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- By James Wisler
- Plumbing Tips Residential Plumbing
- [otfliker]
Top Considerations When Choosing a New Faucet
It’s not very often that someone shops for a new faucet. Here are four important things that everyone should pay attention to when choosing one.
How is it used?
Make sure you consider the use of the new faucet. For instance, if you do a lot of cooking and use your kitchen heavily, the kitchen faucet is not a place to skimp when it comes to your budget. Something that you might use up to 10 or 15 times a day needs to be able to hold up to that kind of demand. If you install a low quality or cheaper faucet in that kind of environment, you’re definitely going to be disappointed.
On the other hand, there are places like a half bath that only guests will use. For areas that aren’t going to receive heavy or daily use, you can probably get by with a faucet that looks nice but maybe isn’t the highest quality. The key takeaway here is just to consider how much use the faucet will get. You’ll want to spend more on a faucet in a master bath that gets regular daily use.
One handle or two handles?
For a faucet that you will use a lot, I would recommend a single handle because it’s easier to adjust the temperature and easier to use in general. However, in most environments, a two-handle faucet will tend to look better. Remember, if you want a functional faucet, then a single handle will be the better choice. However, if you want something that looks nicer, a two handle is probably going to be a better design.
What kind of cartridge?
On the inside of the faucet, the component that turns the water on and off and keeps the faucet from dripping is called a cartridge. An important thing to remember is that cartridges can have rubber components in them, which can fail and lead to drips. However, in the last five years, ceramic disc cartridges have become a very popular item. They use ceramic components instead of rubber. If you want a faucet with longevity, I definitely recommend a ceramic disc cartridge.
Don’t take a faucet for face value.
Although a faucet might look really good, or maybe appear similar to another faucet when placed side-by-side, it might be made out of plastic components that have been chrome-plated or applied with a chrome finish. A chrome finish will not last as long on plastic as it does on metal. Check to see if the faucet’s handles, underside, drain, or spray wand are made out of plastic. This is really how manufacturers make a faucet cheaper or more economical, even though they might look identical to a more expensive faucet on the outside. If longevity is important to you, pay attention to what material the components are made of. Metal will always last longer than plastic in terms of functionality and robustness. Plastic will tend to break or chip much faster.
If you have any questions or want professional assistance, all you have to do is contact the team at Wisler Plumbing and Air today. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.
