Think It’s Just a Button? Here’s What It Actually Does!
September 17, 2024
Source: reddit
If you have ever seen one of these buttons under a sink, for instance, those like the ones pictured, you have come across a vestige of the time before the hand sensors. These are foot pedal valves, an almost unheard of today but very neat way of controlling the flow of water at the sink.
Such foot operated valves are still in use in many of the older university buildings or other public areas for sanitary water control. The button which one has to step on would allow water to flow from the faucet and this was a concept that was quite common before the modern sensors were introduced. The mechanism was simple but highly effective: just push the pedal and the water comes out, there are no handles to turn and thus keeping it clean.
Although such systems are not used in the new constructions today, they were very efficient. Unlike today’s sensors which may malfunction or sometimes fail to recognize your hands, foot pedal valves required a simple pedal lever. These were easier to use, provided a more physical interaction and felt more solid, which consequently required less repairs.