Let’s talk about smart plumbing fixtures. As can be said about many other industries, technology has been impactful in the growth of the plumbing industry. Even though the core purpose of plumbing remains the same, it goes without saying that technology has been involved in many aspects of it. One of the main examples of this is with smart plumbing fixtures, which definitely have some neat features to them. Throughout this week’s blog post, we’ll discuss smart plumbing fixtures in further detail and hopefully help answer any questions you may have about them.
Before we dive deeper into smart plumbing fixtures though, we would first like to welcome any first-time visitors to our plumbing blog. Welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing! We are a plumbing company in North Kansas City, MO that provides a wide range of plumbing services throughout the Kansas City area, including residential, commercial and new construction. Whether that be a water heater installation, drain cleaning, bathroom remodel or anything else, we’re here to help with all of your plumbing needs. For those familiar with our plumbing blog, you likely know that we like to cover quite a few different plumbing-related topics. With your plumbing system encompassing numerous components, there is definitely plenty to talk about!
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, this week’s blog post will be solely focused on smart plumbing fixtures, which are gradually becoming more and more popular. While they typically come at a higher price tag, the added features can certainly help their case in being worth the investment! In this blog post, we’ll provide you with a few examples of smart plumbing fixtures and highlight some of their main benefits.
Smart Faucets
Unsurprisingly, faucets are the perfect example of a plumbing fixture that is used several times each and every day. Because of this regular usage, it’s always wise to select a durable faucet that is made by a reliable brand. This is generally considered to be a MUST. Furthermore, another unique attribute of the faucet market is the fact that there are more than a few options to pick from. Different styles, finishes, types, sizes, you name it! Faucets are definitely a plumbing fixture whose purchasing process is impacted by aesthetics as homeowners want to find something that matches the surrounding area. Having said all of that, as you can probably guess, smart faucets have entered the fold as well! What is possible with these specialty faucets?
One of the most notable features of smart faucets is the voice-activated capabilities. How these smart faucets work is fairly straightforward. By possessing the ability to connect with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you can essentially say commands for the faucet, such as “dispense 2 cups.” All in all, this is simply another example of technology having an impact on the plumbing world! Plus, when you start to look for potential smart faucets, you’ll notice that many of the major brands have options available, which can be nice if you have a personal preference.
Smart Toilets
Speaking of frequently-used plumbing fixtures, toilets are likely near the top of that list too. With toilets, in particular, one factor that has drastically improved over the years is the efficiency levels. We’ve highlighted this before on previous blog posts, but for a quick synopsis, toilets used to go through 5+ gallons of water per flush, but now the max that they can use is 1.6 GPF with some using even less. Aside from that remarkable improvement, the reason we have them in this week’s blog post is because of the cool capabilities of smart toilets.
As is the case with faucets, there are still plenty of regular toilet options that are more than capable of getting the job done. However, with the rise in smart toilets, homeowners have a few more possibilities to consider. So…what all is possible with smart toilets? Heated seats, built-in deodorizers, hands-free usage, the list goes on! If you’re looking for an example, check out TOTO’s NEOREST RS HERE. Not to mention, you’ll even recognize that these smart toilets have a modern style to them and also operate at increased efficiency levels too!
Smart Water Heaters
Next on our list of smart plumbing fixtures is the water heater. With water heaters, the main decisions that you need to take into account are deciding between a tank-style water heater and a tankless one, along with the size of the unit. These factors will ultimately determine which water heater model you end up purchasing. With that in mind, when we say “smart water heaters,” what features is the homeowner ultimately receiving?
To make matters easier, let’s take a look at a smart water heater sold by A.O. Smith, who is one of the industry leaders in the water heating industry. With this particular electric water heater, homeowners can essentially control everything from their phone. Plus, it’ll even alert you if a leak is detected. All in all, with the rising popularity of smart home technology, having the ability to control your water heater remotely is simply another advantage. It can be particularly nice if you’re out of town and need to make a change.
Other Smart Plumbing Items
With each of the fixtures above, we’ve provided tangible examples of smart plumbing fixtures that homeowners can consider for their own house. However, this is by no means a comprehensive list of smart technologies impacting the plumbing world. Here are a couple of other examples:
Moen Flo Smart Water Monitor & Shutoff – Here we have another product that can be controlled via your smartphone. As we often say, anything that you can do to prevent a plumbing emergency from occurring will be well worth it! With this product from Moen, homeowners can help ensure that is the case! This device can act as a leak detector and notify you if a leak arises. Plus, it will even shut off your water in the event of a leak, thus preventing an emergency. In addition, you can also keep tabs on water usage levels straight from the app as well, along with other important metrics.
Smart Showers – The final item that we’ll discuss today is in regards to smart showers. There are two main possibilities that we will highlight. First off, there is the Smart Shower from Moen. This certainly is quite the system, as you can remotely turn on/off the shower and set your preferred temperature. It definitely provides a sense of luxury to the shower component of your plumbing system. The second category that we’ll mention is smart showerheads. KOHLER has a great example of this with their Moxie Showerhead and Wireless Speaker. This particular showerhead includes a wireless speaker that you can pair with your phone to play your favorite tunes while showering!
Smart Plumbing Fixtures Services in Kansas City
Since opening our business in 2014, one thing we have always prioritized is the ability to provide any and all plumbing services. As you can likely imagine, plumbing problems come in all shapes and sizes. Not to mention, plumbing issues don’t always arise during normal working hours and emergencies are a possibility. No matter what the project may be, we’re here to help with anything plumbing-related. With that in mind, as we’ve shown throughout this blog post, smart plumbing fixtures are becoming more and more popular. While they do typically come at a more expensive price, there is definitely a reason why homeowners are loving smart plumbing fixtures!
Looking for a plumbing company in the Kansas City area to help with installing your smart plumbing fixtures? We would be happy to help! At the same time, we can also provide you with recommendations on particular brands/products to look for. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at (816) 348-3481 if you have any questions!