Buying tips for kitchen faucets

There are such a wide variety of faucets to choose from today that it can become a bit of a nightmare when it comes to selecting the right one for you. The first thing to consider is your needs and wants when it comes to selecting the right faucet.

Safety:
Most scalding accidents happen when a child turns on the hot water faucet instead of the cold. If you have small children, avid cooks or a person who have extreme difficulty manipulating faucets in the house, then a sensor, automatic or one lever faucets are the way to go. A scald-guard or temperature-limit feature is available for single-control faucets.

Durability:
There are four kinds of faucets;

1) The compression valve faucet uses rubber washers. This faucet is the most common type on the market and is the least expensive. Washers wears out eventually causing faucets to drip. Some newer designs raise and lower the washer without grinding it into the valve seat, extending their life considerably.

2) Washerless faucet designs do not use washers and valve seats to control water flow. They offer precise control and reduce leakage problems that result from worn washers.

3) The ceramic disk faucets are extremely durable, nearly maintenance free and typically carry a lifetime guatantee. This type of faucet might be more expensive than the compression valve and washerless faucets but will cost you less in the long run when it comes to repair and maintenance fees.

4) The cartridge faucet is more about the "feel" than the "look" of the faucet. Cartridge units are offered on both single handle and two handle faucets. Much like the ceramic disk, the cartridge faucet usually does not need any maintenance which makes it woth the price.

Installation Needs:
Consider the sink or countertop's hole configuration (the number of holes you need in your sink), before purchasing faucets. One-piece faucets (combined handle and spout piece), need a single hole for installation. The traditional faucets need 4 holes e.g. a seperate hole for the hot and cold taps, a hole for the spout and a hole for the sprayer. If you need extra features like soap dispensers or sprayers, make sure that the holes in your sinks can accommodate them.

Levers / handles:
a) Single Handle Faucets: A good choice for older users who have difficulty opening faucets with round knobs or children who usually reach for one handle or the other. There are single-handle models that let you adjust the flow mechanism to limit the amount of hot water available. For disabled persons, look for a faucet with the "ADA Approved" label.

b) Two Handle Faucets: The choice of a one or two-handled faucet is purely personal. With one handle, you enjoy convenient, single-handed control of water temperature and volume. Two-handled faucets offer more handle styles and spout designs.

c) Variable Center-set faucets are widespread faucets connected by hoses rather than solid piping, and are the most common in contemporary widespread lavatory faucets. These can be mounted into 8inch centered drillings or offer those with undrilled countertops to vary the spacing even further apart for custom spacing.

d) Single Hole Mounting: These faucets are mounted through a single hole. These usually have a single handle, but at times can have two.

Pot fillers:
Pot filler faucets are installed near the stove, and might make a great addition when remodeling your kitchen. Pot fillers allow the user to avoid the headaches and time consumption spent on trying to fit a large pot under the standard faucet height.

Water conservation:
You would be surprised to find out how much water that innocent drip in the bathroom faucet is wasting. A pinhole leak can waste as much as 70 gallons of water in one day - 20% of a typical home's daily water use. All new faucets are now mandated to deliver no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. There are faucets available with additional adjustable flow rate restrictions.

Styles:
Styles of faucets you can find are;

- Classic or traditional: an everyday and functional look
- Vintage: antique, Victorian
- Contomporary: sleek and modern

Finishes:
More practical finishes for a bathroom or kitchen faucet is brushed and satin finishes which cleverly hides scratches. The least practical would be colorful enamel coatings. They are generally more expensive and more susceptible to scratches and chipping.

Guarantees and warranties:
Get in the habit of buying products with warranties. The best ones offer lifetime protection against leaks and drips. Rather pay a bit more and know that if the product you bought breaks within a year or two, that it will be replaced without cost. If you buy cheap, you buy expensive in the long run.