Sensible water management
May 12th 2009

Geoffrey Gestetner,Managing Director of Cistermiser, shows how hands-free systems pay….hands down!

The cost of water supply for commercial, industrial and domestic use has soared in recent years and the trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. As a result water management systems such as those developed by Cistermiser have moved from being ecologically advisable to being economically essential. While credit is crunched and budgets are slashed in most areas, demand for Cistermiser’s sensible water management systems actually continues to expand as companies and public authorities seek water conservation as a cost saver.

For example with respect to our product, the Easyflush, an average of 5 flushes per day for 50 persons equates to 182,000 litres per year at a cost of £424.06 compared to a 9 litre flush on a standard WC for 5 flushes per day for 50 persons, which equates to 585,000 litres per year at a cost of £1,363.05 thus using Easyflush will save 403,000 litres of water and £938.99. The same applies to our urinal flush control products.

The Cistermiser IR product range has been developed to ensure high levels of hygiene,water and energy savings as well as convenience for the elderly and less abled.All these products are also DDA compliant. The IR Range of products, Easyflush, Novatap and Novaspout are all activated when the user passes their hand over the sensor.The Direct Flush is activated on the departure of the user from the urinal. All these products are mains or battery powered for ease of installation.

A twelve-hour hygiene flush is programmed as standard on the range to maintain a high level of hygiene.Cistermiser products, as you have seen in the previous calculation,offer savings between 60-80% of water and therefore pounds.

The products have proved extremely popular in commercial applications as well as institutional and in some cases even domestic situations. Cistermiser Washroom Control controls the lighting in the washroom zone so that lights are on only when users are present. This provides several benefits in addition to the well being of the user in that when a user is not present the lighting is automatically switched off saving energy.

The Washroom Control System controls proximity shut off to the water supply to the urinals and WCs by means of the PIR sensor detecting occupancy and providing signals to the control valves during periods of no occupation.

A further benefit of Cistermiser Washroom Control is that the unit can provide proximity shut off for the hot water supply as well thereby protecting the whole washroom and not just the toilets. An increase in vandalism in recent years makes flush handles and high-level cistern pulls, taps and spouts, shower heads and wall mounted controls in public places potential causes of damage, high level maintenance and security supervision, all causing unacceptable and unnecessary cost.

It was for this reason that Cistermiser last year introduced the AV [anti vandal] Range of products, all touch operated, all smoothly profiled with minimum area exposed to vandalism and all with water delivery that can be individually preset by time and flow via a compact six channel control panel. The range consists of shower and basin outlets and urinal and WC flushing.

All Cistermiser products can help a building design achieve BREEAM credits and hence a higher overall BREEAM rating. At Cistermiser we have done everything in our power to design products that do just that and in doing so we have helped turn ‘handsfree’ systems into something that is familiar to anyone who has used a urinal, WC or hand basin in a public area or in the workplace.

We have a development team that is always striving not only to update existing products but also to produce innovative designs that will create a new generation of energy efficient, water saving and above all user friendly products.Whatever is the future of washroom water supply, we are confident that Cistermiser products will be leading the way.

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