School moves to the head of the class with E-Tronic® 80 faucets.
Since its founding in 1972, NorthPointe Christian Schools has been in a continual growth mode, starting with 90 students when they first opened their doors. Today, their educational complex in Grand Rapids, MI, provides a high level of education to a total enrollment of 1,250 students from Pre-K through 12th grade.
Along with a complete academic program, NorthPointe Christian Mustangs participate in the full range of boys’ and girls’ sports. The school network’s impressive growth is spurred in part by several innovative programs: Nature-based Preschool, Big Picture Learning, Spanish Immersion starting in Preschool, Robotics clubs for all age levels, service projects, and an on-site café run by the students.
Faucets Add to the Image
NorthPointe keeps its buildings up to date, with particular attention to student comfort and safety. Among other upgrades, the schools installed advanced E-Tronic® 80 touchless faucets and soap dispensers from Chicago Faucets in the recently remodeled boys’ and girls’ restrooms. NorthPointe’s Director of Facilities, Rusty Brewster, had a long-term relationship with their plumbing supplier, so he turned to Bill Rohen with Taggart-Knight, the Chicago Faucets sales representative for Michigan, when the project came up.
“These are the restrooms that 95% of our visitors also use, so for many, this is a first impression,” points out Brewster.
“The E-80s in black matte really did the trick. They look great and get plenty of compliments.”
—Rusty Brewster
Director of Facilities
NorthPointe Christian Schools
Germ Fighting Faucets
Brewster and NorthPointe were attracted to the flexibility and safety offered by the E-Tronic 80 restroom faucets. Optional user-adjustable temperature control allows restroom visitors can choose the water temperature that’s most comfortable for them. The faucets also include an integrated ASSE 1070-certified mixing valve to protect users against scalding.
which enables easy adjustments in the faucet’s settings. This tool for touchless faucet management helps the maintenance crew monitor water usage while creating a documented audit trail.
Schools are notorious for spreading colds, flu, and other contagious diseases. A single lever manually-operated faucet can harbor scores of bacterial colonies, which can be easily transmitted from student to student. The E-Tronic 80’s touchless operation prevents germs from accumulating on faucet handles and migrating from student to student.
Kids are not chronic handwashers. The E-Tronic 80 makes the routine easy for them, enabling a hygienic visit to the school washroom to protect themselves and their classmates from spreading illness. When the student is ready to wash hands, the intuitive faucet sensor detects motion and releases warm, tempered water. The E-Tronic 80 has a ten-second run time when the faucet sensor detects the presence of hands, automatically shutting off water flow after one second once the hands are withdrawn from the sensor.
“The integrated mixing valve anti-scald protection made installation much easier.”
Benefiting Installation and Maintenance
The E-Tronic 80’s electronics are accessible above deck, making it easy to install and maintain. It is also low-cost to install, with preinstalled flexible water supply hoses to the supply stops. The faucet requires just a single hole for deck mounting. According to Rohen, “For Rusty, it was the look and the convenience of everything, including the mixing valve in one faucet. “
Though the E-Tronic 80 is capable of operating off a 6V lithium battery, the NorthPointe facilities department chose the 120v power option to avoid battery changes for more reliable operation and to avoid the time spent changing batteries. The NorthPointe maintenance department installed the faucets and found the job a snap. “The integrated mixing valve anti-scald protection made installation much easier,” said Brewster. The multiple modes, including cleaning mode, make our restrooms easier to clean.”
Built for the demands of public use, the E-Tronic 80 has a vandal-resistant, pressure-compensating Econo-Flo™ non-aerating spray outlet with a clear, non-splashing 0.5 GPM water flow. NorthPointe Christian Schools strives to provide students with an upscale environment for quality education. Though the E-Tronic 80 is a small part of it, as Brewster puts it, “the modern look of the Chicago Faucets speaks for itself.”
