High Abuse Plumbing That Lasts, Can Still Look Great!

There are many important factors in choosing the correct plumbing fixtures and parts for your facility. ADA requirements, water usage, plumbing rough ins, and other attributes all must be considered to satisfy the needs of the facility. One area often overlooked in commercial plumbing is durability. Having durable plumbing components not only ensures long life for the product, but also helps reduce liability and maintenance costs for facility owners.

Stainless Steel is one of the most common materials used in commercial plumbing today. Sinks, Showers, Drinking Fountains, Urinals, and even toilets can be made from stainless steel. Stainless Steel is far stronger than porcelain china, shatterproof, able to handle heavy weight, and is vandal resistant. With advances in design aesthetics, Schools, Hospitals, Parks, and other facilities are switching from porcelain china, to heavy duty stainless steel for their plumbing applications.

Additionally, facilities are also incorporating powder coated stainless steel which provides the appearance of porcelain china, but with the durability of stainless steel. Powder coating is the process of electrostatically applying powdered paint to stainless steel, and baking in a large oven. This process creates a finish that is significantly stronger than ordinary paint, while still resembling white porcelain china. Certain powder coats are also anti-microbial to support a safer, more hygienic restroom environment.  

When selecting fixtures made from Stainless Steel, it’s important to know the gauge (thickness) of the material and also the type of stainless steel the product is made from. In terms of high abuse, a minimum of 16 gauge stainless steel is recommended with 14 gauge stainless steel being preferred. In some special cases, even ultra heavy duty 12 gauge could be used. For material, type 304 stainless steel is most common which balances formability with corrosion resistance. In areas subject to high humidity or near saltwater, type 316 can be used which is even more corrosion resistant.

Stainless Steel units are easy to install and can be manufactured to meet a wide variety of plumbing requirements such as:

        -ADA

        -Water saving options (HET)

        -Touchless faucets / COVID – 19 safety standards

        -Ligature resistant options

        -Bariatric needs

Stainless Steel fixtures have also gained immense popularity in the retrofit markets. As more facilities face tough budget considerations, many facilities are retrofitting current restrooms with stainless steel fixtures because they can be customized to meet existing rough-ins. This provides for an easy, bolt-on installation that saves time and valuable budget money. Retrofit units can also be coupled with the options mentioned above to not only give the facility a new plumbing fixture but also a fixture that meets the latest plumbing requirements.

For care and maintenance of stainless steel, either use an approved stainless steel cleaner or soap and water to kill off unwanted bacteria. It’s important not to use bleach based cleaners as bleach will cause pitting and rusting of stainless steel. Additionally, a scotchbrite pad can be used to touch up scratched areas of the stainless steel (Do not use any abrasives on powder-coated units).

With a wide variety of options, pleasing aesthetics, and simple installation, it’s easy to see why stainless steel continues to grow in popularity.

Hailing from Lees Summit MO, Metcraft Industries has been in the high abuse plumbing market since 1981, we fabricate our high abuse units using heavy duty 14 gauge stainless steel coupled with the latest product designs to give customers a unit that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also can hold up to the needs of commercial and institutional facilities. We also supply a variety of Made-In-Amercia plumbing parts such as pneumatic valves, grab bars, toilet paper holders and many other parts to compliment our plumbing fixtures. For more information, please visit www.metcraftindustries.com