REGARDLESS of whether in terms of solar energy, waste management, water recycling, job tickets, heat recycling or “green” information technology, German sanitary ware specialist Hansgrohe says it takes its responsibility towards the environment seriously and sets new benchmarks in this respect time and again.

It is therefore not surprising that the company and its products have received numerous awards for exemplary commitment to protecting the environment, including the Environmental Prize of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg.
“Within this field, we act out of conviction,” says Hansgrohe board chairman Siegfried Gansslen.
Especially when it comes to using water in a better way, namely on an ecologically and economically sustainable basis, this fittings and shower specialist employs its innovative power and passion to seek out new, progressive solutions. “To enjoy water and to use it better has long been a central concern for us,” says Gansslen. We therefore also see it as our task to create awareness of the preciousness and significance of the scarce resource of water amongst the general public.”

Smart technologies
Within this context, saving water is not to be equated with sacrificing comfort. To this end, the ingenious technicians working at the Hansgrohe fluid stream laboratory are devoting their attention to combining the enjoyment of water with the careful handling of this scarce resource. In the process, they are not only perfecting jet quality but simultaneously also developing special, water-saving technologies.
“Using the Hansgrohe EcoSmart technology, for example, one saves up to 50 per cent of water when showering, thanks to a special flow control and jet nozzles specifically aimed at this,” explains Gansslen.
“The Raindance EcoSmart showerheads and hand showers use as little as 9.5 litres of water per minute. The Hansgrohe showerpipes of the EcoSmart variety are just as frugal. At just six litres per minute, the Crometta 85 Green showerheads and hand showers are ranked right at the top of the list of master savers.
“This is made possible by EcoSmart control technology, which makes use of a so-called precision o-ring that responds to the pressure of the water in a flexible way: when it is high, the ring reduces the size of the opening through which the water can pass, and when pressure is low, it increases it accordingly while keeping the volume of water used constant. Since this means that, overall, less water needs to be heated, not only does this clever technology help to save water, it also reduces energy costs, day after day.”

Gansslen continues: “The aim of our products is to kindle an awareness of the value of water. However, this can only be achieved when they are perfect in form and function, while at the same time succeeding in creating emotional added value, thus turning water on skin into an experience.”
This is ensured by Hansgrohe’s unique AirPower technology, he says. “That is because it provides the shower stream with the necessary power by mixing air and water into a generous and soft rain shower inside the showers – for pure XXL showering pleasure and an intensive experience of well-being with less water and energy.”

Dual usability
When it comes to the topic of sustainable water management, the innovative power of this bathroom appliance specialist certainly does not stop at the water drain. “Through our Pontos AquaCycle systems, we have developed a solution to make water useable a second time,” says Gansslen. “At the outset, there was a simple idea here: we wanted to treat shower and bathwater in order to use this recycled water to flush toilets, in washing machines, for domestic cleaning or to water gardens instead of precious drinking water.”
The Pontos AquaCycle systems developed and manufactured by Ponto, a subsidiary of Hansgrohe, purify shower and bathwater in a fully automatic way using a patented process based entirely on mechanical and biological methods without chemical additives. The clear water produced in this way is hygienically clean and suitable for use in all applications not requiring water of potable standard. “Here,” says Gansslen, “is where the cycle commencing with shower enjoyment and ending with the responsible handling of the life element that is water is completed. In this way, even saving water is turned into pure pleasure.”