What Homeowners Wish They Knew Before Buying a Faucet
Homeownership is a dream for many Americans, but new homeowners often overlook essential details—like choosing a quality faucet—that help complete a home. With so many faucet finishes, styles and features available, finding the right faucet for your home requires more than just finding one that looks good. A faucet might seem like a small detail in the bigger picture of homeownership, but few parts of the home will be used more than your faucets! From washing dishes to filling pots, the right faucet enhances both convenience and efficiency in your home. However, some homeowners regret their faucet choices after installation due to frequent maintenance issues, poor water pressure, or simply because they choose a design that does not suit their space or doesn’t have the features they wanted. In this article, we’ll walk you through the things that you need to consider when choosing your new faucet. We’ll guide you through faucet types, materials, durability, installation, maintenance, water efficiency, and finishes. In the end, you’ll be well-equipped to choose the perfect faucet with confidence.
What is a Faucet Really Made of?
While faucets may look similar from the outside, the materials that they are made of and internal mechanisms can significantly impact their long- term durability. We find that the longest-lasting, hardest-working parts are typically made with brass or stainless steel, which is why we favor these metals for faucet parts for uses other than water control. Other materials may be budget-friendly, but their shorter lifespan can lead to the need for early replacement.
Faucet water control is normally maintained by either ceramic disc cartridges or compression valves. Compression valves are made up of rubber seals and washers compressed against metal to stop water flow while ceramic disc cartridges have two ceramic discs that slide against each other to control water flow. While compression valves make for quality faucets, ceramic disc cartridges are more rugged, require lower maintenance, and are easier to replace should they wear out. Both are good choices, but simply put, ceramic disc cartridges tend to last longer.
Faucet Installation and Compatibility
One of the most costly mistakes that homeowners can make when choosing a faucet is buying a faucet that does not fit the configuration of their home. There are four sink and countertop configurations to consider when selecting your faucet, single-hole sinks, three-hole sinks, four-hole sinks, and wall-mounted faucets.
Single-hole sinks are the simplest, as they only involve connecting your faucet to a single water line. This is good for modern and minimalist faucets and makes for sinks that are easier to clean. These are designed for single-handle faucets, which allow you to control temperature and flow rate through a single handle.
The second most common design is the three-hole sink, which has separate handles for hot and cold water. These faucet configurations are most common in kitchens.
Four-hole sinks have the most room for customization, as they have room for a separate water sprayer, soap dispenser, and various other accessories.
Finally we have wall-mounted faucets, common in bathrooms looking to conserve counter space and in commercial spaces. Pro note: just because a faucet is meant for commercial use, doesn’t mean you can’t choose it for a home! You’re probably going to need a plumber for this choice as wall-mount faucets require plumbing components to be installed up into the wall, rather than a simply under a counter.
Faucet Finishes
Faucet finishes range from bronze to brushed gold to matte black to oil-rubbed bronze, etc. The finish you choose will have most to do with your preferences, and the level of durability you need. How easy a faucet is to clean comes into play as well.
To avoid having to worry about water spots, fingerprints, and dirt build-up damaging the look of your faucets, choose a brushed finish. It’s the most smudge- and scratch-resistant finish of them all. Oil-rubbed bronze and Moroccan bronze offers also have a brushed appearance despite not having “brushed” in their names. These have a more rustic or traditional appeal, while also hiding smudges and fingerprints (even small scratches) with ease.
Matte black and chrome can’t be beat for a modern look. We use a highly durable coating process on our metals that you won’t find elsewhere, so the concern that the faucet may be easily scratched if you decide to go with these finishes is lessened considerably.
For more information on caring and maintaining matte black faucets, check out Pioneer’s Tips for Cleaning Your Matte Black Kitchen Faucets and Fixtures.
Durability and Long-Term Performance
A faucet should last years, regardless of its price. The best way to determine if that’s likely is to take a close look at the faucet’s warranty. Choose one that offers long-term warranties like we do at Pioneer Industries. Should your faucet be used by children or many people (or even for your own peace of mind), you want a faucet that will be easy to repair – choose one that has standardized parts that are easy to find and replace.
Cost vs Value: How to Choose a Faucet Wisely
Choosing between a budget or premium faucet is just the beginning, other factors impact long-term cost. When considering which faucet is best for your budget, include things like water efficiency. Less efficient faucets will cost more in water bills over the life of the faucet than a more efficient model. Also consider installation costs. For example, while a one-hole sink designed to be easy to install might be something that a handy DIYer can take care of, a wall-mount faucet would be better left to a professional. Wall-mounted faucets or changing your current faucet configuration will likely require hiring a plumber, which is an added cost that many homeowners fail to consider when selecting their faucets.
Wrapping it All Up
As a homeowner, consider all factors above before committing to the faucet you want for your home. Plus, to get the best faucet, take a look at brand reputation and reviews. Then you’ll be ready to balance your needs, your wish list and your budget and choose a faucet while avoiding common faucet-shopping pitfalls.
Pioneer, Olympia and Central Brass
As a trusted supplier of faucets and fixtures for over 100 years, Pioneer, Central Brass, and Olympia are here for you. Embrace the benefits of quality, availability, and speed by partnering with Pioneer. Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your project is in good hands. All our faucets are backed by a best-in-the-industry warranty, are easy to install, and will stand the test of time.
We’ll Save You Money and Time
There are many ways to the same destination. This saying applies to multifamily housing builds just as much as to anything else in life. The ultimate goal is save as much money as possible while delivering a great finished project – that’s simply showing smart business sense. But, finding a one-off deal or sacrificing quality isn’t the only way to get a healthy ROI. We have a better way.
Pioneer works with professionals every day to develop specification packages and plans that save our valued partners both time and money, sometimes in surprising ways. It’s our goal to ensure your project meets or exceeds its expected outcome. We want to get to know you and your company and show you how we can save you money. Please reach out via our website form or call us at (800) 338-9468.
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