Kitchen Faucets

Most kitchen faucets get turned on and off several times a day, every day, for many years. Therefore, you will want to choose one that not only looks great, but is convenient, durable, and safe, giving you good service for a long time.

Prices will vary from the $50 range to the $800 range, and you won't always get the value you think you're getting for your money. Nor will the price determine which faucets will best suit your needs.

In order to make a good choice, you should first know what you want, and then select the type of faucet that will give it to you. For example, if you often wash pots and pans in the sink, you'll want a high faucet, like a goose neck, so that the faucet won't interfere with getting the pots in and out of the sink.

A good mixing valve will prevent the water temperature from going from cold to hot too abruptly. A scald-preventure feature is offered by several manufacturers for single-control faucets.

With these, you can remove the handle and adjust the maximum temperature of the water. This is a good feature to look into if you have small children.

How Kitchen Faucets Work There are four main types of faucets: ball, compression, cartridge, and disc. This has to do with the way you control the flow of water through the faucet. This "control valve" feature will determine the price and durability of the faucet.

The cartridge, ball and disc faucets normally have one handle, although cartridge and disc types are also made with two handles. Compression faucets always have two controls, one for hot, and one for cold.

When the handle of a compression faucet is turned, it raises or lowers a washer or seal that closes against a valve seat at the base of the stem. This restricts water flow when you turn the handle off.

The other 3 types don't use washers for the off and on function (although they use O-rings and neoprene seals to prevent leaking). So these 3 types of kitchen faucets are referred to as "washerless."

Cartridge faucets have a hollow metal or plastic cartridge insert that seals against the spout. Drips usually mean that the cartridge needs replacing.

Ball faucets have a single lever that operates a rotating metal ball. The slots in the ball align with hot and cold water inlet seats in the body of the faucet to regulate the amount of incoming water.

Disc faucets have two discs - a movable upper disc and a stationary lower disc. The handle moves the upper disc, regulating the flow of water through a series of holes. If this type of kitchen faucet leaks, it's usually because the seals are worn, or because sediment has built up around them.

Because washers and seals wear out - causing that annoying drip - washerless faucets are considered better. If you elect to replace a washer, seal, or O-ring yourself, use the shut-off valve below the sink to turn the water off first.

For water conservation reasons, new faucets are mandated to deliver no more than 2.5 gallons per minute. Some kitchen faucets come with additional adjustable flow rate restrictors.

Warranties will vary by manufacturer and by the type of faucet you select. The best faucets come with lifetime protection against leaks and drips. Isn't it nice to think that your faucet will provide years of trouble-free service?

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AN OPINION ABOUT PULL-OUT SPRAYS -

In my opinion, pull-out sprays (either directly out of the handle, or from a separate location on the backpanel of the sink) wear out faster than they should, and the repair or replacement is expensive. It's a good example of "built-in obsolescence", formulated by manufacturers in order to make more money.

In my kitchen, we use a plastic and rubber swivel cap which gets easily screwed to the outlet end of the faucet. It allows you to direct the water anywhere in the sink, and it cost all of $4.29. We have a pull-out spray as well, and haven't used it in 6 years.

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