10 Essential Tips When Buying Eco Taps
Top Tap Tips
You want to use less water and save money on your utility bills so an eco tap is the best way to go. Here are our 10 tip tips to help you make the best choice.
1. How often is the tap used?
You will need a good estimate on how much the tap is used so you can work out your potential savings. For basin taps at home, we advise that the average use is around 4 minutes per person, per day. Obviously, this will vary and each tap will be used much less than this average if you have more than one basin in your house.
The way kitchen taps can be used also varies greatly from household to household. You could monitor your usage over a day to get a fair idea.
In contrast, our hotel clients not surprisingly used far more water, so if you are a B&B owner you should be thinking of a higher figure.
2. What’s my current flow rate?
You can find out your tap’s current flow rate with the help of one of our flow bags. This information is part of what is needed for a savings estimate so the more accurately you record it, the more accurate your savings estimate will be.
3. What new flow rate tap can I buy?
Our range of hansgrohe EcoSmart taps come with two flow rates. Basin taps run at a standard 5 litres per minute. Kitchen taps run at a standard 12 litres per minute. Both hansgrohe kitchen and basin taps are compatible with our aerators so should you wish to restrict them even more then that option is available to you.
4. Savings
When you’ve got all the information on your water usage, you can use our website to get a tailored savings estimate. Simply go to the product page of the tap you want to buy, where the new flow rate is already filled in for you. Then add in your current flow rate and how much the tap is used to see what you could save.
5. Can my existing tap take an aerator?
If your tap can take an aerator, you can make significant water savings by spending very little – you can get a similar effect for a tenth of the price and use that saving to upgrade other taps or make big savings by changing your lighting to energy efficient LED.
The only thing to bear in mind is that in heavy use areas like kitchens, an eco tap is a better option to ensure adequate volume of water. If you are unsure whether your tap can take an aerator, then consult our guide.
6. Choose the Right Brand
Our team install thousands of units each year and have told us that hansgrohe is a cut above. We want nothing but the best for our customers and so we only sell the highest quality products. Make sure you understand the benefits you’re missing out on before you go for that cheaper, off-brand, product.
7. Warranty
The biggest plus when buying genuine hansgrohe products is the manufacturer’s 5-year warranty. Rest assured that your product is protected by the covenant of a global brand, whose dedicated customer services team will not quibble should you have a problem.
8. Additional reassurance
Independent bodies also rate products to give assurances to consumers. The most well-known of these in the water products industry is the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS).
Many of the products in the hansgrohe range we stock are WRAS approved. This means they comply with numerous additional safety requirements above and beyond the minimum and that they meet strict guidelines for water efficiency.
9. Do I have any specific requirements?
As well as seeking additional reassurance, you should consider if you have any special requirements. For example, hansgrohe have pioneered their ‘Select’ system. These Select products have easy-to-use push buttons that are suitable for people with limited use of their hands. Many hotels in particular are already using these products for their customers.
hansgrohe continue to innovate in the industry and design several products for specific needs. If you are looking for a specialist item, then call our experts on 0333 123 5464 and we will work with you and hansgrohe to find the best solution.
10. Spare parts
When choosing an eco-tap it’s worthing checking that spares are plentiful and easily available. This will ensure maximum lifespan for your taps, sparing the expense of full replacement.
hansgrohe’s commitment to minimising waste also means they have an extensive range of spare parts. They stock spare parts for at least 10 years after a product is discontinued. This means that you can save money by buying inexpensive spares rather than buying new products. It also means your environmental credentials are bolstered as you keep otherwise perfectly good products out of landfill.
As an authorised hansgrohe distributor, we can source any of their products or spare parts. You can also use our online form – just go to https://www.savemoneycutcarbon.com/brand/hansgrohe/ and click on the “Spares Enquiry” tab.
