Speakman & Sensorflo: Changing The Restroom Experience

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The foundation of Speakman was built in 1869 on an extensive portfolio of durable, high-performance commercial fixtures. It was that underpinning of superior quality, thoughtful innovation, and unrivaled performance that allowed Speakman to invent timeless designs (like the AnyStream Shower Head, introduced in 1927), well-curated collections (like the simple stylings of our Lucid collection), and reliable emergency equipment (like our EyeSaver emergency eye wash, celebrating its 21st anniversary). For 150 years, Speakman products have elevated the design and performance of hotels and commercial projects around the globe. Commercial plumbing is in the DNA of Speakman.

Speakman continues our tradition of commercial excellence with our SENSORFLO® Faucets, Soap Dispensers, and Flush Valves, sensor-operated fixtures that are designed and engineered in accordance with the highest quality and performance standards. Created to meet the needs of customers looking for touchless, hands-free, germ-free restroom experiences. Upgrade health standards and redefine the entire restroom experience in public restrooms, medical buildings, government facilities, hospitality settings, and more.

SENSORFLO® Faucets

Day to day, faucets are handled more than any other fixture on any property. With faucets, longevity is key, which is why it’s incredibly important to select items that will stand the test of time. Our SENSORFLO® line of commercial faucets is known as the workhorse of our entire selection. These products have been devised and engineered to the highest standard for efficiency and ability to repel vandalism. Each shell has been constructed from brass and metal materials to provide unrivaled durability. This is SENSORFLO®, a better faucet, inside and out.

On top of that, Water savings of up to 85% are possible with the use of a sensor faucet due to the quick automatic shut-off functionality.

SENSORFLO® Flush Valves

SENSORFLO® flush valves offer a hands-free automatic flush that helps provide a clean, sanitary environment to help make patrons feel safe about the hygiene of the facility.

Available for water closets and urinals, Sensorflo Flush Valves offer easy installation and require minimal maintenance over the lifespan of the product. Built using Speakman’s proven sensor technology, the valves deliver long-lasting performance. Once installed, the valves’ vandal-proof features and built-to-last, chloramine-resistant components make the upkeep worry-free and keep high-traffic bathrooms clean.

Various configurations meet a range of application needs, including full battery operation or a hardwired setup with a battery backup. Battery-powered models are ideal for installation where power outlets are not accessible. They feature a low battery indicator light to notify the maintenance staff that the battery needs to be replaced. It flashes once per second when the battery is low, twice per second when it’s critically low. A backup battery is also included. Hardwired installation models provide no-hassle, reliable operation flush after flush without the need to replace batteries. Manual override buttons are located on the side of all units.

Durable, dependable, and long-lasting: SENSORFLO® flush valves from Speakman deliver the commercial-grade performance you can count on.

SENSORFLO® Soap Dispensers

A completely touch-free bathroom can easily be created by combining Speakman SENSORFLO® faucets and flush valves with SENSORFLO® soap dispensers. In fact, Speakman now features combination units, designed to retrofit into a 4” center, that have the faucet, soap dispenser, and deck plate.

SENSORFLO® soap dispensers are hygienic, sensor-operated fixtures utilizing the most up-to-date laser technology, providing efficiency in activation and shut off while requiring minimal sensor area. You can expect reliable operation as our solenoid has been tested up to 2.7 million cycles.

Speakman has always been perfect for commercial as Speakman fixtures are designed to endure the demands of everyday life and then some.

Happy Birthday, EyeSaver

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This year marks the 21st anniversary of Speakman’s patented dual waterway EyeSaver eyewash.

The Speakman Eyesaver is the original patented eyewash and faucet combination with dual waterways that easily installs on an existing sink. It incorporates two separate water channels in the faucet body, one for the eyewash and the other for the faucet. When combined with a thermostatic mixing valve, this dual design ensures that the integrated eyewash delivers a consistently safe, tepid water temperature when flushing the eyes while Speakman’s signature Optimus aerated spray creates a gentle cleansing experience for the affected eye area.

In honor of the EyeSaver’s 21st birthday, we spoke with Chris Miedzius, Engineer and Director of New Product Development at Speakman, to discuss what went into creating the dual waterway EyeSaver.

“At the time we developed this,” Chris says, “there was no comparable product out there in the market. We had to be creative in the engineering to develop the features and have it operate as we wanted.  There were challenges in the material selection, fabrication and testing to assure consistent production runs.”

Chris goes on to say the engineering process involved a lot of machining, soldering, and pipe bending.

“Got wet a lot too,” he says, “Had the cleanest hands and face around.”

But engineering emergency equipment is about more than just being creative. It’s about meeting industry standards. The issue was, the EyeSaver was so new that there were no industry standards.

“Plumbing products,” Chris says, “including safety products, are third party certified. That means that an outfit like IAPMO [The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials] will test our product against required industry standards to assure they meet certain regulated requirements. This product was very new and there was not one standard that covered this… IAPMO had to create a document to cover this type of product. This was IGC 272 which this product is certified to.”

As IAPMO says, sometimes new products or technologies surge ahead far faster than most standards can keep pace. Speakman’s dual waterway EyeSaver was one of those.

“We were really [the] first to market with this type of product and ended up patenting it,” Chris explains, “The patent goes back over 20 years [now] and [they] are only good for roughly that long. With the patent expired, we are now seeing competitors bringing to market similar products.”

How did Chris feel knowing other companies were using his original design in their newer products?

“As they say, imitation is the best form of flattery.”

With tens of thousands of people experiencing work-related eye injuries every year, emergency eyewash stations play a critical role in any work facility where chemicals are handled or stored.

Understanding that workplace safety is more paramount than ever, Speakman expanded its lineup last November with the SEF-1880 EyeSaver.

“Providing employees emergency eyewash stations is critical in environments that involve hazardous substances,” says Cathy Gutkowski, Speakman’s director of Commercial Plumbing. “In the ever-changing landscape of fluctuation demand and production, our EyeSaver products make it easy to maintain or scale up the safety equipment if needed.”

PPG Is Conserving Water

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Last Thursday we celebrated Earth Day, a day where we recognize the importance of our earth’s environment and take measures to combat the issues that threaten it. This Friday will mark Arbor Day, a celebration of trees, usually observed by the planting of one.

In honor of these days and in honor of Spring, a season where we revel in the beauty of nature, we’d like to talk about the work PPG is doing to help keep the environment safe and make a positive impact on our earth. Specifically, being a good steward for water conservation.

Water Conservation

We take our role in the professional plumbing industry seriously and have devoted our focus on environmental stewardship to water conservation, making it a core focus of our products.

The increased human demand for water coupled with growing environmental concerns means that the future of the human water supply is not secure. All over the world, more than 2 billion people are without safe drinking water. Without water efficiency and water conservation efforts to sustainably manage fresh water and protect the hydrosphere, that number is set to double in the next four years.

This is why PPG utilizes its unique position in the plumbing industry to ensure water conservation is as easy as screwing on a new shower head.

For instance, Professional Plumbing Group brands like PlumbMaster and Speakman follow low lead regulations to ensure fresh water remains potable for generations to come.

Both brands also manufacture and sell WaterSense certified products. WaterSense is a program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designed to encourage water efficiency in the United States through the use of specific water-efficient products.

Together these products help to preserve water and leave us with a “greener” environment.

Conserving Water Through Improved Design

For the Professional Plumbing Group and its Speakman brand, water conservation isn’t just about following current specifications and regulations, it’s also about improving design to deliver the same level of performance while enhancing a product’s water-saving capabilities. We believe that to change behavior, to really inspire actual change in the shower, the shower itself needs to deliver incredible performance from start to finish.

Today, every plumbing manufacturer offers water-saving products, but they are not all the same. Speakman reviewed the existing low-flow showerheads on the market and found that while they saved water, they sacrificed performance. So Speakman developed a unique spray engine intended to deliver a more compelling shower experience while still remaining water efficient. As water enters the impeller-powered shower engine, the device activates, infusing energy and velocity into every spray. The result is a powerful, intense experience that is statistically proven to outperform competitor models in both force, thermal retention, and spray coverage.

Case Studies For Conservation

Acutely aware of mother nature’s precious and limited resources, the Professional Plumbing Group and Speakman work to conserve water in other business places as well.

Understanding the value of protecting good, clean water, the owners of the Dogfish Inn, located in Delaware, wanted to minimize their impact as much as possible, so they sought to actively limit their waste stream. Efforts include wastewater irrigation systems, repurposing large ingredient containers to make rain barrels, and partnering with the local chapter of the Nature Conservancy to plant a native coastal forest that dramatically cuts storm water runoff, prevents evaporation, encourages soil stabilization, and helps clean water before it makes it to local streams and rivers. Switching over to low-flow showers, provided by Speakman, allowed them to still deliver a great guest experience while continuing to conserve water, a natural extension of their water conservation philosophy.

Death Valley averages less than two inches of rainfall each year. Furnace Creek Resort, situated in a lush oasis surrounded by the vast and arid desert of Death Valley National Park, California, hosts two hotels. With a commitment to legendary hospitality and a dedication to a softer environmental footprint, Furnace Creek operates with sustainability at the heart of its business. Water is a scarce and precious resource both in Death Valley and throughout the State Of California. This left them with the challenge of delivering a superb guest experience while saving water in one of the harshest environments in the country. Reigning in water usage comes in many forms including linen reuse programs, serving water upon request only in dining areas, refraining from aqua-thawing during food preparation, and reducing water use for the upkeep of grounds and gardens through drip irrigation and planting of native drought-tolerant species. But with 367 shower heads on the property, installing updated low flow models, provided by Speakman, was a great opportunity for Furnace Creek to showcase their environmental commitment and provide a superb guest experience, all while helping reach their conservation goals. These showerheads actively save 1.5 gallons per minute, adding up to well over 738,000 gallons per year.

Make Your Shower Count

Speakman understands that shower time is the time to relax and enjoy yourself. For many people, the shower is the only time alone they get. Speakman doesn’t want to interrupt your me time. But everything that happens on land ultimately affects the ocean.

At the moment, the average showerhead consumes roughly 25 gallons of water per shower. However, in less than five minutes, you can change out your average water-wasting shower head for a Speakman showerhead and make your shower easy on the earth.

Speakman showerheads save up to 20% of water per shower. This adds up to billions of gallons conserved every year.

Watch the video below to see how easy it is to change your shower head and make a difference:

PPG Is Speakman

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In 1869, Allen and Joseph Speakman opened a small plumbing workshop in Wilmington, Delaware. Devoted to their craft, they would go on to create the world’s first adjustable shower head, the Anystream Shower Head, introduced in 1927.

With the turn of a lever, the Anystream Shower Head effortlessly allows users to change the shower head’s spray settings to the stream of their choice, thus the name. Whether that be an invigorating massage spray to wake you up in the morning, a gentle rinse created to replicate a relaxing rain shower, or a heavy soak designed to drench every inch of your existence.

The Anystream Shower Head, advertised in a series of National Geographic ads run in the 1930s, helped to change the way America thought of showers, popularizing the “shower bath”, as it was called, over the traditional soak in the bathtub.

As showers and Speakman shower heads became more popular in the home, the Anystream shower head became a regular fixture in hotels around the globe, due in large part to its self-cleaning capabilities. To this day, Speakman shower heads continue to be utilized and beloved by resorts all over the world. If you’ve taken a shower in a hotel, you’ve most likely already used a Speakman shower head.

With patents for more than a hundred designs, Speakman continues to pioneer innovations not just for showers but faucets, emergency safety equipment, and more.

Though Speakman isn’t only about performance. Architects and designers have used and worked with Speakman to create simple, beautiful, elegant designs that stand out in any bathroom.

Award-winning designer, Clodagh, joined forces with Speakman to create the Lura Collection, an assortment of classic bathroom fixtures featuring a modern twist. Minimal and industrial design comes together to create crisp lines and pronounced curves that are ideal for traditional home bathrooms and contemporary commercial restrooms alike.

Renowned hotel and resort designer, Roger Thomas, teamed up with Speakman to produce the Vector Collection, an assemblage of modern bathroom fixtures that guide the eye throughout the lavatory to create a visual experience that’s enticing at every angle.

With more than a century and a half under its belt, the Speakman Company continues to build upon its expertise in showering while releasing new products for the entire bathroom, including new eco-friendly products, as well as the kitchen.

Only recently, Speakman adapted its touchless technology utilized in commercial bathrooms for the home with the release of the Speakman Sensor Kitchen Faucets. In today’s world, hygiene and safety are more important than ever. Touchless sensor faucets are an easy way to add some peace of mind when it comes to preventing the spread of germs.

However, this is not Speakman’s first foray into safety and peace of mind. Since 1869, Speakman has been designing emergency equipment that delivers superior performance, ensuring a safe facility as well as 100% ANSI and OSHA compliance.

Like Speakman’s emergency showers, rigorously tested to deliver a drenching barrage of water in the event of a crisis.

Or Speakman’s patented dual waterway EyeSaver eyewash, celebrating its 21st anniversary this year. With tens of thousands of people experiencing work-related eye injuries every year, emergency eyewash stations play a critical role in any work facility where chemicals are handled or stored. The Speakman Eyesaver is the original patented eyewash and faucet combination with dual waterways that easily installs on an existing sink. It incorporates two separate water channels in the faucet body, one for the eyewash and the other for the faucet. When combined with a thermostatic mixing valve, this dual design ensures that the integrated eyewash delivers a consistently safe, tepid water temperature when flushing the eyes while Speakman’s signature Optimus aerated spray creates a gentle cleansing experience for the affected eye area.

Whether it’s lifesaving emergency equipment, beautiful bathroom products built to last, or the best-in-class shower head, Speakman invites you to explore our diverse assortment of fixtures and products perfectly engineered for performance and style.

PPG Is Wolverine Brass

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In 1896, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a company was founded inside a small two-story wood-frame building. It began by engineering and producing the highest quality brass fittings, made largely by hand, and selling them directly from the factory to the plumbers and contractors, a business model it still follows to this day.

125 years later, that tradition of excellence continues with the Professional Plumbing Group’s proprietary brand, Wolverine Brass. Bringing to market high-quality, professional-grade plumbing products that are built to last. Wolverine Brass takes pride in their workmanship and is known for their superior faucets, toilets, valves, and other specialty products. The entire Wolverine Brass line is exclusively available from PlumbMaster.

By making PlumbMaster the exclusive distributor of Wolverine Brass, they can guarantee a better price than what can be bought in the retail market, ensuring the professional plumber gets only top-quality material at an affordable cost.

In addition to placing orders on PlumbMaster.com, Wolverine Brass employs district managers located throughout the United States to provide service to its contract customers.