WaterSaving Test

If you already have a NOVOLENCE shower or an RST AERATOR , carrying out the following instructions you will be able to convince yourself of the advantages of our products with regard to water saving, comfort and durability. All you need is a watch with a second hand, a bucket and perhaps some tool to assemble and disassemble the AERATOR and Shower-Jet AERATOR.

Our Hotline – Your Carte Blanche to ask questions

We do not leave you to your fate with our products. Should any problems or doubts arise even in spite of (or just because of) our products’ simplicity and excellent reliability, we will be at your disposal via our Hotline at local rate in order to help you out with advice and suggestions.

Questions with regard to WaterSaving

The following questions arise in connection with the measures to be taken to save water. We have answered them for you.

Is there any increasing Legionella risk in portable shower heads based upon the TURBULANCE principle?

Nowadays, the legionary disease has become an eagerly discussed subject in several specialized publications. As a result of our close collaboration with hospitals and old people’s homes, we have had to deal with this issue in detail over the last couple of years.

Generally speaking, small populations of Legionella bacteria can be found in all water faucets. Under specific circumstances (i.e. a water temperature comprised between 35°C-60°C, with a scarce circulation or none at all, water pipes with porous surfaces that allow Legionellas to nest) Legionellas can multiply exponentially. Should this water, in the shape of aerosol particles (i.e. minute drops, vapour, damp haze), reach the lungs of weakened people (elderly people, legionaries, ill people), for example when having a shower, it might cause an infection. This infection is potentially dangerous as it can be interpreted as an ordinary cold and hence become worse until the victim eventually dies after a few days.

"The addition of air increases the Legionella risk" a health expert wrote to us. Nevertheless, dangerous Legionella concentrations have to be found in water and not in the air. Perhaps the author wanted to draw our attention to the fact that by adding air the water jet becomes subtler producing smaller drops as a result. This is true. Yet, the drops of our showers are big enough to be secured to our mucous membrane and to the alveoli of the respiratory system. The real risk lies with the vapour formed (have a look at steamed mirrors and tiles) in any shower regardless of the shower head used. The most efficient way to fight the Legionella risk is by means of supplying decentralized warm water (i.e. the water is heated only when it is needed), through well-preserved and clean water pipes with regular circulation, and by means of periodical increases of the temperature in the warm water pipes exceeding 80ş C (to avoid scalding, it is advisable to carry out these temperature increases at night).

Our conversations held with health experts have often given us the impression as if we were dealing with a recently discovered disease, such as AIDS or BSE. Yet, we have known this disease for many years and, as far as we know, there have not been any spectacular cases involving showers over the last few years.

The AERATOR for faucets are technically speaking no innovation, considering they are being included in any new standard faucet.

In effect, the bubble-jet atomizers for faucets are no novelty, as they have existed for over 25 years in nearly every faucet. Nevertheless, at present only 2% of all new faucets are being equipped with special water saving AERATOR. Moreover, far be it from there being a comparison: as far as comfort, protection against calcification and durability is concerned, the RST Long Life AERATOR is a technical innovation, which explains why its design has been patented all over the world since 1985 (see the EU 0216319 patent).

Do or don’t the waterway reducers for shower heads need a nonreturn valve in accordance with DIN 1988?

This issue cannot be deduced from the DIN norm. Neither would it be factable, since any apparatus installed behind a cut-off valve, i.e. any portable shower head, hose or bubble-Jet AERATOR, WaterSaving or not, acts as a "limiter" the way it is constructed.

According to the DIN 1988 norm, the fitting and use of Shower-stops is not allowed as they might give rise to pressure-surges. Do they not also entail the risk of passing warm water from a storage water heater into the drinking water supply?

This turns out to be an overall assertion that is not applicable to our products. Opposed to many of our competitors’ products, the RST SHOWER-STOP works in the same way as a "traditional" ball-type mixer faucet. Just as is the case for a normal faucet, the RST SHOWER-STOP is closed by making a turning movement (which takes some time) so there cannot be any pressure-surges. Lever faucets, on the other hand, suffer considerably higher pressure-surges. Our RST SHOWER-STOP was the first in its kind to be equipped with a residual outlet in closed position (minimum 2,5 litres/min.) precisely in order to avoid the mixing of cold with warm water. Our experience with Scandinavian housing producers who have been installing the RST SHOWER-STOP for several years in more than 30,000 houses with a centralized warm water supply, has given proof of the fact that the residual outlet of 2,5 litres/min. suffices to avoid the above mentioned effect in a most efficient way.

According to the DIN 1988 norm, the W.C. Water-Stop is forbidden as it does not guarantee a minimum quantity of flushing water.

The minimum quantity of flushed water in accordance with EC regulations, i.e. at least 3l/min., is guaranteed by the RST W.C. WATER-STOP because of its weight proportion whereas some cisterns will require an additional weight in order to reduce the quantity of flushed water. As a result of the centering in the hood, the plungerhead packing is being subjected to an even weight so that it does not wear out. The overflow function will not be hindered thanks to the reduced dimensions of the RST W.C. WATERT-STOP.

The valve-Seating Miller is not really a water saving device, is it?

We certainly agree in affirming that the valve-seating miller is not a water saving device. We also do not commercialize this product as such. Yet, should you have a dripping faucet and you wish to fix it using our valve-seating miller, then this product will already have contributed to looking after our water reserves in a considerable way.