T&S Brass Cartridges for Any Faucet Application
For nearly 70 years, T&S Brass has provided the foodservice industry with reliable plumbing solutions. The family-owned company offers a variety of faucets to meet the many needs of restaurants and other commercial businesses that need to supply water to sinks in kitchens and restrooms. No matter what type of faucet you install, you will need to decide which T&S faucet cartridge is best suited to your specific application.
Choosing Your T&S Faucet Cartridges
Every type of faucet requires a cartridge, which is an internal component that rotates when a handle is moved to control the flow of water. T&S Brass offers two main types of cartridges, Cerama and Eterna, and specialty metering cartridges that can be beneficial for applications that require a regulated water flow. T&S Brass designs its faucet bodies and cartridges with splines, a series of grooves that make the two pieces fit together securely. These splines prevent a cartridge from moving around in the faucet body when it is installed, thus eliminating the possibility of loose handles that can be unpleasant to use.
Cerama Cartridge
This innovative ceramic cartridge has become the preferred choice for most businesses since it offers a superior resistance to corrosion caused by chemicals that may be in water. It still uses a brass body and spindle, but includes ceramic discs to create a leak-proof seal. However, the Cerama cartridge provides a lower flow rate than the Eterna. It is the only ceramic cartridge available with the check valve necessary to prevent cross-flow issues.
Cerama cartridge at a glance:
- Withstands temperatures up to 180 degrees F
- Ceramic discs paired with a brass spindle and body
- Lower flow rate of 6 GPM at 60 PSI
- Interchangeable with Eterna cartridges
Eterna Cartridge
This compression cartridge has been an industry favorite for more than 50 years and is designed with a solid brass barrel and stem assembly. It remains the recommended cartridge for businesses using water that contains a gritty material, like sand. To prevent the cross flow of water, an optional check valve is available. If your business depends on a higher flow rate, the Eterna may be preferable to the Cerama.
Eterna cartridge at a glance:
- Withstands temperatures up to 140 degrees F
- Barrel and stem assembly are solid brass
- Superior flow rate of 8 GPM at 60 PSI
- Interchangeable with Cerama cartridges
In schools, prisons, and public restrooms, a T&S Brass cartridge that regulates the flow of water can deter vandalism and conserve water. Metering cartridges allow a specific amount of water for a predetermined amount of time, usually between 10 and 30 seconds. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) requires metering faucets to remain active for at least 10 seconds and for all faucets to be operated by only one hand with 5 pounds of force or less. ADA-compliant faucets also cannot require the user to tightly grasp or pinch the faucet handle, or to twist his or her wrist. A metering cartridge from T&S Brass satisfies these requirements for ADA compliance.
You can choose between several types of metering cartridges, including push button and pivot action. Push button faucets are activated when the flat handle is pressed down, and pivot action faucets are designed with a handle that must be turned like a traditional faucet; the handles then return to the off position on their own. Pivot action faucets may have round or wrist-action handles, the latter of which is often installed in areas that will frequently be used by small children.
A wrist-action metering faucet regulates the flow of water much like other metering cartridges, except this type is designed to be activated with the twist of a wrist handle. Finally, fast self-closing cartridges are designed for faucets that only allow water to flow when the user is holding the handle in the open position; these cartridges will shut off the flow of water immediately when the handle is released.
