Hands-Free Sinks

Touch-free sinks and touchless faucets are great for operations that require sanitary conditions, helping employees or guests keep their hands clean without touching dirty handles.

Electronic Faucet Foot Pedal Valve Foot Pump Knee Pedal Valve

Touchless Sinks: What You Need to Know

Automatic sinks are beneficial to many establishments because they eliminate the need for operators to handle the water controls. A sink's controls are a common surface, touched by everyone both before and after handwashing, leading to the potential spread of harmful microbes. Hands-free sinks eliminate this potential danger, which is vital for foodservice or healthcare establishments.

These units eliminate unnecessary contact in two primary ways. Automatic sinks have a sensor in the faucet that dispenses water when the hands are placed in the sensor's way, while other touch-free sinks utilize knee- or foot-operated levers to control waterflow. Either way, eliminating the need for freshly cleaned hands to touch a knob or lever eliminates one other potential point of contamination, improving the overall sanitation of the handwashing process.

Common Questions About Hands-free Sinks

What type of establishment needs a touchless sink?

While these units are not necessary in every commercial space, eliminating the need to touch the controls of a sink always improves the cleanliness of those washing their hands. When paired with automatic hand dryers and automatic soap dispensers, an operator can wash their hands thoroughly without touching anything but water and soap. Hands-free sinks are particularly valuable in operations that absolutely must be operated with clean hands. Foodservice and healthcare facilities most commonly need a hands-free sink, though there are many other applications.

Motion sensor sinks are popular in commercial workplaces, such as offices and co-working ventures. Some sensor sinks distribute a predetermined amount of water every time they're activated, while others continue to run as long as the activating presence stays in front of the sensor. The latter usually have a maximum run time to prevent something falling in the sink and using a lot of water unnecessarily.

Should I choose an automatic sink or foot-operated sink?

Sensor sinks are the optimal choice in most commercial establishments. Because of their automatic shut-off, motion sensor sinks typically use less water than a standard sink and don't require a foot or knee to get the water going. Healthcare establishments are the exception to this rule, as medical professionals may have cause to wash their hands for longer than the normal twenty-second period advised for most handwashing.

Additionally, foot- or knee-operated units often have an option for both hot and cold water, while automatic sensor sinks will only dispense one predetermined temperature of water. If this function is important to your needs, consult the product specifications page before purchase to ensure the sink you're considering has this option.

Should I get a wall-mounted or freestanding touchless sink?

This depends on the location you want to install your hands-free sink. Most units are wall mounted because these are the smallest and least expensive. However, if you don't have wall space for mounting the sink, we have some pedestal units available as well. Consult the product specifications page before ordering either type to ensure you can supply the sink with the utilities it needs to function. Some motion sensor sinks require electricity to function, while others use batteries that must be replaced.