Technology. Chances are that isn’t something you expect to see on a plumbing blog, but there’s no denying that it is heavily intertwined with the plumbing industry. Just as any other industry has seen advancements over the years thanks to technology, this growth is no different with the plumbing world. If you’ve followed some of our prior blog posts, you’ve likely seen us mention technology’s influence on more than one occasion. However, on today’s blog, that’ll be the sole discussion point.
As a plumbing business that offers residential services to Kansas City homeowners, we’ve been fortunate enough to see a wide range of products, brands, installations and so on! In fact, this is a major reason why you’ll see a handful of “Who’s Who in Plumbing Brands” posts throughout our blog. This is because it can be quite overwhelming to navigate through just how many products and manufacturers are currently on the market. After all, just walk down the aisles of Home Depot or Lowes and see how many faucet brands there are. Trust us, it’s quite a few! Nonetheless, today we’ll be highlighting how many of these brands have innovated and adapted to technological advancements to give customers a better experience!
Faucets
Did you know faucets have been around for hundreds of thousands of years? It’s true and there’s no denying that they’ve come a long way since! Some of these changes have been technically-based (yet extremely important) like the adaptation of the single-handle faucet, while other times they’ve been a little more techy. In terms of the most recent innovations, there are two primary ones worth mentioning:
Touchless – Given all of the changes brought about by the Covid pandemic, it should come as no surprise that commercial facilities have placed an emphasis on cleanliness and disinfection. And while these are certainly nothing new in 2022, touchless faucets have continued to become more and more common throughout commercial facilities. However, were you aware that touchless technology has also found its way into the residential world? Whether it be in the bathroom or kitchen, touchless faucets are going to continue becoming more popular!
Voice-Activated – While touchless is present in both residential and commercial, another feature of hands-free faucets are the voice control capabilities. A quick Google search will reveal that all of the major brands are bringing these to market with the ability to connect to Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and even Siri.
Water Heaters
If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve likely seen plenty of water heater content. No matter what time of the year it is (although particularly important in the winter months), one thing that you don’t want to live without is your water heater! And just as faucets have gradually added cool new features over the years, the same is true with water heaters.
Tankless Water Heaters – When the majority of people think of a water heater, the first thing that comes to mind is the traditional storage tank heaters. For a number of reasons, they have and will continue to be widely popular. However, it’s safe to say tankless water heaters are the modern alternative. Tankless water heaters have technically been around for quite some time, but they are just now starting to become more and more popular. Along with a stylish design and longer lifespan, tankless water heaters are unique in that they only heat water when it’s needed, thus being very efficient!
Vacation Mode, Leak Prevention & More – While tankless water heaters possess some neat features, storage tank water heaters have had their fair share of improvements over the years as well. Several of these are more technical-based, such as expansion tanks and glass linings. However, there are plenty other improvements more geared towards technological advancements. This includes vacation mode settings that save homeowners on utility bills while they’re out of town. Not to mention, if you’re looking for a unit you can mostly control all from your phone, Rheem’s smart water heaters may be the answer for that.
Water Softeners
While every home typically has a water heater and faucets, not every home necessarily has a water softener installed. We’ve mentioned them before here on the blog, but the main goal of a softener system is to alleviate some of the adverse effects associated with hard water. Dry skin/hair and faded clothing are a couple of examples. In any case, traditionally speaking, most people are familiar with the salt-based softener systems. They are extremely effective and there’s a reason why they continue to be a hot item. However, if you would like to avoid hauling around bags of salt, you do have another option:
NuvoH2O – Just as you’ll see plenty of water heater photos on our social media channels, you’ll also see more than a few NuvoH2O water softener systems. The difference between their units and traditional softeners is they use citrus, as opposed to salt. This certainly provides for added convenience (plus replacing the cartridges is easy), which makes sense why they’ve become so popular amongst our Kansas City clients! To learn more about the science behind them and how they’ve been proven to be effective, click HERE.
“Smart” Everything
If you’ve noticed a theme amongst many of the topics mentioned above, it’s that consumers are wanting an increased emphasis on “smart” products and manufacturers are doing just that with their products. The ability to control everything remotely right on your smartphone, combined with improved efficiencies, is just what people are looking for. We already touched on smart faucets and smart water heaters, but the focus on “smart” plumbing fixtures extends much farther than that. Smart toilets are slowly making their way into the market, with unique features like built-in air deodorizers and remote control capabilities. Did you know there’s even starting to be some smart garbage disposals to hit the market too? In the end, as is the case with any other industry, companies are always trying to keep a leg up on their competitors. To the benefit of consumers, this allows for the opportunity to have these modern high-tech products installed in their homes. As you’ll notice with many of these “smart” fixtures, they definitely do come at a higher price tag than their traditional alternatives, but it goes without saying that the added features are pretty neat! After all, if you need a little more convincing on what all a smart toilet is capable of, just take a look at Toto’s Neorest NX1. From it’s stylish design and enhanced-efficiency to all of the cool bells and whistles, it truly is one of a kind!
Your Installation Experts in KC!
Here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, we take pride in ensuring we’re up-to-date with all of the latest innovations in the plumbing world. Having personally been involved in the industry for over 40 years, I’ve been able to witness first-hand how quickly it can change. By staying on top of these technological advancements, we’re able to not only provide our customers with top-notch products, but also reliable advice to ensure you’re getting what makes most sense for you!
From smart toilets and modern faucets to tankless water heaters and any other plumbing fixture, your friends at Stine-Nichols have you covered for all of your installation needs in the Kansas City area. To request a free quote and speak with a member of our team, feel free to fill out the form HERE. After that, a member of our service team will be in touch to discuss further!