We’ve all heard about “Smart Phones” and the wonderful things we can do with them but who would have ever thought that showers and baths would be revolutionized with digital “smart” technologies?  But now they can be and here is how.

SmarTap, an Israel company, has collaborated with two other companies from abroad to develop an electronic cartridge that can potentially replace the mechanical-thermostatic unit currently used worldwide in showers. The SmarTap cartridge offers a number of features that the company hopes will make the product attractive to both commercial and residential customers.

Officials at SmarTap note that they have already received certification for their product and have established key industry partnerships that will enable market penetration.  According to them, the company is currently piloting the product in several high end commercial installations with excellent preliminary results and aims to begin selling to the commercial market in Q3 2013 and to the residential market by early 2014 via OEM agreements.

"The heart of the system is the E-cartridge", explain the developers at SmarTap. "It is a revolutionary registered patent, in the way the outlet is controlled. Using our patented technology, the output of the system is stable in virtually any inlets conditions. Contrary to the traditional feedback controllers, this controller uses a combined feed-forward - feed-back method that tested to be superior in its field, providing a significantly higher degree of stability."

SmarTap allows each user to get their personalized shower experience, effortlessly, with a press of a button. The developers note that the system also eliminates scalding risk, even in case of a loss of pressure in the cold water pipe.

The system calculates flow rate and temperature as well as enabling online control over all faucets that are part of the network. A central location serves both to monitor water use and, when needed, can control taps remotely.