Drinking fountain push-buttons

  • “the genius of the drinking fountain button is that it’s modularly repairable.That whole mechanism is part of a self-contained cartridge that’s easy to remove and swap out.” ⤴️
  • “One of the company’s owners used to carry a little screwdriver around everywhere they went to fix dribbling fountains — if you want to try it yourself, Epker says a 1/8-inch flat-blade screwdriver is the largest that will fit.” ⤴️
  • “Modern ones even have dedicated filters to keep their internals from clogging as quickly, and a screwdriver hole that lets anyone with a small screwdriver adjust the height of the stream — by changing the maximum distance the seal moves away from the internal water port.” ⤴️
  • “They’re harder to vandalize, too, with no lever to break off and a silver (or copper) disc cover that just spins in place if you try to twist it. Yet they’re still easily repairable: Haws patented a version in 2006 that lets a repairperson easily remove the button and access the cartridge with a single special wrench.” ⤴️
  • “I’m beginning to think it’s not the drinking button’s fault; they’re actually some of the most elegant buttons out there. They’re one of the few remaining buttons where your push directly and mechanically controls the result. They’re over a hundred years old.” ⤴️
  • “When your thumb pushes that metal disc inward, you’re also pressing a button beneath the button that uncaps a spout inside the spout. There’s a seal inside that blocks the flow of water when the button’s sticking out and releases it when you press down. Pushing down moves the seal that normally covers a tiny waterspout inside the mechanism, letting the water through. Then, it’s free to move, fill up the inside of the faucet, and shoot out the fountain at around 0.4 gallons per minute.” ⤴️
  • ““Sanitary fountains” were popularized in the early 1900s to prevent the spread of disease; earlier types had a “common cup” everyone would share. Modifications came fast after scientists found vertical streams and a spout that fits inside one’s mouth weren’t best for public health, either.” ⤴️
  • “A review of 15 different types of “sanitary fountain” from 1912 didn’t showcase a single button, only levers, twist knobs, an optional foot pedal, and always-running types.” ⤴️
  • “maintenance became much easier when cartridge systems came along.” ⤴️
  • “controls “shall not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist,” and a fountain can’t take more than five pounds of force from a single hand to operate.” ⤴️
  • “Many just need their strainer cleaned out or their height screw adjusted” ⤴️
  • “Purely physical drinking fountain buttons may not stick around forever. Some refrigerated indoor water fountains already use microswitches and solenoids to dispense their product, and many water bottle fillers use hands-free sensors instead of buttons.” ⤴️
  • ““I would say people are falling back to mechanical operation more and more,” says marketing manager Mike Wilhelm. “Fewer things can go wrong, it’s easier to maintain over time.”” ⤴️
  • “the genius of the drinking fountain button is that it’s modularly repairable.That whole mechanism is part of a self-contained cartridge that’s easy to remove and swap out.” ⤴️
  • “One of the company’s owners used to carry a little screwdriver around everywhere they went to fix dribbling fountains — if you want to try it yourself, Epker says a 1/8-inch flat-blade screwdriver is the largest that will fit.” ⤴️
  • “Modern ones even have dedicated filters to keep their internals from clogging as quickly, and a screwdriver hole that lets anyone with a small screwdriver adjust the height of the stream — by changing the maximum distance the seal moves away from the internal water port.” ⤴️
  • “They’re harder to vandalize, too, with no lever to break off and a silver (or copper) disc cover that just spins in place if you try to twist it. Yet they’re still easily repairable: Haws patented a version in 2006 that lets a repairperson easily remove the button and access the cartridge with a single special wrench.” ⤴️
  • “I’m beginning to think it’s not the drinking button’s fault; they’re actually some of the most elegant buttons out there. They’re one of the few remaining buttons where your push directly and mechanically controls the result. They’re over a hundred years old.” ⤴️
  • “When your thumb pushes that metal disc inward, you’re also pressing a button beneath the button that uncaps a spout inside the spout. There’s a seal inside that blocks the flow of water when the button’s sticking out and releases it when you press down. Pushing down moves the seal that normally covers a tiny waterspout inside the mechanism, letting the water through. Then, it’s free to move, fill up the inside of the faucet, and shoot out the fountain at around 0.4 gallons per minute.” ⤴️
  • ““Sanitary fountains” were popularized in the early 1900s to prevent the spread of disease; earlier types had a “common cup” everyone would share. Modifications came fast after scientists found vertical streams and a spout that fits inside one’s mouth weren’t best for public health, either.” ⤴️
  • “A review of 15 different types of “sanitary fountain” from 1912 didn’t showcase a single button, only levers, twist knobs, an optional foot pedal, and always-running types.” ⤴️
  • “maintenance became much easier when cartridge systems came along.” ⤴️
  • “controls “shall not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist,” and a fountain can’t take more than five pounds of force from a single hand to operate.” ⤴️
  • “Many just need their strainer cleaned out or their height screw adjusted” ⤴️
  • “Purely physical drinking fountain buttons may not stick around forever. Some refrigerated indoor water fountains already use microswitches and solenoids to dispense their product, and many water bottle fillers use hands-free sensors instead of buttons.” ⤴️
  • ““I would say people are falling back to mechanical operation more and more,” says marketing manager Mike Wilhelm. “Fewer things can go wrong, it’s easier to maintain over time.”” ⤴️