Why Are Solid Brass Fittings More Desirable?
For many reasons, brass has long lived up to its reputation as one of the best plumbing materials available, having outperformed other metals for centuries. This copper-zinc alloy is highly durable, doesn’t easily disintegrate or crack, and can retain its beauty for many years.
Its high corrosion resistance becomes very important in areas where there are salts, minerals, and/or acids in the water. Plus, brass doesn’t rust. Since rust and corrosion are the main causes of plumbing wear and tear, it makes sense that brass outlasts all other metals when used in this way.
Silicone Instead of Plastic or PVC
Most hand-held shower hoses are lined with flexible plastic; Omica uses a food-grade silicone liner instead. Not only does plastic affect the memory of the water, but all plastics are petroleum-based, and they all outgas. In order to make plastics pliable, chemicals such as phthalates are added during manufacturing. These chemicals aren’t bonded but just mixed in, which allows all plastics to leach at some level, in a process called “outgassing.”
Outgassing is defined as “the release of a gas that was dissolved, trapped, frozen, absorbed, or adsorbed in some material.” For example, new car smell consists of outgassed chemicals released by heat in a closed automobile. That smell is the poisonous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that evaporate into the air at room temperature.
Outgassing is a particular problem in submarines, planes, and spacecraft because the VOCs are confined to a small area. Even smaller is a normal shower stall and bathroom. Add this to the fact that high humidity and temperature speed up and intensify the outgassing effect, and you can see why avoiding plastics in shower components is so important.
Some hand-held shower tubing contains a PVC lining rather than plastic, which is even worse. While plastics will eventually stop leaching chemicals, PVC will leach throughout its entire lifetime. PVC is also the only common plastic that contains chlorine, listed by the US Federal government as an “extremely hazardous substance.” Vinyl chloride, the building block of PVC, is listed as a carcinogen by the US government’s National Toxicology Program.
Silicone is the safest option, which is why we use silicone to line our shower tubing, and the reason we provide silicone washers with all of our components.
Rust-Proof Solid Brass
Hose Made Using Durable, Flexible, Double-Lock Interlocking Construction with Food-Grade Silicone Inner Lining
Easy Installation
When Not in Use, Hangs Conveniently on the Omica Wall Mount
For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes.
Guard against chlorine and other toxins by combining with the Omica Organics Shower Filter.
