- Had a tenant once who got locked out of their own bathroom because the touchless faucet kept triggering the exhaust fan. Not even kidding—maintenance had to come out twice to “reset” everything.
- Old-school levers aren’t fancy, but I rarely get calls about them breaking or confusing people. Less tech means fewer headaches for everyone.
- That said, touchless is nice for hygiene, but only if it actually works as intended... which, in my experience, isn’t often enough to justify it in rentals.
- Honestly, tenants just want stuff that works without drama. I’ll stick with levers until the tech gets less finicky.
Had a similar situation with a “smart” kitchen faucet last year—thing would randomly turn on in the middle of the night if you walked past it with your phone in your pocket. Drove my dog nuts. I get the appeal for hygiene, but honestly, I’d rather just wipe down a regular handle once in a while than deal with all that unpredictability. Maybe when the tech gets less... temperamental, I’ll reconsider, but for now, levers just make life easier.
Yeah, I’ve seen some of those “smart” faucets act up in weird ways. One customer had theirs start running every time their cat jumped on the counter—guess the sensor didn’t discriminate. I get why people want touchless for the germ factor, but honestly, a good old lever is just less hassle. At least you know what to expect when you turn it on. Maybe in a few years these things will be less finicky, but for now, I’m sticking with the classics.
Yeah, sensors can be unpredictable. I’ve seen motion faucets go off just from a shadow or someone walking by too fast. There’s also the issue of power—once the batteries die, you’re stuck until you swap them out. Not ideal if you’re in a rush or have your hands full.
I get the appeal for kitchens, especially when you’re handling raw meat and don’t want to touch anything, but honestly, I’ve had to do more emergency calls for these than regular levers. Water leaks, stuck valves, random activation... it adds up. Maybe the tech will catch up and get more reliable, but right now, I’d rather deal with a lever that just works every time.
Funny thing is, some people end up disabling the sensor and using them manually anyway. Makes you wonder if it’s worth all the extra parts and hassle for most folks.
Honestly, I’ve always wondered if these touchless taps are more trouble than they’re worth, especially for what you pay. The idea sounds great—less mess, less germs—but in practice? Like you said, the tech just isn’t there yet. I had a friend who put one in her kitchen thinking it’d be a game changer. Within a year, she was cursing at it every other week because it either wouldn’t turn on or wouldn’t shut off. Ended up just leaving the batteries out and using it like a regular faucet.
And those batteries... why do we need another thing in the house that needs constant battery changes? Not to mention, when something goes wrong, you can’t just fix it yourself half the time. Parts cost more, too. I get that some folks love gadgets and don’t mind tinkering, but for me? I’d rather stick with something simple that lasts 20 years and doesn’t care if my hands are covered in dough or not.
Maybe in a few years they’ll iron out the bugs, but right now, feels like you’re paying extra for headaches.
