Dubai, UAE – GROHE, one of the world’s leading providers of premium sanitary fittings for bathrooms and kitchens, today announced its uncompromising commitment to quality that you can feel, with the publication of test results on a range of GROHE single-lever mixers.
The single-lever mixers, or faucets, which are utilised in bathroom and kitchen fixtures in hotels, commercial offices and homes throughout the region, underwent a large-scale endurance test by Germany’s renowned TÜV SÜD – an internationally acknowledged testing and inspection company with over 140 years of experience.
As a major international service group operating in the industry, mobility and people business segments, TÜV SÜD have teams of specialists that are engaged in optimizing technology, systems and know-how, and acting as process partners; enhancing the competitive strength of customers throughout the world, by remaining committed to the minimization of technical risks to service providers
TÜV SÜD examined the mechanical wear of products of nine renowned international manufacturers and among the aspects tested were the operating forces in the movement of the lever, the breakaway torque after an extended rest period and the operating precision and the tightness of the lever. The results in every test category showed that GROHE was the clear test winner.
“Grohe faucets were proven to be the clear winner because each faucet utilises a very specific technology – the GROHE SilkMove® technology,” commented Alex Halabi, GROHE Regional Manager for the Gulf region.
“The efficiency and smooth running of single-lever mixers are indispensable for ease of use and for saving water. Given that faucets are among the most frequently used everyday commodities, it is essential that the water temperature and water flow can be adjusted as easily after many years of use as on the first day,” added Halabi.
The test looked at the actuation forces which define the ease of motion and therefore allow for more comfortable use of the faucet. GROHE’s silky smooth, jerk-free sliding demonstrated high quality standards. Additionally, lever play was analysed, as levers that wobble, with time, lead to a loss of quality and trust as the lever operation becomes imprecise and annoying; in these tests GROHE conveyed particular solidity.
Precision of the levers demonstrated high adjustment comfort thanks to GROHE’s precise, sensitive operation – the direct corollary is that the exact adjustment helps to save water and energy costs; this was also true of water tightness where leaky faucets must often be replaced. GROHE’s faucets demonstrated an excellent propensity to hold water, thereby avoiding subsequent costs as found with low-value products.
Large-scale comparative test methodology
The wear behaviour of wash basin faucets was examined in a large-scale endurance test simulating roughly 20 years of use and maximum stress. GROHE was represented by the “Eurodisc”, which is based on the same proprietary technology standards as all other GROHE faucets. Over a period of seven weeks, the “Eurodisc” competed with products of other important international manufacturers. Great importance was attached to the objectivity of the test. Two faucets of the same model were tested in the GROHE Lifetest Lab in Lahr, Germany under identical conditions in a test stand sealed by TÜV SÜD. The reference samples were standard products from Europe and the USA, which were officially purchased from wholesalers.
A testing machine subjected the faucet levers to a defined number of movements simulating 20 years of use in a multi-person household. The faucets were connected to the water supply. In accordance with standards DIN EN 817 and NF 077, they underwent 70,000 cycles consisting of 210,000 open/close operations and 140,000 hot/cold operations.
The test winner: Eurodisc
TÜV SÜD closely examined all faucets in an initial test, two interim tests and a final test. GROHE showed an excellent performance and made first place in nearly all of the 40 individual tests. At the bottom line, GROHE was the test winner and left all competitors behind.
The secret of success
The GROHE faucets owe their impressive performance to their cartridges, which are produced in a high-tech process at the company’s own production facilities in Germany and feature discs made from a space-proven ceramic alloy. A special Teflon®-containing lubricant on the even, mirror-like surfaces ensures long-term silky-smooth operation. Even after many years of use, the cartridges will work flawlessly, as they feature many micro chambers filled with lubricant that guarantee life-long maintenance-free operation. In addition, the GROHE SilkMove® technology enables a generous operating angle for especially soft and precise temperature adjustment. The result: silky-smooth operation throughout the faucet’s lifetime.
“The tangible GROHE quality has proven to be measurable and we hope that these test results will prove to both existing and potential clients that GROHE not only means reliability, but that the name is synonymous with money saving and water preservation,” concluded Halabi.
For details of the complete TÜV SÜD test report, please visit www.grohe.com.
About GROHE
Holding roughly eight percent of the world market, Grohe AG is the biggest European and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sanitary fittings. As a global brand for sanitary products and systems, GROHE is committed to designing and producing faucets and fittings which perfectly meet local and individual needs throughout an extremely long useful life.
Headquartered in Hemer and with its corporate center in Dusseldorf, the company currently employs some 5,100 people worldwide, including 2,600 in Germany. GROHE has six production plants, of which three are located abroad, namely in Portugal, Thailand and Canada. The company generates 84 percent of its sales outside Germany.