Smart washrooms with cloud networking

Digitisation is advancing rapidly in the public sector. Laufen’s response to this is the holistic Advanced Control concept. It combines technical expertise with modern washbasin faucets,
external and integrated urinal controls, a shower control and the intuitive SmartControl sanitation app, with its intuitive interface. A novel feature is the wireless connection to building management systems, which is implemented via a cloud and a gateway. This allows installers and operators of networked washrooms to configure and maintain the installed products remotely, from a PC or a laptop. And it does so entirely cable-free and without having to lay special control lines. The solution is expected to be ready for operation from summer 2019.

Public sanitary facilities have varied and very specific requirements. While the toilets in airports are cleaned hourly, for example, school toilets are only cleaned once a day. The new
cloud solution takes the opportunity to customise settings, diagnostics and statistics to a new level. Follow-up flow times, water flow periods and flush modes of self-closing faucets, showers and urinals can be tailored precisely for local conditions. Thanks to the detailed statistics providing information on the number of uses and operating times of the smart products, water management can also be implemented intelligently. All of this has a positive effect on water consumption and thus on operating costs, and is a real added value for all owners and operators of public and semi-public washrooms.

If an installed faucet or shower, for example, encounters problems or requires maintenance, the responsible operator or building technical service team receives an automatic push
notification to their building management system. That optimises processes, speeds up response times and improves the service, as less downtime is to be expected. The scenarios below
illustrate the advantages of the cloud solution in everyday use.

Scenario 1 – Foresight is better than hindsight
The technical staff of a hospital’s building administration calculates how often the installed products have been used based on the statistics. This procedure enables them to re-order and
replace wearing parts, such as faucet valves, at an early stage before they start malfunctioning and the faucet stops working.

Scenario 2 – Optimised processes
In the office building of a major corporation, impurities are blocking a faucet valve. The caretaker receives a push notification via the building management system, drawing his attention to a malfunction in the valve of faucet no. X in office building Y in room Z. Thanks to the detailed description, the malfunction can be located immediately, and rectified with the correct replacement parts and tools.

Scenario 3 – Give legionella no chance
The caretaker of a retirement home can use the statistics to see which showers in the building are used irregularly. On this basis, just those showers or all showers can be flushed for hygiene, or thermally cleaned. The thermal cleaning processes, using water at a temperature of 70 degrees, are logged precisely and can also be sent by e-mail as Excel spreadsheets.

Scenario 4 – Service on demand
Highly frequented facilities, like those in motorway services, have set cleaning schedules. But what if the washroom had just been cleaned when multiple busloads of travellers suddenly descend on the toilets? The cloud solution sends the building services technician a push notification after a pre-defined number of uses, to enable them to send in the cleaning staff again. This procedure ensures that the rooms are always in top condition and the cleaning processes are optimally implemented.

For architects and planners:

• The products are sustainable and resource-efficient.
• The products are certified by the Swiss Gas and Water Industry Association (SVGW), and thus reliable and hygienic.
• The system can be connected to building services equipment without additional data cables.
• The concept is smart building-compatible.

For installers:

• The faucets can be configured simply with a menu-guided interface using a conventional smartphone or tablet and the free app.
• The factory settings can be customised for the different locations.
• The parameters can be transferred to different rooms by copy and paste.

For investors/operators:

• Follow-up flow times, water flow periods and flush modes can be configured using the app, which has a positive effect on water consumption and operating costs.
• Informative statistics are available on the number of uses and operating hours.
• The integrated hygiene flushing and thermal cleaning functions prevent legionella formation.
• The monitoring modes prevent unnecessary water waste.
• Efficient use of water saves costs.

For building services, caretakers and cleaning staff:

• The products can be organised individually or in product groups.
• The products can be configured and controlled wirelessly via an app.
• Management is very hygienic, as the products do not have to be touched or dismantled.
• Faults can be identified quickly by querying the functionality of sensors, valves and the power supply.
• The cleaning mode can also be activated simultaneously for different product groups in a single room.

Laufen’s Advanced Control concept combines technical expertise with modern washbasin faucets, external and integrated urinal controls, a shower control and the intuitive SmartControl sanitation app, with its intuitive interface.

Laufen’s Advanced Control concept meets different requirements in public and semi-public washrooms.