The Importance of Quality in Kitchen Faucets
Author: Cait Lanza
Date: 06/29
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Quality is important when selecting a faucet. The perfect kitchen faucets combine functionality and aesthetics. The best kitchen faucets are well-made with high quality valve mechanisms and durable finishes that ensure the faucets will operate problem-free for many years to come.
I often compare a quality kitchen faucet to a good pair of black shoes or black suit. It is something that you will use often and a good quality faucet will last. I have had clients say that they can get the same faucet at Home Depot as the one we might specify from the plumbing showroom, but I remind them that the outside might match, but the inside works definitely do not. My sister tried to get one at Home Depot, against my suggestions, and ended up with one from the plumbing showroom because she could feel the weight difference and knew that the heavier one meant it was better quality.
What you should consider when looking at kitchen faucets:
Materials:
Quality faucets are generally made of brass or stainless steel. The finish you see, if not brass or steel, is plated. Please keep in mind, plated finishes are generally fragile. The most durable plated finish is chrome. If you can find a PVD finish, they are generally quite durable as well. Some faucets have "living finishes" which are uncoated and will change with time. Keep in mind, a living finish is not for the messy cook!
Quality:
A quality faucet should generally have some weight to it. If it feels light, consider another faucet unless your designer or builder can give you strong recommendations. One of the most important factors is the quality of the aerator. The water should be aerated well so it does not splash when it hits the bottom of the sink or a dish you might be washing by hand.
Holes in your kitchen sink
If you're replacing an existing faucet, be sure to choose a new one that requires the same number of holes in the deck of the kitchen sink as the one that's being removed. One-piece faucets (with integrated handle and spout) need one hole for the handle/spout piece and usually require a separate hole for a sprayer. Traditional faucets, with hot and cold taps, require three holes for the taps and spout and a fourth for a sprayer. Don't get caught with the wrong kind of sink for your shiny, new faucets.
Kitchen faucet handles
Two-handle faucets: If you're lucky enough not to have to worry about fitting your new faucets into an old sink, you have many choices. Two-handle designs are usually the least expensive and offer a classic look. In addition, because of the independent controls for hot and cold water, they make adjusting the temperature easier.
Single-handle faucets: Single-handle faucets are more contemporary looking and usually cost a little more than two-handle faucets. The single handle, also called a post, adjusts both the temperature and flow rate of the water.
The importance of kitchen faucet valves
In addition to type, style and finish of your faucets, you also will be choosing what type of valves your faucets have. Valves -- or mechanisms that take the place of valves -- are what keep your faucet from dripping. They also regulate the flow and temperature of water.
There are four types of valves:
Compression valves
Compression valve faucets have been around the longest and are the least expensive type. They are identifiable by their separate hot and cold water handles and their action requiring you to tighten the handles down to close off the water flow. These valves will need to have washers replaced as they wear out, although it's a fairly easy process.
Ball valves
Ball faucets are currently the most common type of faucets in kitchen sinks and were the first type of washerless faucets. They are identifiable by their single handle which moves over a rounded, ball-shaped cap right above the base of the faucet spout. Ball valves have no washers, require less maintenance and are inexpensive to replace, but because of the number of parts which make up this type of faucet, ball faucets tend to leak more than other washerless faucets such as the cartridge or the ceramic disk type.
Cartridge
Cartridge faucets operate with a movable stem cartridge that moves up and down to regulate flow. They are identifiable more by how they feel when they operate than how they look. As opposed to a ball faucet that you push back to turn on, a single handle cartridge faucet operates in an "up/down" motion to adjust water volume and a "left/right" motion for temperature. Similarly, a two-handle stem cartridge faucet looks almost indistinguishable from a compression type washer faucet. However, again, you can tell the difference by how the handles feel when used. This is a more modern type of valve than the compression or ball valves and, while being more expensive, is generally more reliable and has a substantial functioning life.
Ceramic disk
This is the highest quality valve. Kitchen faucets with ceramic disk valves are identifiable by their single lever over a wide cylindrical body. These faucets have a wide cartridge housing two ceramic discs which slide over each other to control water flow and mixing temperature. Hardened ceramic is a durable material which is virtually indestructible and is guaranteed not to wear out, but it is obviously much more expensive than the ball valve or compression valve. Should you need to fix it, your cost will be higher, but the likelihood of a kitchen faucet with ceramic disks failing is very slim.