Rethinking design in the light of COVID 19

[ToughButterCup]

I'm thinking of things like sensor taps, or elbow tap control taps and changing door handle design - especially in the loos. At our place we have just enough time to make the changes in design.

 

Worth it?

[SteamyTea]

No

[ToughButterCup]

Well,  simple lever taps cost no more than ordinary ones.... 

[ToughButterCup]

25 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

No

.... because 

[SteamyTea]

Because you would need to change all your furniture, stair rails, doors, kitchen units....

 

There is probably less risk in your own home than anywhere else as you have control over it.

 

And how are you going to deal with all the buttons on the TV remote, on the cooker, washing machine.

For that matter, how about your cars, or the shopping trolleys, and don't even think about public transport, or a trip in an ambulance or police car.

 

If you dig up a shovel of earth from your newt infected pond, you will probably find that there are several hundred unknown bacteria and viruses.  Anyone could be a killer.

[Russell griffiths]

WHY, WHY, WHY

 

OMGG YOU REALLY ARE OVERTHINKING THIS. 

[Adrian Walker]

3 hours ago, AnonymousBosch said:

I'm thinking of things like sensor taps, or elbow tap control taps and changing door handle design - especially in the loos. At our place we have just enough time to make the changes in design.

 

Worth it?

 

Sensor taps are a great idea from a practical point of view anyway. Cost is the biggest issue e.g - https://www.delabie.co.uk/products/443416 )

[Jeremy Harris]

I'm with @SteamyTea on this, in terms of infection control there's no real point in doing stuff like this inside the house.  Best to try and keep anything that might be carrying a pathogen outside until it's been disinfected.   It's pretty easy to just wipe down a tap handle as you wash your hands if need be, and as a bonus it keeps things looking sparkling at the same time.

 

[ProDave]

On the point of all the newts and their bugs.

 

I have always believed we need exposure to bugs in small quantities to give us immunity.  Remember the old jokes about plumbers never get colds and bugs because they spend so much time with their arm down someone's U bend they are immune to every bug on the planet?

 

In this new world of social distancing, disinfecting and copious hand washing, are the present children growing up going to lack exposure to bugs and grow up with much less immunity to bugs?

[SteamyTea]

6 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I have always believed we need exposure to bugs in small quantities to give us immunity

Partly true, but generally confined to the ones that do not kill you.

And much of that research was about childhood asthma and not commutable disease. 

[joe90]

Not for cleanliness reasons but I have installed lever taps for many an older person who find them easier to use, @AnonymousBosch no offence but with your restricted digits you may find lever taps easier to use?. After nearly amputating my left thumb that hand has less strength and I find certain things much harder with my left hand. Hospitals have lever taps for cleanliness reasons!!!!!

[Ferdinand]

I think that perhaps changing a lot of things specifically for this may be overdone unless there are supplementary reasons or specialist requirements.

 

Many of the things that you might do probably come under 'good practice anyway' - such things as having a whb in the separate loo, "nudge" taps with levers (which I use anyway so I don't have to put things down or because they are more convenient for tenants and in case I happen to have a disabled or tenant with poorer motor control *). You have probably considered many of these already.

 

Probably my best unexpected "reduce contact" item has been door retainers, which hold your door open.

 

I suppose the other item is voice control. I am getting used to Alexa, and am thinking about trying to link up my smart TVs. I am considering renaming Alexa to be the same as my cousin, as it would be the only time I have ever been able to tell her to do anything, and having it actually work.

 

There are also pros and cons for each item - remember my thread from a few weeks ago about hand dryers, which talked about generating aerosols by things blown off your hands.

 

F

 

* I once heard a speech by a wonderful poet / writer / associate vicar in Nottingham called Alyn Haskey who had cerebral palsy. His quip was how to explain your hand suddenly shooting out on the train into the handbag of the person sitting next to you. 

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Ferdinand

[SteamyTea]

12 minutes ago, joe90 said:

installed lever taps

So have I.  I had a lodger that had trouble turning taps off.

Now this was not the disabled one.  It was a youngster (well early 20's) that just seemed incapable of turning taps off properly.

He had never paid a metered water bill, or any domestic bill for that matter.

 

But while thinking about lever taps, does anyone make a self closing one?  So if you turn it on, it runs for a minute of whatever, then closes fully.

Would only need a small spring and a friction clutch.

Not those horrible, council fitted, push button ones, that open fully when thumped and splash water all down the front of your trousers (light coloured ones).

Edited May 4, 2020 by SteamyTea

[Jeremy Harris]

1 minute ago, SteamyTea said:

But while thinking about lever taps, does anyone make a self closing one?  So if you turn it on, it runs for a minute of whatever, then closes fully.

Would only need a small spring and a friction clutch.

 

Yes, we had these at work.  Push button operated, with a spring and damper that caused the button to slowly pop up after about a minute.

[SteamyTea]

1 minute ago, Jeremy Harris said:

 

Yes, we had these at work.  Push button operated, with a spring and damper that caused the button to slowly pop up after about a minute.

Just modified my post to say not them.

They are horrible.

 

I like a controllable lever.

[joe90]

https://www.taps4less.com/Self-Closing-Taps.html oops cross posted ?

Edited May 4, 2020 by joe90

[Ferdinand]

Back in 1970 or so, my dad designed these into showers for the local swimming pool when he was a council architect.

 

There was a heel pad you had to stand on to make the shower work, which prevented anyone doing the "can you trigger the shower without getting wet thing". Made you vulnerable to the first cold patch, though.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Ferdinand

[SteamyTea]

6 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

was a heel pad you had to stand on to make the shower work

I want a domestic version of that.  Would make having a shower so much nicer, and more economical.

There does need to be a delay fitted in to get over the 'first slug' issue, but sure that is not hard, maybe a wall button with thermostat (my Mother's shower has that).

It could be something as simple as a kick switch fitted to the side of the bath (inside it obviously). 

[Jeremy Harris]

2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

I want a domestic version of that.  Would make having a shower so much nicer, and more economical.

There does need to be a delay fitted in to get over the 'first slug' issue, but sure that is not hard, maybe a wall button with thermostat (my Mother's shower has that).

It could be something as simple as a kick switch fitted to the side of the bath (inside it obviously). 

 

 

Sounds like you need a submarine shower.  These have two timed periods, operated by a button.  The first gives just enough water to get wet, then shuts off whilst you lather up.  The second (and final) press gives just enough water to (very quickly) rinse off.  Very common for those not used to them to find they are still covered in soap when the water shuts off, and it can't be restarted, as the thing is designed to save water.

[ToughButterCup]

13 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

[...]

But while thinking about lever taps, does anyone make a self closing one? 

[...]

 

I wasn't thinking of anything other than ... (as in the OP above)...  taps and door handles.

 

Lever handle taps seem to me to be a cheap, easy way of assisting slightly better hand hygene for everyone in the house - what @Ferdinand calls 

27 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

[...]

come under 'good practice anyway' - such things as having a whb in the separate loo, "nudge" taps with levers

[...]

 

Never heard of that phrase until today F, so thanks very much.

 

29 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

[...]

Probably my best unexpected "reduce contact" item has been door retainers, which hold your door open.

[...]

 

Coupled with this idea - one I'd not thought of either .... and I'm getting somewhere.

 

How do we solve the held-open door in the case of a downstairs wetroom? Is there suchj a thing as hold-door-opener which releases its grip after a while?

[SteamyTea]

1 minute ago, Jeremy Harris said:

Sounds like you need a submarine shower

Basically yes, but with more user control.

I don't want Captain Birdseye, or the watchful eye Seaman Matey, controlling my shower.

 

Just a string that slowly returns the lever, gives you a visual cue to how much time is left as well.

[daiking]

Why not go the whole hog for that industrial look? It’s all the rage in NW England.

 

https://www.notjusttaps.co.uk/knee-foot-operated-taps.html

 

The knee levers are a favourite of mine

 

[SteamyTea]

Or better still, a good 2 metres apart.

 

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

So have I.  I had a lodger that had trouble turning taps off.

Now this was not the disabled one.  It was a youngster (well early 20's) that just seemed incapable of turning taps off properly.

He had never paid a metered water bill, or any domestic bill for that matter.

 

But while thinking about lever taps, does anyone make a self closing one?  So if you turn it on, it runs for a minute of whatever, then closes fully.

Would only need a small spring and a friction clutch.

Not those horrible, council fitted, push button ones, that open fully when thumped and splash water all down the front of your trousers (light coloured ones).

 

Couldn't that be done with an external weatherproof light time switch, and a valve in the water pipe?

 

There are also showers with built-in timers, are there not? I think we discussed those on here wrt my gym showers.

 

Edit: or a timer shower.

 

eg https://www.showermanager.com/

 

I love their not-at-all-gratuitous promo photo of a person who's shower just went cold and looks miserable:

Edited May 4, 2020 by Ferdinand
Updated

[SteamyTea]

14 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Couldn't that be done with an external weatherproof light time switch, and a valve in the water pipe?

Yes, there are many ways it could be done.

But a basic modification to a lever tap seems a sensible, easy and cheap way to do it.

Just a case of changing the tap, no need for any wiring, it does not need to be times to the millisecond.

A normal tap could have a minute to close, a bath tap 3 minutes (or something like that).

By using a lever it would also be easy and quick for most people to see where it is in the cycle, and to move it a bit to add an extra minute or so.

It may not be as elegant as some taps, but it is only a (expletive deleted)ing tap with a spring and friction clutch in it.