Is this some cutting edge art installation? Although it's beautiful, it's not! What you see is a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) chamber at the Delta Faucet Plant in Jackson, Tennessee.
Delta's trademark BRILLIANCE anti-tarnish finish is applied here, not only adding color but providing heavy duty abrasion resistance to their faucets.This was just one of the things I learned about on day two of the Brizo Blogger 19 Reunion. (Click here to read about day one at St. Jude's) I always love to visit plants and factories because it gives me so much more information to help my clients make the right choices for there home.
American manufacturing is alive and well at Delta Faucet Company which also produces the luxury line of Brizo Faucets. The plant, located in Jackson, Tennessee is about midway between Memphis and Nashville. They employ around 900 workers operating in about 600,000 square feet.
What impressed me was the level of quality control I saw. Everything was oriented towards helping employees to make the best products as safely and efficiently as possible. There's a lot of creative machining and engineering going on but it's not all automated. This factory is very people focussed. Each faucet is actually hand made and 100% of product is tested before being sent out into the world.
Delta and Brizo faucets are also known for their trademarked DIAMOND SEAL technology. This is the little mechanism inside that dictates water flow and temperature. Yes, there are actually diamonds in there! Diamonds lubricate moving parts without need for lubricants. This eliminates even trace amounts of lead. What this means for the consumer is that a Delta or Brizo faucet is safe and durable lasting up to 5 million uses – up to 10 times longer than the industry standard!Last but not least we can't leave the factory without mentioning what I consider to be the Delta Brizo crowning glory, the trademarked Brizo SMARTTOUCH technology. In Delta products it's called TOUCH20. All SmartTouch/Touch20 (touch on, touch off ) products undergo extensive testing. Yes, every single one! In addition my favorite, the Brizo Odin electronic lavatory faucet now sports SMARTTOUCH PLUS technology which means it can also be used totally hands free.
Back at the hotel we were able to preview top secret products in development as well as the new line of Brizo freestanding tub fillers. We also learned that all "touch technology" is not created equal and were able to experiment with a wide variety of products, many of which use the infrared method that we frequently see in public bathrooms. In my opinion there was a big difference between how these products function compared to the Delta products which function using the static electricity we carry in our bodies! The human body conducts electricity. The surface of the faucet conducts that energy activating a solenoid (on/off switch) under the sink. The result seems to be much more dependable. I tested Moen, Kholer and Hansgrohe, so basically all price points. Though none were perfect, to me the most expensive Hansgrohe was the worst!
We ended the day with a demonstration of the newest showering phenomenon, H20KINETICS. Wow! It's a very wet, very satisfying shower with LESS water. Check it out. The H20KINETICS shower on the left as seen with an infrared light vs. a typical sprinkling showerhead. You can see the strands of water seem turbo charged!I want to thank Brizo for a most amazing experience. It's always great to connect with people I am proud to call my peers and to learn a great deal in the process.