dripping at the regular water pressure in your home, a dribble from an automatic faucet would feel infuriatingly slow. A plumber can test your pressure and let you know if you need a pressure pump, or if the one it comes with would be fine.

Smart Mirrors 

I was just sceptical enough when smart mirrors first came on the scene. All of this was beginning to feel like technology for technology’s sake. But there are some features that can be kind of helpful in a bathroom. The good ones have demister pads and so you’re not wiping a mist off the mirror every time you shower. That bit I appreciate.
This is where smart mirrors start to get interesting: in the bulb. You can switch the colour temperature between warm and cool white, which is great if you are making up or shaving. Natural daylight simulation for accurate facial representation on the open road.

Soap Dispensers and Air Dryers, Automatic

Auto soap dispensers are like the things on this Rosie Lester Twitter thread, in that they look like they’d be great until you must mug them for a squirt. They’re fine in a commercial bathroom where someone keeps them sanitized. At home, they can be more trouble than they are worth.
The main issue is the soap. You just must be cautious what thickness you use, or it will clog up the dispenser. If it is a viscous JAM, the pump mechanism jams. Foaming soap is generally a little better than liquid, but not all dispensers can manage two types. And then, when the inevitable happens and they snap — because they always do — you’re left with a hunk of useless plastic sitting on your vanity.
Hand dryers are another story. Not only do the high-speed ones (Dyson-style) and hand dryers work for a home, too, but they tend to be noisy. Really loud. You’ll wake someone at 6am drying yourself off. Many of the quietest automatic hand dryers are very gentle as well and take forever to dry hands. Then why does nearly everyone use towels?

 
Heated Towel Rails - Hands Free Angle

I know you’re all imagining just how touchless tech could possibly interact with heated towel rails but believe me: it can! Fair question. If you buy one of these newer models, however, they have timers and smart controls built in, so you don’t even have to remember to turn them on or off.
Some have motion sensors that come on in the morning when you step into it to visit the bathroom and emit heat to warm your towel. Others, however, can be incorporated into your home automation system or even operated via phone. One or two of the luxury features, such as a programmable timer for heated towel rails were even invented so you can avoid using every watt with hot towel roll 24-7 and just turn it on when you most likely need it (when you wake up and get home).

What About Reliability and Maintenance?

Here is the scariest thing about touchless fittings to me — they are more complex than the old-fashioned kind. More parts that can fail. Electronics that can malfunction. Dirty or incorrectly calibrated sensors.
I’ve received service calls to repair touchless taps that have failed as soap scum coated the sensor. Or battery-powered ones that the batteries died in and the homeowner didn’t have extras. Or the ones whose solenoid valve insides break which must be replaced – a process that cost nearly as much as just buying a whole new old-fashioned tap.
Regular maintenance helps. Clean the sensors with a soft cloth once a month. Check battery levels if applicable. The lines of sight on the sensors get obstructed Be sure to give sensors a line of sight. Most of the problems get nipped in the bud by these little things.

Is It Worth The Money for Your Bathroom Renovation?

For anyone renovating and weighing touchless product options, here’s what I have learned from installing them for years:
Your house Rather than going all touchless, consider adding one or two touchless items to your household. A sensor taps above the main vanity does make sense. Touchless everything doesn’t come cheap, and likely was largely unnecessary.
Prioritize quality over quantity. Better one awesome touchless faucet than three other ones that you’ll be ready to tear your hair out over.
Consider your household. Touchless faucets are especially useful for little kids as well as elderly family members. Everyone else would probably be fine with conventional fittings.
Think about maintenance access. Make sure the battery compartments are open and you know where to buy new batteries.
The bathroom is supposed to work for you, not the other way around. If they genuinely help make your life easier, or you have a specific issue at home and hands-free fixtures solve that problem for you, go ahead and add them. But you shouldn’t feel that just because everybody else is … you should have to include it. Sometimes the most plain and boring choice, is without a doubt what you’re going to get.
And if you’re going touchless, for the love of all that is holy — read the manual and learn how to take care of them. Five years out everything is still humming along and you will be thanking past you.