A Guide To Utility Sinks, Catering Sinks & Medical Sinks
Specialist Sinks: a Buyer’s Guide
In this article, we’re going to take a look at some specialist sinks: utility sinks, catering sinks, and medical sinks.
Utility sinks
Utility sinks are those used for commercial cleaning purposes. They tend to have a greater capacity than domestic sinks so as to allow for the cleaning of large objects. For instance, the bowl of our standard stainless steel utility sink measures 535 x 540 x 400mm, while the bowl of our large stainless steel utility sink comes in at a whopping 935 x 795 x 400mm.
The large size and weight of utility sinks means that they tend not to be mounted onto existing work surface; instead, they come as self-contained units with their own supporting legs.
Most utility sinks are constructed from stainless steel, which is well known for its durability and ease of maintenance; however, some utility sinks, such as our Armitage Shanks Belfast sink, are made from vitreous china. Vitreous china is porcelain that has been treated with a special glaze to give it a glassy finish and to make it more hard wearing. The downside to vitreous china is that it is more prone to breakage than stainless steel.
We also sell a stainless steel Belfast-style sink, which combines the classic styling of a traditional Belfast sink with the ruggedness of stainless steel. Unlike vitreous china, stainless steel cannot shatter, making it a longer-lasting - though some might say less visually pleasing - alternative.
Our utility sinks range also includes a stainless steel boot wash, which is designed for cleaning dirty footwear when entering a building, making it ideal for factories, warehouses, farms and facilities where food is prepared. The boot wash comprises a bristle foot pad, manual cleaning brush and a hose for washing away dirt and debris.
Catering sinks
Catering sinks are used in the food preparation industries for tasks such as cleaning vegetables and washing used kitchenware and appliances - much like the washing up you do at home, only on an industrial scale. Many models, such as our single bowl, single drainer catering sink top, include a drainage board for drying purposes.
Catering sinks tend to be smaller than utility sinks and are often designed to be set into worktops, such as our single bowl catering sink top. The fast-paced environment of a professional kitchen means that catering sinks need to be discreet and unobtrusive, although we also sell freestanding models, which can double as work surfaces in their own right.
Our double bowl units - such as the double bowl, single drainer catering sink top - come with two separate sinks, each of which can be dedicated to different tasks (e.g. food preparation and washing up). This makes them an ideal solution for smaller kitchens where space is at a premium.
The sheer volume of fat, oil, grease and other waste that goes through commercial catering sinks means that they are prone to blockages. That’s why we always recommend the installation of an automatic drain dosing system such as the Greasepak dosing unit.
Medical sinks
Medical sinks are used in hospitals, care homes and dental practices. Our hospital sink tops such as the Model STB are used for the cleaning and drying of appliances such as bedpans and other medical equipment.
Our inset dental sinks come in square and round designs, and are used for decontaminating dental equipment. All of our dental and medical sinks adhere to the HTM64 and 01-05 (decontamination in dental practices) legislation.
We also sell a range of sluice sinks, which are used specifically for the purpose of disposing of hazardous clinical waste.
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Posted by Paul Thorn
18th September 2019