Are you looking to replace your old, leaking faucet or want to upgrade your kitchen or bathroom with a more stylish faucet? Installing a new faucet is an easy way to update the look of your kitchen or bathroom and instantly make it more appealing. The problem is that with so many different styles and types of faucets available, it can often be tough to decide which one is the best option. To help you out, here are some useful tips that you should consider that will help you find the right faucet for your bathroom or kitchen sink.
Focus on Quality and Durability
When purchasing a new bathroom or kitchen faucet, the main things most people focus on are looks and style. While the look and style of your faucet are important for aesthetic reasons, they’re not the only important factors or the only things you should focus on. Instead, it is equally important that you choose a high-quality, durable faucet that is built to last and is made by a trusted brand.
You can generally always find the exact look and style that you want without being forced to compromise on quality as long as you’re willing to pay a bit more. You can typically expect to pay a minimum of $100 for a quality kitchen faucet and at least $70 for a quality bathroom faucet. While you may be able to get a better deal if you find a quality faucet on sale, you always run the risk of the faucet being poor quality if it costs a lot less.
Pay Attention to the Height and Reach of the Spout
The reach and height of the spout on bathroom and kitchen faucets can vary massively, so it’s important to choose a model that will fit and work well with your sink. If the spout on your bathroom faucet is too short, you’ll end up splashing water everywhere any time you use the sink. It’s also important that the spout isn’t too high or it will also lead to more water splashing up out of the sink. If you have a vanity cabinet over the sink, you also need to make sure that the spout is short enough that it easily fits under the cabinet.
A kitchen faucet with a spout that is too short or doesn’t have enough reach will make it much more difficult to wash dishes. If you have a double- or triple-bowl sink in your kitchen, it’s also important to choose a spout that has enough reach to fully extend out into each of the bowls.
Make Sure the Faucet Will Fit the Holes in Your Sink
If your existing faucet has two handles and you want to switch to a one-handle faucet or vice versa, you’ll want to make sure that whatever model you choose will fit the holes in the sink. Most sinks have either one hole or three holes that the faucet mounts to. One-hole sinks are designed for one-handle faucets. In a three-hole sink, there is one hole for the cold handle, one hole for the hot handle and a hole in the middle where the spout sits.
Kitchen sinks that are designed to accommodate a separate sprayer nozzle have either two or four holes depending on whether they’re meant to be used with a single- or two-handle faucet. In this case, there are either one or three holes in the middle for the faucet and an extra hole off to one side for the sprayer.
You can easily tell how many holes your sink has by looking underneath it. If your sink only has one hole, you will only be able to use a single-handle faucet. You can usually switch to a single-handle faucet if the sink has three holes. However, you will need to choose a model that has a wide enough base plate to cover the two unused holes on either side of the spout.
Some bathroom sinks are designed for wide-spread two-handle faucets where the handles are much further apart. In this type of sink, the holes for the hot and cold handlers are further away from the center spout hole, so you’ll need to measure and make sure you choose a faucet that will fit.
Opt for a Faucet With a Ceramic Valve When Possible
All faucets have an internal component known as a cartridge valve or mixing valve, and this valve is what allows you to adjust the water temperature by regulating how much hot and cold water flows out at one time. Single-handle faucets have just one valve, while two-handle faucets have a valve in each handle that independently regulates the flow of hot or cold water.
The cartridge valve in a faucet will always slowly wear out over time, which can make it more difficult or impossible to accurately adjust the water temperature. If the valve wears out, the faucet will usually start constantly dripping when it’s shut off.
Lower-quality faucets usually have a brass cartridge valve that will wear out fairly quickly and force you to have your faucet repaired more often. This is why we recommend looking for a faucet that has a ceramic valve, as ceramic valves are much more durable and will last far longer. As a result, you’ll have fewer issues with your faucet starting to leak or not working properly.
Choose the Right Finish
It’s also important to carefully consider what type of finish the faucet has, as some finishes look nicer or are easier to clean or more durable than others. Most people simply choose a color and style of finish that matches the finish on other nearby items, such as towel bars or the hardware on their cabinets. If the finish on your faucet is mismatched, it will stick out and may not be as aesthetically pleasing.
Chrome is the most popular finish option, as it is stronger and more durable and also much easier to keep clean. You can also find a range of other finish options, such as nickel, stainless steel and bronze. Nickel and stainless steel are both fairly durable, but they’re harder than chrome to keep clean since they are prone to showing water spots and fingerprints. Most faucets with a bronze finish aren’t actually coated in metal and instead have a hard epoxy coating. This coating makes them more durable than a nickel finish, but it can also easily get scratched or chipped if you’re not careful when cleaning the faucet.
Consider What Advanced Features You May Want or Need
Most bathroom faucets are fairly basic, but kitchen faucets have a wide range of features and available options. Choosing a kitchen faucet with a pull-down or pull-out sprayer can be extremely convenient and help to make all of your kitchen cleaning, washing and cooking tasks easier.
Another useful feature found on some more advanced kitchen faucets is a motion sensor. The sensor allows you to turn the water on and off by waving your hand in front of it, which is helpful for when you have your hands full. A motion sensor is also more hygienic and helps to cut down on cleaning tasks. If you’ve been cutting meat or your hands are dirty, the sensor allows you to turn the water on without having to touch the handles.
Installing a new faucet isn’t the simplest of tasks, and it’s always best to have a licensed plumber do it to ensure that there are no leaks. At F.F. Hitchcock Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we can help if you have a new faucet that you need to install or if you need any other plumbing installation or repair service in the Cheshire area. Give us a call today if you have any questions or to schedule an appointment for any plumbing, heating or cooling service.
