Delta Faucet Marks 58 Years of Innovation

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Since founder Alex Manoogian developed the plumbing industry's first single-handle washerless ball valve faucet in 1954, Delta^® products have been fueled by thoughtful innovation. The brand's commitment to designing products that improve the way people interact with water has led to a robust collection of award-winning technologies and water-saving features, including its unmatched Touch2O^® Technology, which, after nearly five years on the market, continues to reinvent the way consumers interact with their faucets.

An Armenian immigrant who established himself as a young entrepreneur in the 1920s, Manoogian was vocal about his dedication to superior craftsmanship, design and leadership; values that the brand continues to uphold today. According to him, products that do not offer consumers superior performance and a better value are not worth selling. It's through this mandate that Delta Faucet upholds its mission to help people find smarter ways to experience water.

"Alex Manoogian is more than just the founder of the Delta brand, he is the inspiration behind everything we do today," said Bob Rodenbeck, director of research and development, Delta Faucet Company. "As a company born out of innovation, we take pride in continuing to innovate and lead in the areas of new technology development, consumer research and design."

Born from ethnographic research, Touch₂O Technology addresses a desire to improve the way consumers interact with their kitchen faucet, affording them precise and reliable control to activate the flow of water exactly when and where it's needed - even when hands are full or messy. With Touch₂O Technology, users can simply tap anywhere on the spout, hub or handle of the faucet to turn on and off the water stream.

The evolution of Touch₂O Technology since it was first introduced in 2008 echoes the same process Manoogian followed in developing and expanding his single-handle washerless line in the 1950s and beyond. In 2011, Touch₂O Technology was made available on lavatory faucets and was also expanded in the form of Touch₂O_.xt™ Technology, which, in addition to touch activation, also offers hands-free functionality in an area of the home where proximity sensing is more desired. Today, the Delta brand offers eight kitchen suites and three bathroom suites featuring Touch₂O Technology, as well as two bathroom suites with Touch₂O_.xt Technology.

Another kitchen technology, the EZ Anchor™ mounting assembly, was developed out of the desire to make the faucet installation process less cumbersome. With the EZ Anchor system, the kitchen faucet can be installed almost entirely above the deck, limiting the under-the-counter contorting that often accompanies a new faucet installation project. The only steps below the counter are to connect the spray wand hose and the water supply lines.

H₂Okinetic™ showers, one of the brand's other hallmark technologies, also followed a similar development path. New federal and state requirements and the changing global landscape of water availability have created the need for more water-efficient products in the lavatory. After extensive research, Delta Faucet discovered that, while many consumers were willing to reduce their water consumption in other areas of the home, most were not willing to compromise their experience in the shower.

H₂Okinetic technology helps address this problem by giving users the feeling of more water without actually using more water. Each H₂Okinetic shower employs the science of fluidics to manipulate the water droplet size and spray pattern, giving users the feeling of a more drenching and warming shower.

For more information about all of the smart solutions from Delta Faucet Company, visit: http://www.deltafaucet.com/smart-solutions/index.html

About Delta Faucet
There is a philosophy at the heart of every Delta^® product: there is a better way to live with water. It goes beyond excellent design to incorporate smart thinking that anticipates people's needs. From proprietary Touch₂O^® Technology that turns faucets on and off with just a touch to H₂Okinetic™ shower technology that uniquely shapes the water to create larger water droplets that retain heat longer for a more drenching shower experience, Delta products incorporate thoughtful features that delight. Paired with beautiful, inspirational design, it's another way that the Delta^® brand is more than just a faucet. Delta products are offered by Delta Faucet Company, which was named 2011 WaterSense^® Manufacturer Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is a worldwide leader in faucets and related accessories and sells products in more than 53 countries. For more information, visit www.deltafaucet.com.

Links to additional resources
Delta Touch₂O Technology
Delta EZ Anchor Mounting Assembly
Delta H2Okinetic Technology
Delta Online Press Room
About Masco Corporation

SOURCE Delta Faucet