As InstallerSHOW introduces a kitchens and bathrooms hall for 2024, Andrew Gaved finds out how taps-to-showers giant Grohe is demonstrating that innovation in design can comfortably co-exist with a constant quest for sustainability.
At a recent event for customers and the media, the manufacturer showed how its proprietary PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) and powder coating processes are creating a new palette of hardwearing coated taps and shower heads for the trend-conscious consumer. The flagship of this achievement is Phantom Black, which is boldly claimed to be the ‘blackest black in the industry’. And it is virtually finger-print proof.
But the Grohe strategy isn’t just about the consumer. The manufacturer has also put installers firmly in the spotlight, with two initiatives: the launch of the Grohe Professional sub-brand, with a product line specifically for trade installation, and the expansion of the GIVE (Grohe Installer Vocation training and Education) scheme, which provides a package of equipment and support, including a fully plumbed rig, for plumbing training centres.
Hardwearing designs
The manufacturer believes that its PVD coating process creates a distinctive benefit – resulting in finishes three times harder and ten times more scratch-resistant than conventional galvanised finishes, while enabling a broader range of colours. During the first stage of coating, the components are cleaned and heat-treated whereby the plastic components undergo a degassing process. In the second step, the PVD coating is applied – a three stage process where the substrate is cleaned again, then the base coat is applied, followed by the paint coat.
Alongside the likes of Cool Sunrise and Warm Sunset, the range now boasts two black styles – Matte Black and the eagerly-awaited Phantom Black – options which the firm describes as ‘a perfect contrast to the shiny-white and chrome bathroom concept’. Matte Black is powder coated, with advanced resistance against corrosion, fading and scratches, while Phantom Black is the more premium option, using a lacquer-coating technique, which makes it more resistant against corrosion, fading and scratches than the Matte Black powder coated variants.
The Grohe Colours Collection, as well as the new Matte Black and Phantom Black, is available across the full suite of bathroom categories, including taps, showers, thermostats, and flush plates. The company particularly notes the attention to detail, with even the shower head connectors using the PVD process, protecting a part prone to water damage over time.
Grohe is proud of its design credentials, with no fewer than 200 designers in six different locations inputting to the creative process “Everything is curated…Our ceramics and faucets are a perfect match in geometry and function,” says Design Leader Carina Buhlert. And this has a distinct benefit for the customer she adds: “…We have designed out the splash.”
Carina notes that the arrival of Covid also had a distinct effect on the use of peoples’ homes: “Kitchens became like group therapy, while bathrooms became a sanctuary.”
This design philosophy is not simply a reaction to the current fashions, she emphasises. “We look at megatrends, at macrotrends and at microtrends, so we are looking not just two years ahead, but five years ahead and even 20 years ahead.”
Sustainability in practice
The manufacturer takes great pride in its sustainability strategy, with the company ensuring that its factories back up the sustainable product innovations with a high standard for recycling and reuse. Its brass goods factory in Albergaria in Portugal proudly boasts that 99% of its residual brass is reused, down even to the exhaust dust from the burnishing process, which requires the separation of the brass/sand mix.
The carbon reduction extends across the business – for instance it has replaced single use plastic with paper and cardboard in its packaging, removing 37 million plastic items in the process. Elsewhere, the manufacturer’s decision to group the main shower components in a rack behind the wall provides multiple benefits, as Carina Buhlert notes. “A customer can ‘replace’ their shower after five years, [for a change of design] without needing to replace the components behind the wall. This makes it easier for the installer and reduces the material replacement, which is good for sustainability.”
Installers in mind
The launch of the Grohe Professional sub-brand, according to the firm ‘has just one goal in mind: to simplify professional everyday work for those at the forefront.’ The dedicated product portfolio and support for installing companies is driven in part by a desire to stop labour availability being a barrier to installations. “With Grohe Professional, we underline our commitment to our professional partners, says Jonas Brennwald, Co-Chief executive of Grohe AG, “Based on our experience and expertise, we have put together a comprehensive product and service package that offers the sanitary industry solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. Installers are the backbone of our industry, so for us as a reliable partner, it is a matter of course to assist them in their busy everyday lives as best as we can.”
The UK installer community is also expected in the future to be able to access the Grohe+ loyalty scheme, currently available in continental Europe, which will provide a range of benefits.
In parallel, the company is expanding its GIVE initiative, which supports training schools in the UK and across the world. The scheme is currently in action in 65 different locations, based on a template originated in Colchester. The original scheme saw a six-metre working ‘training rack’ shipped out to places as far afield as Benin but now Grohe has developed a more compact four-sided rig to suit smaller training locations. This is provided, together with a comprehensive tool kit and training pack that sees plumbing students work towards a Grohe certificate. “It takes 3-4 days to accredit the college lecturer and around 120 hours to train up a student to Level 2,” says Chris Penney, the leader of the GIVE programme in Europe. With the new mini-rig, the way is opened now for offering the GIVE package to customers too, he adds.
“The great thing about GIVE is that students can benefit from our vast expertise. Even after they have completed their training, we will still assist them – with a work experience program at one of our industry partners or even with job placements.”
High hopes for the Everstream
But amidst the high-end range of kitchen and bathroom accessories, a revolutionary shower concept won the hearts and minds of many potential customers. The Everstream shower was unveiled at the Milan design fair, but for many this was the first opportunity to see at first hand a shower that will recycle a four-litre volume of water for 20 seconds, three times a minute in a continuous process – and which will arrive in the market in spring 2024, after certification is completed.
The use of water recycling, achieved at the touch of a button, is calculated to save as much as three quarters of the water in a ten-minute shower, compared to the 10 litres of fresh water used in conventional shower. This creates a huge draw both for sustainability-conscious customers and for regions where water is an increasingly scarce commodity.
But of course, alongside the water savings, the re-use of already partly heated water saves energy too – requiring just 3kW to reheat the water.
This could see energy savings of a third compared to traditional showers, which translates into a cost-saving of up to 65% a year for a four-person household and up to 70% fewer CO2 emissions, depending on individual shower habits, the company says.
The Everstream comes as a complete cubicle, complete with drainage section in the floor. The heart of the system is a UV lamp and filter which cleans and removes bacteria from the water being recycled, taking the likes of soap scum and hair out of the process. The filter should be washed in a dishwasher every few months, while the UV lamp has a lifetime of seven years, the company says.
The process sees users start their shower in the conventional way, then after using soap or shampoo, they press the Everstream button, to recycle the water. If required, or for instance, if they are showering in quick succession with children, they can press a Refresh button to return to fresh water. After use, the shower initiates a Clean mode, ready for the next user.
From the installers’ point of view, the Everstream will come as one part number, covering the recycling system, the insulation and accessories and the upper Smart Box controls.
At the customer event, there were naturally many questions about the real-life situations around using a recycled shower. Suffice to say, for those who use the shower for a ‘comfort break’ the manufacturer’s official recommendation is to use Refresh mode rather than Everstream mode. However, there is such confidence within the company about the filtration, that there are sure to be plenty of unofficial field trials of its cleaning ability.
Grohe has high hopes for Everstream, for sale to sustainability-conscious domestic customers – the price of around €4000 is set to see it being adopted initially by those keen on doing the right thing environmentally and those who understand the lifecycle savings, both in water heating and in metred water. However, the company believes that with the right environmental messaging, the concept will be adopted in commercial situations, particularly hotels. The company has the ambitious aim of having all Grohe concealed showers ‘water-recycling-ready’ by 2030. For the manufacturer, this is a significant step forward in water conservation and a demonstration of the importance of sustainability-driven design.
