Quality shower enclosures: what are TÜV tests?
TÜV certification is a non-mandatory requirement for shower enclosures. It ensures that the product meets safety standards and has been manufactured according to strict guidelines. All the Relax quality shower enclosures are Made in Italy and certified completely by TÜV SUD.
What is a TÜV test and why is it important?
TÜV tests are an important part of ensuring that shower enclosures meet safety requirements. These tests are carried out by the TÜV SUD certification body in Italy. Shower enclosures must meet certain safety standards to ensure that users are protected from injury during use.
This includes ensuring they are safe to use in an emergency and pose no risk to children or adults who might accidentally fall inside. A quality shower enclosure must then satisfy various quality standards, including: resistance to wear, cleanability, durability. A Relax shower enclosure must therefore be: safe, functional, of quality.
Salt spray test
How does it work?
A TÜV certificate is issued by the German Technical Inspection Association (TÜV) after thorough and extensive product testing. The TÜV certifying body tests the product according to its own requirements and those established by other international organizations such as the European Union, always guaranteeing the highest quality standard.
This is the strength of Relax in always proposing a quality shower enclosure that can meet different needs. But what are the tests that are carried out on Relax shower enclosures?
- Resistance and fatigue: the doors are required to exceed 20,000 opening and closing cycles through a simulation that quantifies approximately 13 years of prolonged use for a family of 4 people. But how exactly does it work? In a controlled laboratory, the door, which must be opened and closed for the total number of times necessary to pass the test, is placed on an electrically powered machine which proceeds to open and close the door, all until the cycles are finished.
- Stability: indicates the resistance of the glass to a 45 kg body dropped on it. The test simulates falling in the shower and the response of the materials to such stress. The simulation is obtained with a bag weighing 45 kg dropped on the glass by force of gravity. An example video:
- Water retention: guarantees the tightness of the shower enclosure against water leakage during normal use. To obtain this specific certification, the TÜV technicians take care of pointing the hand shower towards the critical points of the shower enclosure, to verify its water tightness. Below an example video:
- Salt spray: this is one of the most important tests, as it certifies the durability of the materials. It consists in inserting the aluminum profiles in a special containing chamber with a saline fog solution which acts on the materials continuously for a long time. The Relax shower enclosures are therefore certified by a fog that simulates the effect of significant corrosion, the result of years and years of use.
How to recognize a quality shower enclosure?
- All Relax shower enclosures are distinguished by the CE marking, a symbol which certifies and guarantees compliance with all relevant European requirements.
- A quality shower enclosure is guaranteed for many years after purchase: Relax guarantees a full 7 years for the duration of the materials against corrosion.
- From the “tempered” acronym on the glass: a quality shower enclosure also stands out for the safety that only tempered glass can provide. You will find it on every Relax glass.
What happens after the test?
Once the TÜV certificate has been issued, it is a good idea to apply it visibly to demonstrate that the product complies with the reference standards. All Relax quality shower enclosures have a TÜV logo on the original packing box. Look for it to make sure that yours too is a certified quality shower enclosure.
A shower enclosure also proves its quality in after-purchase customer service. Relax has an assistance service available 6 days a week, which includes: free advice, direct support for measuring measurements and assembly, and after-sales service.
Conclusions
Relax ensures quality, certified and completely Made in Italy shower enclosures, worked by the best professionals in the sector and created from the best raw materials. Each test carried out on Relax products ascertains their stylistic and functional perfection. For more information on the TÜV certification body, click here.
