Fifteen thousand gallons. That’s the amount of water a typical TravelCenters of America (TA) location uses each day. Hundreds – even thousands – of motorists and truck drivers stop at these clean, trustworthy service centers to refill their tanks, purchase a snack or use the facilities to freshen up during a long day of travel. So in 2007, when TA was planning renovations for a number of public restrooms and shower facilities at approximately 60 locations, Manager of Retail Design Engineering Pat Jameson needed to select plumbing products that were reliable and durable enough to withstand the typical daily traffic.

“At our locations, we run around the clock, 365 days a year,” Jameson said. “Since we don’t see any downtime, we were looking for fixtures that would stand up to an environment where they take a lot of abuse. Moen Commercial’s products were our answer.”

Moen Commercial products were chosen because they offer the best solution for reliability, durability and vandal resistance. Moen’s FreeHand™ sensor-operated flush valves, sensor-operated faucets, Heavy-Duty faucets and showering systems can be found in restrooms and showers at the 60-plus TA locations.

“By creating the best experience for visitors at one location, we’re able to build a relationship between customers and TA,” Jameson said, “and hopefully, it keeps them coming back to us for all of their needs – wherever they may travel.”

The Power Shower

Moen's FreeHand faucet is sensor-operated, using an advanced electronics that start and stop the flow of water automatically based on the movement from the user.

“We needed durable products that could not only discourage tampering and removal, but could also tolerate vandalism,” Jameson said. “With Moen, we were able to find a showerhead solution that was still easy to adjust, but one that we’re certain will remain in place.”

Moen’s heavy-duty vandal-resistant showerheads feature a single-function spray pattern with adjustable spray angle, providing a comfortable and pleasant showering experience.

Built from solid brass components, the angular showerhead design discourages the user from hanging items around the head, as this could lead to leaks in the plumbing system and could also be a safety hazard. The showerhead is secured to the wall using four vandal-resistant screws, keeping this showerhead in place, whether it’s mounted to drywall, cinder block or other hard surfaces.

Caring For The Environment … And The TA Customer

All of Moen’s Commercial FreeHand products save energy and are powered by either standard AA batteries or low-powered AC adapters.

Other factors weighing on Jameson’s decision were water conservation and hygiene. “Customers prefer hands-free products in a public restroom,” he said. “As a result, for a completely hands-free experience, we not only added Moen Commercial’s FreeHand flush valves on the commodes and FreeHand faucets at the sinks, but also electronic paper towel dispensers.”

The FreeHand faucets and flush valves are sensor-operated, meaning an advanced electronic sensor starts and stops the flow of water automatically, based on the movement from the user. This reduces the daily gallons used, reduces sewage bills, limits hot water consumption, saves energy and prevents the risk of accidental overflow, as faucets cannot be left running unattended.

All of Moen’s Commercial FreeHand products save energy and are powered by either standard AA batteries or low-powered AC adapters, and last for more than a quarter-of-a million cycles. In addition, should there be the need for a replacement part, Moen products are distributed nationwide, making them the most easily acquired parts in the industry, allowing TA locations to always be up and running.

“Moen’s product portfolio met all of our needs, making it not just the obvious choice, but the best choice for this project,” Jameson said. “We wanted a high-quality product that is reliable and durable. If you can’t get the product you need to do the work, then it’s worthless. Moen provided us with the products we needed, when we needed them, making the entire renovation process seamless.”

For more information about Moen’s Commercial line of showers, faucets and flush valves, call 800/BUY-MOEN or visit moencommercial.com.