Your installer owes you five documents: a sensor calibration certificate, a solenoid valve spec sheet, a flow rate certification, an ASME A112.18.1 compliance certificate, and an IP65 rating document. If any of these are missing, you cannot verify the faucet was installed to the same standard we use to score it in every review on this site. A verbal “it’s all set” is not a substitute for paper.
Why Handover Docs Mirror Our Rubric
Every faucet review here scores five categories: sensor range, valve type, power source, flow rate, and compliance. That is not arbitrary. Those five categories are exactly what an installer should hand you at project close, because they are the only specs that determine whether the fixture performs as sold and passes inspection later. If your paperwork does not map to those five categories, you have a maintenance record, not a commissioning record.
Treat handover like a scorecard audit, not a folder of manuals. You are checking whether what got installed matches what got specified, and whether the installer has proof to back the numbers, not just a product brochure.
Sensor Range and Calibration Certificate
Commercial IR sensors are typically set to detect at 4 to 6 inches. That range is adjustable on most commercial models, and the installer should document what it was actually set to at handover, not just cite the factory default from the spec sheet. A calibration certificate should include the model’s sensor type, the measured detection range at installation, and the date it was set.
Ask for this in writing for two reasons. First, sensor range drift is the most common post-install complaint, users bumping the faucet with a tray, or the faucet triggering across the sink from adjacent motion. A documented baseline lets you tell whether that’s a calibration problem or a location problem. Second, if the range was never actually verified on site, the installer is guessing, and you have no baseline to diagnose against later.
Solenoid Valve and Power Spec Sheet
Every touchless faucet runs on a solenoid valve, and that valve is powered one of two ways: 6V DC battery pack or 24V AC transformer hardwired to a low-voltage circuit. Your handover paperwork should state which one was installed, not just “battery operated” or “hardwired.” You need the actual voltage, because troubleshooting and parts replacement both depend on it.
This matters more in multi-fixture commercial installs where some units may be battery and others transformer-fed, often mixed in a retrofit where wiring wasn’t run to every sink. If the installer can’t tell you which units are which without going back to check, that’s a documentation gap you should have caught before signoff.
- 6V DC battery: confirm battery type (typically AA or C-cell packs), expected replacement interval based on cycle count, and battery compartment location.
- 24V AC transformer: confirm transformer location, whether it’s dedicated or shared across multiple fixtures, and the circuit it’s tied to.
Either answer is fine. No answer is not.
Flow Rate and Aerator Documentation
Commercial touchless faucets are typically specified at 0.5 GPM (1.9 LPM) max, well under the federal 2.5 GPM cap for showerheads and well under the more common 2.2 GPM lavatory faucet baseline. That low flow rate is usually the point of the fixture in high-traffic restrooms, it cuts water use and matches low-flow aerator specs used for water budget compliance. Your paperwork should state the certified flow rate as tested, not just the rated flow rate printed on the box.
These numbers can differ. Rated flow assumes ideal supply pressure. Certified flow, if your installer actually tested it with a bucket and stopwatch or a flow bag at the point of use, tells you what the fixture is really doing on your building’s actual water pressure. If the certificate only lists the manufacturer’s rated number, ask whether it was verified on site.
Compliance Certificates to Demand
Two documents matter here, and both should be requested by name, not assumed to be included in the aerator’s specs.
| Certificate | What It Verifies | Why You Need It |
|---|---|---|
| ASME A112.18.1 | Plumbing fixture fittings standard covering material, performance, and flow requirements | Required for code compliance in most commercial jurisdictions; inspectors may ask for it directly |
| IP65 | Ingress protection rating for dust and water resistance on the sensor housing and electronics | Confirms the sensor and solenoid components are rated for washdown or high-humidity commercial restroom environments |
Neither of these is optional paperwork you can chase down later if you need it. Request them at handover while the installer still has the manufacturer’s documentation on hand. If the fixture was substituted mid-project, a lower-cost model swapped in without your sign-off, an ASME or IP65 mismatch is often the first sign.
Red Flags in Incomplete Handovers
Some gaps are normal, most small installers do not generate a formal calibration certificate template. But some omissions tell you the job was rushed or under-scoped.
- No sensor range in writing at all, only “default settings.” This means nobody checked it against your fixture’s actual mounting height and traffic pattern.
- Power source listed as “battery” or “hardwired” with no voltage. This is either laziness or the installer doesn’t know, both are handover failures.
- Flow rate quoted only from the box, not tested on site. Rated and certified are not the same number, and only certified tells you what’s actually happening at your pressure.
- ASME or IP certificates “available on request” but not provided at close. If they exist, there’s no reason not to hand them over same day.
- One document covering multiple fixtures with no per-unit detail. In a multi-sink install, each fixture can have a different calibration, valve type, or flow reading depending on supply line pressure and sensor placement.
Any one of these alone might be an oversight. Two or more together usually means the installer treated handover as paperwork theater rather than a commissioning step, and it’s worth asking them to go back and generate the missing documents before final payment.
What To Do Before You Sign Off
Before releasing final payment, lay the five documents against the rubric categories above like a checklist, not a folder to file away. If a document is missing, ask for it by name using the terminology in this article, not “the manual” or “the spec sheet.” A competent commercial installer will have generated these numbers during install and can produce them same day.
If your installer can’t produce a certified flow rate or a documented sensor range without going back to the fixture, that’s worth a site revisit before signoff, not after. For multi-fixture commercial jobs, request per-unit documentation rather than one blanket sheet, since valve type and power source commonly vary fixture to fixture in retrofits. Keep this paperwork on file with your facility maintenance records. It’s the baseline you’ll need the next time the sensor drifts or the valve needs replacing.
