Tap Evaluation - finding better taps

Impact on the following Healthy Living Practices

Background 

FHBH Survey data shows that taps are not working well. Poorly performing taps impact on the ability of the householder to maintain personal hygiene and health. Washing children under 5 years of age is the highest priority HLP after Safety.  

Leaking taps also lead to: 

  • wasting water, 
  • extra load on waste systems, 
  • loss of hot water and the cost of heating water.

Project Outline 

Taps Problem SolutionsTo identify longer lasting and better quality tap ware. Establish performance criteria for specifying tap ware. Research existing available tap ware solutions. Select most suitable components and assess performance & cost data. Specify performance criteria for suitable products. 

Investigation

Traditional jumper valve taps are subject to washers leaking, dripping, wearing out in a short time, handles coming off, washers breaking, dezincification, corrosion, calcification and pitting of the tap seats. These are very common and very well documented tap failures.  Reverse engineering analysis was conducted on existing commercial flick mixer type taps based on: product assembly methods, materials used, part access and serviceability in order to obtain information and ranking about suitability of the products for intended use scenarios. 

Where there is a direct and demonstrated relationship between hardware performance and health impact a more rigorous process is required in order to insure that the specified hardware stands up to the physical environmental demands placed upon it by water quality and maintenance requirements - to ensure critical healthy living practices are able to be carried out reliably and continuously. This project provides a demonstration of a product research approach to be implemented when making purchase and specification decision for remote Indigenous housing. 

Recommendations 

Tap Spec1) Implement an ongoing product research approach and method to ensure reliable performance of hardware. 

2) Based on above investigation the recommended models in order of recommendation are: 

1. Nordic mixer $ 236.35, Caroma Dorf Industries, 4 Ray Road, Epping, NSW 2121, Ph: (02) 9202 7000

2. Ewing A1 + A3B mixer $ 307.25, Ewing, 4/24 Deakin Street, Brendale, QLD 4500, Ph: (07) 3205 6099

3. Hansa Polo mixer $ 318.25, Starion Industries, 7 Eagleview Place, Eagle Farm, Qld 4009, Ph: 1800 060 875

3) Establish and develop a ongoing relationship with manufacturers in order to improve on existing market offerings for this specific market segment. 

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