Geberit’s new tap system is helping to bring about a change in thinking: Electronic washbasin taps can be slim and elegant, and still be very robust. They can also be installed both in the wall and in the washbasin quickly and without any errors at the first attempt.

Electronic washbasin taps make washing your hands particularly hygienic because you don’t need to touch anything to turn the tap on or off. They are primarily used in sanitary facilities in public and semi-public buildings, such as airports, shopping centres, schools, bars and restaurants. The challenge with taps used in such places is that they need to be able to withstand a lot, particularly if the places are highly frequented, with regular – and often rough – use putting a strain on them. Furthermore, conventional taps – which are often installed in the washbasin – and their electronics are constantly exposed to high levels of dampness and moisture, which can lead to annoying malfunctions.

“With the new tap system, we have developed an impressive solution to remedy the shortcomings of touchless taps and solve the specific problems that arise when installing wall-mounted taps,” explains Dorianne Isaacman, Head of Marketing at Geberit Southern Africa.

Apart from the IR sensor, all the new Geberit tap system’s function parts – such as the control, mixer, valves and the power supply – are housed in a separate, 14 cm x 14 cm function box. This is installed in the pre-wall in an easily accessible position under the washbasin and is therefore located outside of the wet zone. If the function box cannot be installed in a pre-wall, a robust alternative for exposed installation is available.

Special features of wall-mounted taps

Touchless wall-mounted taps are extremely practical. They leave the entire washbasin free, which makes cleaning it significantly easier, and they offer sophisticated ergonomics when washing your hands. The reason why we see so few electronic wall-mounted taps, despite these advantages, is relatively banal – until now, there has been practically no solution for planning them safely and installing them without errors. With the new Geberit tap system, sanitary engineers and plumbers can rely on Geberit’s innovation: Thanks to integration into the Geberit installation elements, wall-mounted taps can be installed in the wall quickly and without any errors at the first attempt, just like with the installation of deck-mounted taps in the washbasin.

The tap system includes newly designed drywall-construction installation elements, Geberit Duofix for washbasins, which are prepared for the easy and safe installation of the Geberit tap system. They are based on Geberit’s proven system technology and feature height-adjustable crossbars for holding and anchoring the base of the tap and the washbasin. Not only does this ensure that the tap housing is precisely aligned (vertically and horizontally) and firmly fixed, but it also minimises the potential for costly errors.

Not having the function parts located in the tap housing opens a whole new world of design possibilities for the tap itself – a fact illustrated by the incredibly slim, timeless and elegant form of the Piave and Brenta models designed by the London-based design studio Christoph Behling Design. Both versions are available as wall-mounted or deck-mounted taps and can be combined with practically any washbasin design. The Geberit wall-mounted taps Piave and Brenta are supplied in lengths of 170 mm or 220 mm. A special feature here is that the water is guided through a reinforced plastic hose that extends from the function box under the washbasin to the tap aerator on the tap outlet. This ensures that the quality of the potable water is not impaired at any point in the tap system.

Economical operation and easy maintenance

In addition to boasting an attractive price-performance ratio, the tap system also impresses thanks to its economical operation. There are three available power supply options: connection to the mains supply, battery operation or a self-sustaining power supply by means of a generator unit driven by the pressure of the tap water. The latter does not create any additional costs for energy or replacing batteries. All components for regulating and maintaining the tap and the water supply and mains connections are housed in the function box under the washbasin, where they stay safe and dry. Valves, mixers and filters are easily accessible and can be set up and cleaned in just a few steps. The configuration can also be subsequently modified at any time – for example, by installing a self-sustaining power supply.