Problem: most faucets are easy to open up to 100% and they waste a lot of water. Water-saving faucets help, but they have annoying features like shutting off too soon or a permanently low maximum flow.

Solution: Create a faucet that is normally water-saving, but can go into turbo mode when a lot of water is needed. Here's the design:

1) Start with a standard level action kitchen faucet where raising the level turns it on and moving it side to side changes the temperature. 2) Configure the faucet so that the first 90% of the swing opens the faucet just 10%, and the last 10% of the swing opens up the faucet the remaining 90%. 3) Add some resistance so that the first 90% of the swing is easy to move, but the last 10% requires a more significant push.

Here's the scenario:

Billy comes in for dinner and mom says to wash his hands. Billy slams the faucet open, but because there is extra resistance at the end, the faucet only opens up 10%, which is plenty for washing hands. Later, mom needs to fill the sink with water to wash a few dishes. She deliberately pushes the faucet open to 100% so that the sink will fill quickly.
-- nebosite, Jul 16 2011

Not intended as a psychology experiment, but [+] as such. Hypothesis: Billy will quickly adapt to pushing the lever over 100%, to get the turbo effect.
-- mouseposture, Jul 16 2011


//over 100%// Perhaps even as much as 110%...
-- pocmloc, Jul 16 2011


Yes, this is the "spinal" turbo tap.

(Hmm, interesting slip. Meant "over to" not "over," but the latter is really more appropriate.)
-- mouseposture, Jul 16 2011


Well I suppose this makes old fashioned taps better in many ways. Having to turn the 4 pronged tap handle round a few times means that a casual rinse will never be at full power. And having one tap for scalding hot and the other for cold encourages rinsers to use the cold tap to save themselves getting burned.
-- pocmloc, Jul 16 2011


I was expecting a compressor to pressurise the water, and pressurised flammable gas and air mixed in and ignited, and then a turbine at the end to take power for the compressors.

Your idea seems safer.
-- caspian, Sep 03 2011


use the boost to get through!
-- Eubalaena, Sep 04 2011


Did we break [sirau], or did xe come like that?
-- BunsenHoneydew, Sep 10 2011



random, halfbakery