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products to perform well.”In the area of plumbing

materials, traditional is nolonger the only option, saysVic Hines, senior field techni-cal representative for Char-lotte Pipe and Foundry Co.(www.charlottepipe.com), Char-lotte, N.C. Instead of glass andplastics, he says, chlorinatedpolyvinyl chloride (CPVC) isbeing used successfully inmany health care facilities. For example, Charlotte

Pipe’s ChemDrain, a CPVCpipe and fitting system, hasbeen used in hospitals for thepast five years. “In many cases,CPVC overcomes commondrawbacks associated with oth-

er materials,” he notes. “Also, itis easy to install and modify.”From a hospital designer’s

perspective, David Rawls ofRing & DuChateau Inc., a Mil-waukee-based consulting firm,has seen an increase in less-expensive, less labor-intensiveplumbing materials beingused in health care facilities.

“Many facilities managers andowners are realizing that, dur-ing long periods of economicslowdown, a ‘Chevy’ systemwill function just as well as a‘Caddy’ system.”

Improving hygieneExperts agree that the trend toimprove hygiene levels is fuel-

ing the advance of sensor-operated devices that elimi-nate surface contact with theunits. In addition to prevent-ing infection, these productsenhance facilities mainte-nance and improve water con-servation. At the same time,accessible hand-cleaning stations, along with communi-cation to encourage frequenthand washing, is becomingmore prevalent.Reflecting this trend, Chi cago

Faucets (www.chicagofaucets.com), Des Plaines, Ill., hasdeveloped sensor-operatedfaucets featuring remote-con-trol technology that allowsdiagnostics and adjustment

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SAY ‘NO’ TO GERMSHands-free M•Powerfaucets can limit thespread of germs andbacteria. Moen Commercial

SAFETY FIRSTThe SafeCare prod-uct line minimizesligature points tohelp avert patientself-harm while cre-ating a safe, secureand welcoming stylefor patients.Bradley Corp.

Concern with HYGIENEis fueling advances in

sensor-operated devices.

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A design element thatmust operate with theprecision of engineer-

ing infrastructure, plumbingfixtures and fittings playimportant aesthetic and func-tional roles in the health careenvironment.Perhaps most importantly,

they must help keep thehealth care environmenthygienic without themselvesbecoming a vector for thespread of bacteria.Additionally, they must

carefully regulate water usageand temperature to avoid liter-ally draining resources andcausing physical harm topatients and clinical staff.

Health care hierarchy“In order of hierarchy, thehealth care market for fixturesand fittings is interested inhygiene, energy efficiency,total cost of ownership andsustainability,” says Rick Nor -tier, product manager, SloanValve Co. (www.sloanvalve.com), Franklin Park, Ill. “Hos-pitals are concerned abouthealth care-acquired infec-tions that are increasinglyresistant to antibiotics.” Theycan improve hygiene levels by eliminating touch points,which reduces the spread ofbacteria and pathogens thatoccurs through cross contam -ination, he says.

“Hands-free faucets andflush valves are a big trend forhospitals, both for theirhygienic benefits and water-saving properties,” addsGeorge Spear, senior productmanager, Moen Commercial(www.moen.com/commercial),North Olmsted, Ohio. “Manualfixtures can pose a health haz-ard when it comes to thespread of germs in public rest-rooms, especially in health-care facilities.”Amy Thompson, product

coordinator, Speakman Co.(www.speakmancompany.com),New Castle, Del., sees morehospitals requiring lower-flowwater products such as show-

erheads, faucets and valves toreduce costs and lessen theircarbon footprint. “The trendtoward these products, whichreduce water consumption,has been growing for the lastseveral years,” she notes.Ken Martin, director of com-

mercial products for DeltaFaucet Co. (www.deltafaucet.com), Indianapolis, countersthat infection control is a big-ger issue. “Health care facilitiesare more concerned with per-formance,” he says. “Hospitalswill adopt more water-efficientplumbing fixtures as manufac-turers offer effective productsthat also save water. However,it is most important for the

MARKETPLACE« SUPPLIER INNOVATIONS

Trends in hospital plumbing fixtures

and fittings

BY NEAL LORENZI

Plumbing fixtures and fittings manufacturers are stressing

hygiene, water conservation andpatient safety to meet the rigorousdemands of health care facilities.

INTERIORS

»FLOWCONTROL

CLEAN CONSERVATION A hands-free lavatory faucetwith proximity-sensing tech-nology has hygienic andwater-saving benefits. Delta Faucet Co.

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sible,” he remarks. “This needsto be a four-squared effortamong the owner, architect,engineer and contractor.”

Environmental concern“Hospitals are one of thelargest municipal water andsewer customers, as well asone of the largest energy cus-tomers, in their communities,”Huff says. Despite such chal-lenges, facilities managers arestriving to make their opera-tions environmentally friendly.According to Sloan’s Norti-

er, doing more with less hasbeen a priority for some timeand the movement towardhigh-efficiency fixtures hasbecome well-established overthe past few years. “While the impact can be

greater in water-deficientregions, it is center stage witharchitects and specifiers inter-ested in LEED,” he says.“While the LEED initiativestarted in the commercialarea, it is gaining momentum

in health care. Many commer-cial solutions can be appliedto health care environments,but not all should. For exam-ple, 0.5-gpm faucets can savewater in public restrooms.However, placed in such set-tings as scrub stations, theycan compromise hand-wash-ing results.” Nortier also warnsthat reduced water use at thefaucet can hinder the controlof Legionella, which thrives instagnant water.Reducing plastic waste in

public landfills is a green bene-fit of a bottle-filling station pro-duced by Halsey Taylor(www.halseytaylor.com), OakBrook, Ill. The station provideshospital end-users with cold,filtered water for bottles andcups, which eliminates theneed to discard plastic waterbottles. To help convey theenvironmental impact of usingthe filling station, a ”greencounter” displays the numberof disposable water bottles thathave been saved from landfills,

says Rod Magnuson, director ofcommercial products.Vacuum plumbing systems,

which can be routed aboveground, offer an environmen-tally friendly alternative togravity drainage, says TonyCatroppa, vice president,Whitehall Manufacturing(www.whitehallmfg.com), Cityof Industry, Calif., and allowmore flexibility in systemdesign and installation.“Vacuum plumbing may be

specified for new constructionor retrofit projects to earnLEED certification,” Catroppaexplains. “It only requires one-half gallon per flush, whereasthe average low-flow toilet stillrequires 1 gallon. Also,because the entire system isinstalled above ground, con-tractors don’t have to X-raythe existing post-tension slabfor reinforcement, or planaround existing buried utilitiesor soil conditions.”In fact, Whitehall supports

an overall strategy when

TWO-WAY OPERATIONThis sensor-activated faucetprovides a hands-free, 0.5-gallon per minute flow andincludes an Americans withDisabilities Act-complianthandle for manual override.Speakman Co.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For information on theplumbing fixtures and fit-tings discussed in thismonth’s “Marketplace,”readers can contact thefollowing manufacturers:

»Alsons Corp.517-439-1411www.alsons.com

»Bradley Corp.800-272-3539www.bradleycorp.com

»Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Co.800-438-6091www.charlottepipe.com

»Chicago Faucets847-803-5000www.chicagofaucets.com

»Delta Faucet Co.800-345-3358www.deltafaucet.com

»Gerber Plumbing Fixtures630-679-1420www.gerberonline.com

»Halsey Taylor630-574-3500www.halseytaylor.com

»Moen Commercial800-289-6636www.moen.com/commercial

»Sloan Valve Co.847-671-4300 www.sloanvalve.com

»Speakman Co.800-537-2107www.speakmancompany.com

»Symmons Industries Inc.781-848-2250www.symmons.com

»VitrA USA770-904-6830www.vitra-usa.com

»Whitehall Manufacturing800-782-7706www.whitehallmfg.com

PAUSE THATREFRESHESThe ActivTouchHand Shower hasa pause-controlbutton for waterconservation.Alsons Corp.

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from a handheld-enableddevice, according to JohnFitzgerald, vice president ofmarketing. Several modelsincorporate settings for scrubsinks and scheduling of regu-lar faucet flushing, he says.Adding antimicrobial ele-

ments to touch points isanother trend in addressinginfection control, says WillHaas, product manager,Bradley Corp. (www.bradleycorp.com), Menomonee Falls,Wis. For example, Bradley’sTerreon bathroom productsare nonporous and inhibit thegrowth of bacteria beginningwhen microorganisms firstcome into contact with thesurface. “It’s important to useantimicrobial protection thatlasts the lifetime of the prod-uct,” he notes.In a related vein, VitrA USA

(www.vitra-usa.com), Suwanee,Ga., incorporates bacteria-resistant glazes to its bath-room surfaces to stop thespread of infections, says

Dawn Robinson, special mar-keting programs manager. “Our VitrA hygiene technol-

ogy adds silver ions to theglaze on the ceramic, whichmakes it difficult for bacteriato breathe on its surface,” sheexplains. “This kills 99.9 per-cent of bacteria that come incontact with the ceramics.”

Conservation focusInnovations in water conser-vation focus on plumbing fix-tures that operate on demandas well as lower flow rates andflush control. For example,Alsons Corp. (www.alsons.com), Hillsdale, Mich., hasdeveloped an ActivTouchhand shower that facilitateswater conservation. “Thepause-control button allowsthe user to reduce flow to atrickle when full water is notneeded,” explains JohnDavies, vice president, sales.Water-saving urinals from

Gerber Plumbing Fixtures(www.gerberonline.com),

Woodridge, Ill, also reflect thistrend. The company’s NorthPoint urinals use 0.125 gallonsof water per flush. “They per-form better than waterless uri-nals because the flush allowsthe least amount of water toeffectively remove waste. Thisis important in health care

environments where excessiveflushing is common,” saysKevin McJoynt, vice presidentof marketing.Winston Huff, project man-

ager with Smith SeckmanReid Inc., a consulting firmbased in Nashville, Tenn.,says, “Some low-flow toiletswork very well and use lessthan 1.6 gallons of water per

flush, but many hospitals arereluctant to use them becausethey don’t know how well thenew fixtures will removewaste from the trap. However,they are using dual-flush toiletsthat have the full 1.6-gallonflush while obtaining LEED(Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design) credits.”Careful planning and execu-

tion still is required to makethe best use of these products,says Rawls of Ring &DuChateau Inc. “With the two-edged sword of increasing utili-ty rates and diminishing watersupplies, it is essential to pro-vide the most efficient water-saving fixtures and trim as pos-

NO-WASTE WATERThe HYDROBOOST bottle-filling station provides cold, clean, filtered water for exist-ing bottles and cups,offering an alternativeto plastic bottles of water.Halsey Taylor

INTERIORS

On-demand devices, low flow rates and flushcontrol CONSERVE water.

MARKETPLACE

i

» FLOW CONTROL

KEEPING IT CLEAN Becausehygiene is a top priority in healthcare settings, this gooseneckfaucet is sensor-activated. Sloan Valve Co.

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» FLOW CONTROLinstalling plumbing fixturesand fittings in hospitals. Selec-tion of low-flow fixtures isimportant, but many otherfactors must be addressed. “A hospital’s budget, design

constraints, durability require-ments and cleanliness are partof the bigger picture,” Catrop-pa notes. “We support the shiftto products that considerthese concerns ‘all in one,’while reducing a negativeimpact on the environment.”

Safety is keyAnti-scald shower valves are akey to ensuring safety, expertsagree. These products reducethe chance of thermal shockand scalding, traditionally thecause of many bathing-relatedaccidents. Also, sensor-operat-ed faucets prevent water over-run—the cause of wet, slip-pery floors. Minimized liga-ture points is another safety

feature, which can preventpatient injury and self-harm.“Anti-scald shower valves

are important in health carefacilities because users oftenhave compromised mobilityand are more susceptible toscalding,” says Delta’s Martin.“Both pressure balance andthermostatic valves reduce thatrisk.” Delta offers several ther-mostatic mixing valves forlavatory use, which controlmaximum hot-water tempera-ture, plus pressure-balance andthermostatic shower valves. Similarly, Moen Commercial

faucets feature a thermostaticmixing valve designed to pre-vent scalding and shock dur-ing hand washing. This valveblends hot water — stored attemperatures high enough tokill bacteria — with cold waterto ensure constant, safe tem-peratures and prevent thespread of disease.

Chicago Faucets also offersthermostatic mixing valves forits sensor-operated faucets toensure precise control of tem-perature at the outlet.Symmons Industries Inc.

(www.symmons.com), Brain-tree, Mass., offers a “safeshower” experience, accordingto Beth Mercurio, vice presi-dent of marketing. “The company’s premium

trim plates are compatible withtheir anti-scald, pressure-bal-ance valve,” she notes. “Thisopens up new design optionsfor a less commercial look.” Another Symmons product

popular in the health careindustry is the Visu-Temp withClear-Vue shower systemwhich displays the water tem-perature through a clear gaugefor added safety.The minimization of liga-

ture points in product design,which means that connection

points are concealed and can-not be tampered with, is animportant feature of Bradley’santi-ligature series, whichincludes hand-washing, show-er and accessory options. For example, lavatory fea-

tures — contoured design, ful-ly enclosed plumbing via astainless steel trap cover, andspray-head faucet mountedflush to the basin — all mini-mize ligature points, whichprevent injuries and patientself-harm, says Haas.

Keep strivingAs plumbing manufacturerskeep striving to meet healthcare’s rigid requirements,these issues will continue tobe at the top of their product

agendas. HFM

Neal Lorenzi is a free-

lance writer based in

Mundelein, Ill.