Faucet Test Device.
Standard faucet testing vs. the lime-scale problem
European standards such as EN 200 (single and mixer taps) and EN 817 (mechanical mixing valves) define endurance and functional tests for sanitary tapware — typically large numbers of open/close cycles (in the order of 200,000) with hot and cold water at defined pressures. These standards verify mechanical service life, leak-tightness and operating torque, but they do not test behaviour in hard (lime-rich) water, which varies from city to city.
Our client, Kale Seramik, informed us that faucets sourced from different suppliers showed varying lifespans when used in water with different lime ratios across various cities.
Upon identifying the issue, our company proposed a system designed to test different types of faucets with water containing various lime ratios.
The system, utilizing a servo motor, performs the desired number and speed of cycles on the faucet, measuring the opening and closing forces of each cycle with a load cell, identifying when and how the faucet begins to fail in lime-rich water, and providing a report.
Such a test is not included in faucet standards. This solution was developed by our company and manufactured for internal quality control and testing.
Our company undertook the design, manufacturing, and automation aspects of the project.
A purpose-built lime-water endurance test
Because the relevant tap standards (EN 200 / EN 817) contain no lime-water requirement, this was developed as a custom internal quality-control test rather than a standard method. The servo-driven rig reproduces the EN-style open/close cycling but supplies water at a chosen lime ratio, while a load cell records the opening and closing force on every cycle — so the point at which a tap begins to degrade in hard water can be identified and reported. ULMEKA carried out the design, manufacturing and automation of the system.
Questions fréquentes.
Do EN 200 and EN 817 include a hard water or limescale test for faucets?
No. Both standards (EN 200 for single and mixer taps, EN 817 for mechanical mixing valves) define endurance and functional tests built around open/close cycling with hot and cold water at defined pressures. What they verify is mechanical service life, leak-tightness and operating torque. Behaviour in hard, lime-rich water is outside their scope, even though lime content varies from city to city.
How many open/close cycles does a faucet endurance test involve?
European tapware standards such as EN 200 and EN 817 typically call for large numbers of open/close cycles, in the order of 200,000, run with hot and cold water at defined pressures. The point of all that cycling is to confirm mechanical service life, leak-tightness and operating torque. Lime scale never enters the picture, since neither standard addresses hard water.
How can a faucet be endurance tested in lime-rich water?
Not with a standard method, since EN 200 and EN 817 contain no lime-water requirement. A custom rig can reproduce the EN-style open/close cycling while supplying water at a chosen lime ratio. A servo motor runs the desired number of cycles at a set speed, a load cell logs the opening and closing force on every cycle, and the point where the tap starts to degrade in hard water is identified and reported.
Why does faucet lifespan vary from one city to another?
Lime content in the water supply differs from city to city, and the standard endurance tests never look at hard-water behaviour. In one reported case, taps sourced from different suppliers wore out at different rates depending on the local lime ratio. That gap led to a custom internal quality-control test in which taps are cycled with water at chosen lime ratios.
What does a load cell measure during a faucet cycling test?
The load cell measures the opening and closing forces on the tap, once per cycle, for the whole run. In a lime-water endurance rig, this force record reveals when and how the faucet begins to fail in hard water, and it forms the basis of the report that pins down the degradation point.
ULMEKA conçoit des systèmes d'essais
selon vos spécifications.
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