HyTronic® Faucets: Meet University Campus-Wide Sustainability Needs
The Challenge
Along with the stress of exams for students throughout their educational careers, one of the ongoing challenges for colleges and universities is the rising cost of education, which can place the experience out of reach for many. Every aspect of campus facilities must contribute to controlling operating expenses, including the faucets that serve the needs of students, staff, and visitors.
California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), located in Carson, CA, prides itself on offering a comprehensive education to its surrounding population within well-maintained facilities
Founded in 1960, the campus currently enrolls approximately 15,000 undergraduate students and 2,000 post-baccalaureates. As one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the western United States, half of the student body identify as the first in their families to attend college, contributing significantly to the economy and vitality
of the area just south of Los Angeles.
To accommodate its growing student population, CSUDH has embarked on an ambitious building project, having opened Three new buildings in recent years with plans for four more currently underway. With numerous projects ongoing, some inefficiencies can arise. In early 2020, Jeffery Phelps joined CSUDH’s maintenance staff as Plumbing Services Supervisor for Facilities Services. Upon his arrival, Phelps discovered that the campus was using eight different brands of faucets across its buildings, complicating maintenance and increasing the workload for the facilities team. In addition, the faucets they were using had issues around maintenance, sustainability, and safety.
The Solution
CSUDH is defying trends in higher education by aggressively pursuing growth. In the fall of 2024, groundbreaking commenced on four new buildings, including the Affordable Student Housing and Dining Commons, the Health, Wellness, and Recreation Center, the Orthotics and Prosthetics Center for teaching and research, and an enhanced power grid. The total cost for these projects is estimated to reach $228 million.
Recognizing the need for standardization, Phelps proposed a solution: unifying the campus restrooms with Chicago Faucets HyTronic® touchless faucets. As he stated, “For anyone building anything here on campus, which means we buy new faucets, it’s going to be the Chicago Faucets HyTronic touchless faucets.” He also noted, “We have a small maintenance shop, and I don’t have room to inventory parts for eight different faucets.”
With over 25 years of experience in plumbing installation and supervision, Phelps has encountered various faucet brands. Previous experiences at another Cal State campus led him to prefer the HyTronic model over others he had managed, which often faced issues with durability and sensor malfunctions. He emphasizes the importance of reliable faucets for the many visitors attending events or prospective students considering CSUDH.
As with most institutions of higher learning, tight budgets pose significant challenges for CSUDH. Standardizing around the HyTronic faucets will help reduce repair part
inventory costs.
“We have found that reliability, ease of maintenance and customer support are the best features.”
– Casey Wise, Phelp's representative at Renco Sales
Additionally, the HyTronic faucets provide good looks while featuring durability with a heavy construction with a refined, polished chrome finish. Once the new buildings are ready to outfit their restrooms, the faucets will be quickly installed on the counters. For efficient installation, the HyTronic faucets come with free-spinning hoses that are pre-installed.
When maintenance is necessary, all faucet components are easily accessible above the deck. To reduce attention to the faucets, a twin-beam infrared system responds swiftly, adapts to environmental changes, and minimizes false activations. Phelps considers the faucets to be “practically maintenance-free.”
Casey Wise, Phelps’ representative with Renco Sales, another long-time plumbing veteran, assisted Phelps with specifying the HyTronic faucets, and “does an outstanding job” providing service. For instance, the area around CSUHD has a lot of calcium in the water and Wise consulted on how to clean out the faucet’s solenoids.
User safety is a concern with any faucet if the water coming out of it is below the maximum temperature of 105°F. Wise suggested adding mixing valves is the circuit to keep handsclean without scalding and to comply with ASSE 1070 standards.
0.35 GPM Low Flow Faucets Meet CalGreen and LEED Standards
Water sustainability is a pressing issue in California, especially in the southern part of the state. The HyTronic faucets align with CalGreen and LEED standards by offering a low flow rate of 0.35 GPM.
The hands-free faucet’s automatic shut-off provides additional water savings, given that many campus buildings are accessible late into the evening. The custodians no longer are coming in the buildings at 4:00am to discover the faucets were left on through the evening.
With over 300 faucets delivering water around the CSUDH campus, the costs each one saves the institution has a significant impact.
As for Phelps’ view on the faucets, “We have found that reliability, ease of maintenance and customer support are the best features.”
