PHOTOS COURTESY OF MANUFACTUERS

You don't have to be a surgeon or a scrub nurse to operate a faucet without your hands. At least two companies now offer residential pedal valves that you can hook up to your existing kitchen sink faucet in less than an hour. Both enable you to turn on the water using either the existing faucet handles or the foot pedal. You also can lock the water "on" by depressing a toe latch or twisting a foot - operated dial.
I installed a top - of - the - line PedalWorks valve (from Pedal Valves Inc.) in the home of Club member Arlene Berenson last October. At first she considered it a novelty. Now she wonders how she ever got along without it.

As Arlene quickly learned, pedal valves offer many benefits. The pedal is ideal for cooks who are concerned about preventing bacterial cross - contamination between meats and vegetables. Suppose you handle raw chicken, a common source of salmonella, and then wash your hands. The pedal valve enables you to turn on the water without touching and contaminating the faucet lever.

The pedal valve is perfect when you must hold a large pot or colander because you can support the container with both hands while activating the faucet with your foot.

You also might want to consider a pedal valve to conserve water and energy or to reduce the flow of water entering your septic system. With a pedal valve, you set the default temperature, so you don't waste water fussing with the faucet. It's so easy to turn the water on and off, you won't be tempted to let it run. This is especially useful when rinsing dishes after a meal. By saving hot water, you also conserve energy.

Buying a foot - operated sink valve can be a sizable investment. Arlene's PedalWorks unit has a solid brass arm and a Dupont Corian pedal surface. With the installation kit containing all of the hoses, it carries a suggested retail price of $565. The chrome and Corian model is the same price. PedalWorks also offers a model with an aluminum arm and Corian pedal for $390 and another with an aluminum arm and plastisol pedal for $290 (sometimes discounted).
"We felt we needed a very heavy - duty product," explained PedalWorks' Pete Gilbert. "The kitchen sink is such a busy place, our product had to be able to take a lot of abuse and weight for people to be happy."

A competitor, Step - Flow, direct - markets an economy faucet pedal for just $129 (photos, left). The plastic pedal rests on the floor and opens and closes the plastic valve via a cable that resembles the ones used on bicycle brakes. While it performs the same function as the more expensive product, it is neither as rugged nor as attractive.

The PedalWorks valve could not be easier to plumb, provided your faucet supply lines have standard shutoff valves with 3/8 - in. compression fittings. There is no need to cut tubing or solder joints. You install the unit in line between the shutoff valves and the supply lines that descend from the faucet. The valve body has two "in" ports - one for the hot water and another for the cold. Join them to the hot and cold shutoff valves with stainless steel - jacketed flexible hoses that have compression nuts on each end. The valve body also has two "out" ports, which you join to the faucet supply tubes with another pair of flex hoses.

The most delicate aspect of the project is cutting the hole in the bottom of the sink cabinet. If your installation is like this one, the back of the opening is very close to the toe kick, so you have to be careful that your jigsaw doesn't damage the kick. Use a short scrolling blade to achieve a smooth cut and minimize the blade projection below the cabinet. It also helps to drill each corner of the cutout with a 1/4 - in. - dia. bit so you don't have to advance the jigsaw blade directly against the toe kick when making the two side cuts.

Pedal Valves recommends that you install the unit in the middle of the sink cabinet, directly behind the center stile, so it is out of the way and does not obstruct under - sink storage. If you have a European - type cabinet like Arlene's with no center stile or face frame, set the unit back from the cabinet edge so it doesn't project too far beyond the toe kick.

One more caution: Once you mount the pedal valve body in the cabinet, it is difficult to access the compression nuts that join the flex hoses to the valve. Don't overtighten the fittings when you install the hoses before mounting the valve, but make them tight enough that you don't get caught with a tiny leak when you open the shutoff valves. If the lower fittings leak and you can't tighten them with a wrench, remove the two nuts that hold the valve to the mounting plate and lift the valve to gain access; then reinstall the valve.

Don't try to dismount the base plate. If you do, the wings of the toggle bolts will fall into the inaccessible space behind the toe kick and you will have to buy new toggle bolts to complete the project.

The Step - Flow unit is even easier to install because the plastic pedal rests on the floor and connects to the plastic control valve via a thin cable. You only need to drill a small (3/8 - to 1/2 - in.) hole in the cabinet bottom to install it. The valve body can be mounted to the sink drain or the back of the cabinet. Dental offices commonly use the Step - Flow, but it also is practical in kitchens and bathrooms.

Sources

- Pedal Valves (800) 431 - 3668, www.pedalvalve.com
- Step - Flow (888) 783 - 7356, www.stepflow.com

 

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1:  Depending on the cabinet style, cut a slot or a rectangular hole in the base for the pedal arm.

Step 2: Use the template provided to mark the holes to be drilled for the four mounting bolts.

Step 3: With the toggle bolts loosely fitted in the mounting plate, install the unit.

Step 4: Connect the “out” fitting hoses to the faucet supply tubes.

Step 5: Bundle the flex hoses and secure them with plastic ties so they run along the bottom and back of the cabinet.