Did you know some new faucets have built-in LED lights that change color based on water temp? I saw one at a friend’s house and thought it was just for show, but apparently it helps prevent accidental burns. Wild. Also, I’m still not sure how I feel about the touchless ones—sometimes they seem to have a mind of their own. Anybody tried those “voice-activated” faucets yet? Do they actually work or is it just a gimmick?
Also, I’m still not sure how I feel about the touchless ones—sometimes they seem to have a mind of their own.
Totally get what you mean—those touchless faucets can be a bit unpredictable. I’ve installed a few for clients, and sometimes they’ll just turn on if you wave a sponge nearby. As for the voice-activated ones, I tried setting one up in my own kitchen last year. It worked well for basic commands like “turn on” or “fill pot,” but anything more specific was hit or miss. The LED temp lights are actually handy though, especially with kids around. Definitely more than just a flashy gimmick in my experience.
Honestly, I’ve seen those LED temp lights get people into trouble too.
In theory, they’re a nice safety feature, but I’ve had a couple service calls where the sensor or light was off by a few degrees. One client’s kid still managed to get a surprise splash of hot water because the light said “safe” but the temp spiked for a second. Maybe I’m old school, but I still trust a good old-fashioned test with the back of my hand more than any fancy color display.The LED temp lights are actually handy though, especially with kids around.
Touchless and voice-activated stuff is cool—don’t get me wrong—but every extra feature is just another thing that can fail at 2am when you least expect it. Had one faucet randomly turn itself on in the middle of the night (ghosts? glitchy sensor?). Sometimes simpler is better, especially if you’re not a fan of troubleshooting tech before your morning coffee.
glitchy sensor?). Sometimes simpler is better, especially if you’re not a fan of troubleshooting tech before your morning coffee.
I get what you mean about “every extra feature is just another thing that can fail at 2am.” I’ve had to replace a motion sensor on a kitchen faucet after only two years—wasn’t cheap, either. Has anyone found a touchless model that actually holds up long-term, or are they all kind of high-maintenance?
I hear you on the maintenance side—my neighbor had a fancy touchless faucet in their kitchen and it started acting up after about a year. Ended up just using it like a regular tap because the sensor would randomly stop working or go off when you didn’t want it to. I’m not convinced the extra cost is worth it unless you really need the hands-free part for accessibility or something. The old-school lever ones might not be as cool, but at least you know what you’re getting.