By Steve Panosian
Photos courtesy of Moen
Water is Life, the TD Magazine article I wrote three years ago was the first in a series that focused on the benefits of water purification and water usage-monitoring solutions. The importance of water quality for any new construction or restoration is equally as important as healthy indoor air. Water filtration technologies are designed to eliminate water sediments, various minerals, plastics and the growing list of high health risk contaminants. Researching this topic enlightened me on the importance of selecting a POET (point of entry treatment) whole home filtration system for the best and healthiest peace of mind solution for any home.
Writing this article is especially fascinating in that Moen, a respected global manufacturer of faucets, showerheads and other plumbing fixtures – with nearly 100 years of history rooted with innovation and quality – continues to evolve with the times through the introduction of their NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certified water filtration systems.
Moen’s Founding and Early Innovation
Tracing and tracking Moen’s history is a pretty remarkable journey. Here it is in bullet point form:
1937: The company’s origins trace back to Alfred M. Moen, a young mechanical engineer. After burning his hands with a traditional two-handle faucet, he envisioned a single-handle faucet that could mix hot and cold water more safely and conveniently.
1947: Moen’s single-handle faucet design went into production with the Ravenna Metal Products Company of Seattle, Washington.
1950s: The faucet gained popularity, and Moen established itself as an innovator in the plumbing industry. Standard Screw Company purchases the rights to manufacture Moen faucets. Production moves from Seattle to the Western Automatic Machine Screw Division in Elyria, Ohio.
1960s–1980s: Moen expanded nationally and internationally, introducing various faucet models and bathroom accessories and the Moen brand became known for its durability, stylish designs, and customer service.
1982: Al Moen retires.1990s: The company became part of Fortune Brands; headquarters established in North Olmsted, Ohio
2011: Moen became part of Fortune Brands Home & Security, now known as Fortune Brands Innovations, with Moen serving as the anchor of its water innovations portfolio.
Over the last couple of decades, Moen has emphasized sustainability, design and technology integration and continued to lead in innovations:
- Touchless faucets
- Connected water technologies, such as the Moen Smart Shower and Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff
- Water-saving fixtures aligned with EPA’s WaterSense program
Today, Moen operates as one of the largest manufacturers of plumbing fixtures in North America.
In this article we’ll focus on Moen’s strategic integration of whole home water purification with its complete line of faucet solutions for kitchen, baths and more. These residential systems are designed to remove contaminants that can affect skin, health and household appliances, and effectively reduce Chlorine, Phosphate, Nickel, Sulfate, Mercury, Lead, Barium, Calcium, Arsenic, Sodium, Nitrates and more.
We strive to continually deliver products focused on improving homeowners’ experiences with water by prioritizing their comfort, safety and health. This begins with helping to ensure water in their home stays free of contaminants and still tastes great.
Moen Home Water Filtration
I had a great conversation with Sara Krupa, Moen’s Group Product Manager, about the company’s product strategy and commitment to delivering their innovative residential water filtration and peace of mind solutions.
Steve: Moen has invested a lot of time and energy in expanding their presence into whole house water filtration. Talk about that journey.
Sara: I, personally, always have had a gravitation towards wellness and looking at ways to make things better. During COVID, there was more hypersensitivity surrounding air and water quality that resulted in my pursuing a better understanding of what’s in our water, how to make it healthier, and how water purity fits into overall wellness and peace of mind. My career with Moen began about six years ago. I started as an intern and graduated in 2021. About two and a half years ago, I was assigned to the water filtration product group and love everything about product marketing and water filtration. The product line started with under-the-sink solutions that evolved very quickly into whole home water filtration.
The biggest issue that we’re trying to solve with water filtration in general is providing our customers with a balance of awareness of what’s in their water and doing something about it in a way that’s impactful and convenient. The approach with the customer must carefully balance Moen as a smart, innovative trailblazer by educating them on our solutions without scaring them, while solving their need for water purification.
We initially developed an under-the-sink single stage advanced carbon water filtration system for the kitchen, where water is primarily used for cooking and drinking. Consumers love the industry-leading one-year life of the filter that it is NSF certified and tested to eliminate roughly 77 impurities, including plastics.
For homes with harder water or households who desire premium water quality, we also offer reverse osmosis solutions. The end result is the filtered water in the home is purer than bottled water which is the singular and most important benefit message to our customers as it pertains to health and wellness.
Steve: What is the 3-in-1 faucet versus whole home purification?
Sara: Moen’s innovative point-of-use 3-in-1 Water Filtration Pulldown Kitchen Faucet is designed to provide the confidence of knowing your tap water is clean and safe to drink and it eliminates the reliance on plastic water bottles, heavy jugs and bulky external filters.
For drinking and cooking, flip the button on the spray head for filtered water, or use the faucet’s lever handle for tap water. This design eliminates any chance of mixed water flow because it filters cold water, and hot and cold tap water through two separate water channels.
The Moen faucet products addresses our need to offer a complete line of water treatment products, faucets and ensuring our product solutions meet NSF standards.
Steve: How does Moen help a consumer determine the choice of water treatment?
Sara: Moen offers water testing and a link to a national online water test report. This is most important for the consumer who doesn’t know where to start. In fact, it’s recommended, especially for those on private wells, because the water quality can vary so much that water testing is a crucial first step. The test results will tell us if we need to recommend a water softener for high mineral levels, the recommended filtration system, and if required, adding a UV light which will further sanitize the water.
Some consumers make the choice to get their water tested, others choose to research the subject further and we provide the link https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/ for further water quality information that includes test report results of local water quality based on zip code.
The most important part for our customers to know is all Moen products meet the NSF standards applicable to their material and safety guidelines for the faucets and drinking water treatment units. Within the whole home industry, a lot of the time the systems aren’t certified. There are many components in a home filtration solution and it’s crucial to understand that the entire system must be certified.
Buying a whole-home system can be confusing; there are a lot more private label products and it’s a lot more fragmented market. So we want to emphasize to consumers our commitment to making sure our products are safe, they’re tested and they’re certified. This commitment to safety and certification is especially important to our plumbers and professionals as we expand our water filtration product portfolio.
Each household has its own needs for installing filtration systems and budget parameters. No matter what the need is, Moen offers a variety of solutions that can help achieve cost-saving goals while offering a more sustainable solution. Switching to a water filter can save an individual up to 92 percent compared to buying bottled water. This translates to a savings of more than $1,400 annually for a family of four.
Water quality remains a critical issue in the United States, but it’s not just a concern for drinking water. Unfiltered water can lead to dry, irritated skin, damage to home appliances, and an even greater reliance on bottled water. Moen’s whole home water filtration systems allow homeowners to take control of the water that touches every part of their life. By helping to remove chemicals and contaminants such as chlorine, consumers can better support a healthier lifestyle — from the water they drink to the water they bathe in. As it pertains to health and wellness benefits, filtration can also help the feel of your skin and hair, which is why we are raising awareness on the overall benefits of water filtration.
Steve: Final thoughts?
Sara: We strive to continually deliver products focused on improving homeowners’ experiences with water by prioritizing their comfort, safety and health. This begins with helping to ensure water in their home stays free of contaminants and still tastes great. Not only can our new water filtration products assist in removing potentially harmful contaminants from tap water, but they are also better for the environment by helping to reduce plastic bottle use and excess waste.
Moen also offers another protective solution for the home that complements our water filtration and specialty designed fixture solutions. In the context of innovative solutions within this space, we educate consumers about the importance of monitoring a home’s water system. The premise is, if you’re installing a whole home water system, it’s the perfect time to install smart devices such as the Moen Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff. If necessary, the Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff can automatically shut off your water to prevent a minor leak from causing catastrophic home damage flooding. There are so many stories on how costly water damage can be. We also designed this solution to provide daily leak tests, water usage monitoring that helps reduce water waste, and senses for freezing conditions that can cause pipes to burst. Moen’s FloSense Technology can detect a leak in your home’s water supply, especially if you are away. The Moen Smart Water App will send a notification alert through the app and email. The device can decrease water damage claim events by 96 percent. Protection from water impurities now extends to protecting everything you love from the damage and expense of water leaks.
Steve Panosian is a Senior Editor for Technology Designer Magazine. He is an independent consumer electronics industry consultant specializing in the CE Home Theater and Custom Installation (CI) market with over 40 years of experience in retail sales and various manufacturing roles.
