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Vektron Electronic Controls Imported directly by Vektron

APS Timed Shower Control Kit

Caps every shower at the time you set, and leaves nothing on the wall to break. A touch switch with no moving parts, proven in South African correctional and psychiatric facilities.

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In plain terms

What Is the APS Timed Shower Kit?

The APS kit is an electronic, self-closing shower control made by STERN Engineering. A round stainless steel piezo touch switch sits flush in the wall. One brief touch starts the shower; a concealed solenoid valve stops it automatically when the programmed time is up, or earlier if the user touches the switch again.

The run time is set on site to anything from 1 to 2 600 seconds (default 2 minutes), so the facility, not the user, decides how long a shower lasts. Because the switch has no handle, lever or moving parts, there is nothing to snap off, jam or tie to, which is why the kit is specified for prisons, police cells, psychiatric wards, mines, hostels and schools.

Vektron imports the kit directly from the manufacturer and supplies it across South Africa from Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape.

Hard time limit

Programmable from 1 s to 43 min. Set once, applies to every shower.

Nothing to break

Flush-mounted switch, no moving parts. Vandal-resistant and anti-ligature.

Water and energy

Stops the moment the user is done. No showers left running.

Battery or mains

9 V battery or transformer. IP67/IP68 options. Works through load-shedding.

Who it is for

Where Is a Timed Shower Control Used?

Anywhere one organisation pays the water bill and the repair bill for many showers used by people it does not supervise.

Correctional & secure facilities

Prisons, police cells, youth centres. Anti-ligature, nothing to remove, no flooding of the block.

Hospitals & psychiatric wards

Anti-ligature showers with an optional 24-hour hygiene flush for Legionella control.

Mines & industrial change-houses

Hundreds of showers used in shifts. IP68 options for wet, harsh environments.

Student & worker accommodation

Residences, hostels and military bases. Stop paying for 20-minute showers.

Schools, sports clubs & pools

Showers children cannot leave running. Hygiene flush keeps seasonal change-rooms safe.

Caravan parks, resorts & gyms

Fit in an afternoon, run on a 9 V battery. Outdoor-rated, no power point needed.

How it works

Touch. Shower. Stop.

Three parts, no mechanical valve on the user side, and the facility sets the time.

1. One brief touch

The user touches the centre of the flush-mounted piezo switch. A piezo crystal generates the pulse; there is no button to press, no handle to turn and nothing to wear out.

2. The solenoid opens

A concealed solenoid valve behind the wall opens the supply. On illuminated switches the light ring blinks while the water runs. A thermostatic mixing valve upstream keeps the temperature safe.

3. It stops on time

After the programmed flow time (2 minutes by default) the valve closes. A second touch stops it sooner. Run time is changed on site through the switch itself, with no tools or software.

Specifications

APS Kit Technical Data

Taken from the STERN installation and maintenance guide. Download the full manual below.

STERN APS timed shower kit components: stainless steel piezo touch switch, solenoid valve with housing and inlet nipple, 9 V battery box and 9 V transformer

STERN APS Kit for Showers

Supplied as a complete kit: piezo switch (illuminated or non-illuminated), solenoid valve (acetal or interoperable), solenoid housing with inlet nipple and stainless steel filter, waterproof connectors, and your choice of power supply.

Product controlTouch using piezo technology, no moving parts
Default flow time2 minutes (120 seconds)
Programmable flow time1 – 2 600 seconds, adjustable on site via the switch
Early stopSecond touch stops the flow before time is up
Power supply9 V battery box or 9 V transformer. IP67 battery box, IP67 transformer, IP68 encapsulated and IP68 switching transformer options
Recommended water pressure0.5 – 8.0 bar (7 – 116 psi). Above 8 bar fit a pressure reducing valve
Hot water temperatureMax 70 °C. Use a TMV for safe mixed-water temperature
Hygiene flush option24-hour anti-Legionella / anti-freeze duty flush, 2 minutes, enabled at adjustment level 4
Switch finishStainless steel, flush-mounted; illuminated light-ring or non-illuminated
MaintenanceServiceable stainless steel inline filter; clean switch with soap and water only
ApprovalsWRAS, RoHS
Warranty2 years manufacturer's limited warranty
ManufacturerSTERN Engineering. Imported directly by Vektron Electronic Controls, South Africa
Installation Manual (PDF) STERN Catalogue
WRAS approved RoHS compliant 2-year warranty Imported directly from the manufacturer Supplied nationwide from Jeffreys Bay
Work it out

How Much Water Could Your Showers Save?

Enter your own numbers. The result is an estimate based on shower time alone; a measured pilot on site is the only way to confirm it.

Your site

People × showers each per day, e.g. 200 residents showering once.
Typical heads run 9 – 12 L/min. Low-flow heads 6 – 9.
The APS kit can be set anywhere from 1 second to 43 minutes.
Check your municipal account. Includes sanitation if billed on volume.
Set to 0 for cold-water-only showers.

Assumes geyser heating from 15 °C to 55 °C at 90 % efficiency (about 0.052 kWh per litre). Nothing is sent or stored.

Estimated saving
— litres of water per year
Water saved per day
—
Water cost saved per year
—
Heating energy saved per year
—
Electricity cost saved per year
—
Total saving per year
—
Per unit, per year (assuming 10 users per shower)
—

Enter your numbers and press Calculate.

Get a quote for this site
Configure it

Kit Options and Recommended Packs

Every kit is built from three choices. Tell us the site and we will configure it.

Switch: illuminated or plain

The illuminated switch has a light ring that blinks while water runs, useful in gyms and resorts. The non-illuminated switch is the usual choice for secure facilities.

Solenoid: acetal or interoperable

Both fit the standard solenoid housing with inlet nipple and stainless steel filter, so the kit retrofits onto an existing shower feed without rebuilding the wall.

Power: battery or transformer

9 V battery box where there is no power point or where load-shedding matters. 9 V transformer where mains is available. IP67 and IP68 versions of both for wet areas.

Pack What is included Best for
Kit only Piezo switch, solenoid valve, housing with inlet nipple and filter, connectors, power supply of your choice Retrofits where a TMV and shower head are already installed
Secure pack Prisons & wards Kit plus STERN anti-ligature, vandal-resistant shower head and thermostatic mixing valve Correctional, police, psychiatric and youth facilities
Site pack 10 or more kits, pre-configured to your flow time, with on-site programming support for the installer Hostels, change-houses, schools and new builds
For engineers and architects

Specification Clause

Copy this into your tender document or bill of quantities.

Shower control shall be an electronic, self-closing, piezo-touch type (STERN APS kit or approved equivalent) comprising a flush-mounted stainless steel piezo switch with no moving parts, a concealed solenoid valve in a housing with inlet nipple and serviceable stainless steel filter, and a 9 V battery or 9 V transformer power supply (IP67/IP68 where specified). Flow time shall be programmable on site from 1 to 2 600 seconds without tools or software, with a default of 120 seconds and a second-touch early-stop function. The unit shall operate at 0.5 to 8.0 bar with a maximum inlet temperature of 70 °C, shall be WRAS approved and RoHS compliant, and shall carry a 2-year manufacturer's warranty. A 24-hour anti-Legionella duty flush option shall be available. Where hot water is supplied, a thermostatic mixing valve shall be installed upstream. Supplier: Vektron Electronic Controls, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.
FAQ

Timed Shower Control FAQs

What it is, what it saves, what it needs and who supplies it in South Africa.

The APS kit is an electronic, self-closing shower control made by STERN Engineering. A flush-mounted piezo touch switch starts the shower and a concealed solenoid valve stops it automatically after a programmable run time, by default 2 minutes. The user can also stop the water early with a second touch. It has no moving parts on the wall, which makes it vandal-resistant and anti-ligature, and it is supplied in South Africa by Vektron Electronic Controls.

The saving depends on how long people showered before the kit was fitted. The kit caps every shower at the time the facility sets, so with a typical 9 litre-per-minute shower head, every minute removed from a shower saves about 9 litres of water plus the energy used to heat it. In a 200-bed hostel where average showers drop from 7 minutes to 3, that is roughly 7 200 litres a day, or about 2.6 million litres a year. Use the calculator on this page to estimate your own site.

Yes. The flow time is programmed through the piezo switch itself, with no tools or software. Any value from 1 to 2 600 seconds (about 43 minutes) can be set by following the LED blink sequence described in the installation manual. The default is 120 seconds.

The only part a user can touch is a round stainless steel piezo switch mounted flush with the wall. It has no handle, lever or moving parts, so there is nothing to snap off, jam, block or use as a ligature point. The solenoid valve, filter and electronics sit behind the wall on the service side. The kit is already installed in correctional and psychiatric facilities in South Africa.

No mains supply is required. The kit runs on a 9 V battery box, or on a 9 V transformer where power is available. IP67 and IP68 rated battery boxes and transformers are available for wet and outdoor installations. Battery models keep working during power outages.

No. The APS kit controls when water flows and for how long, not its temperature. It should be fed with cold or pre-mixed water. Where hot water is supplied, a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) must be fitted upstream to prevent scalding, and this is mandatory when the 24-hour hygiene flush option is enabled. Maximum inlet temperature is 70 °C.

An optional anti-Legionella and anti-freeze function. If the shower has not been used for 24 hours, the kit automatically runs a 2-minute flush cycle. This prevents stagnant water in showers that stand idle for long periods, such as school change-rooms during holidays or seasonal sports facilities.

Yes. The recommended working pressure is 0.5 to 8.0 bar, which covers normal municipal and gravity-fed supplies in South Africa. Above 8 bar a pressure reducing valve must be fitted. The kit is WRAS approved and carries a 2-year manufacturer's limited warranty.

Vektron Electronic Controls in Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape, imports the STERN APS kit directly from the manufacturer and supplies it nationwide, including Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Installation is carried out by a licensed plumber; Vektron supports installers with the manual, a programming guide and telephone or WhatsApp assistance.

Next step

Request a Demo or Quote

Tell us the type of site and roughly how many showers. We reply within one business day, and can bring a working demo unit to facilities in the Eastern Cape or courier one elsewhere.