With regard to the design of kitchen and bathroom spaces within facilities with public users, there is a bibliography of dedicated regulations specifying the structural requirements for accessibility and visitability. The necessary manoeuvring spaces inside the rooms are also indicated, rather than the installation dimensions of aids and ceramics, but no particular mention is made of the characteristics required for sanitary taps and fittings; a brief reference can be found in DM 236/89, par. 4.1.6: "...Preference must be given to taps with lever operation and, where foreseen, with hot water supply adjustable by means of thermostatic mixers...".
Considering the age of the aforementioned decree (year 1989) - while still giving due value to taps with clinical lever operation - it is necessary to evaluate the variety of alternative solutions that the market offers us and that already existed at the time, but were not very widespread: taps with timed automatic closing and electronic photocells.
In the absence of further specifications, the suitability of the different types of taps is declared by the relevant ASL, or even by the individual contact person within the ASL itself: the first piece of advice we can give, therefore, is to request as much information as possible from your ASL at the planning stage, in order to avoid unnecessary expenditure of time and money.
In practice, when choosing the type of tap, the field of application and the real needs of the user must be evaluated: in a bathroom open to the public or in any case with a high turnout, the economic impact of water consumption must be considered, rather than the comfort of the (often occasional) user; on the other hand, in a restaurant kitchen or in a bathroom for the disabled, the ergonomics of the controls and practicality of use are fundamental.
The three families of Idral faucets and mixers with CLINICAL, TIMED and ELECTRONIC LEVER are designed to meet the different needs of users.
We can summarise their special features below:
TAPS WITH CLINICAL LEVER
- Ergonomicity
- Ease of use and maintenance
- Economy
Intended use: kitchens, professional premises, manned and low-frequency public bathrooms
TIME-OPERATED TAPS
- Ergonomicity
- Hygienicity
- Good water saving
- Simple and economical maintenance
Intended use: high-traffic public toilets, sports centres
ELECTRONIC TAPS
- Hygienicity
- Maximum water saving
- Robustness
- Resistance to vandalism
- Possibility of programming automatic dispensing to prevent bacterial proliferation
Intended use: kitchens, professional premises, high-traffic public bathrooms, sports centres, hospitals, clinics.
The Idral catalogue offers a wide range of articles dedicated to the various applications: in case of doubt, please contact us for more specific information and for help in compiling your projects.