How to Choose the Right Kitchen Faucet-PART 1
August 21 , 2021
Kitchen faucets are among the hardest working fixtures in your home. Along with the kitchen sink, the faucet gets used numerous times a day and should be durable and reliable enough to provide years of worry free service.
The right faucet for your kitchen should be attractive and fit with the decor, however, since it is such a hardworking fixture in your kitchen it can’t be “just another pretty face” to ensure it provides years of trouble-free operation day after day.
Whether you are remodeling your kitchen and installing updated fixtures, or just looking to replace a tired old kitchen faucet, chances are you may find yourself somewhat overwhelmed by the array of faucet choices currently available. The basic kitchen faucet types available include:
While these are the most common styles in kitchen faucets, each of these have several different variants that are designed to provide you with customized functionality to fit your specific needs.
There is much more involved in choosing a kitchen faucet than just its finish and handle configuration. When you have a better understanding of the differences among the various technologies you will be able understand the basic faucet specifications and descriptions, and you will be able to better decide on a faucet that works best for you, based on your needs and budget.
In addition to the various types of kitchen faucet available, there are 4 key factors to consider, which include:
We will now explain the key factors in choosing the right faucet for your specific needs in the kitchen.
Configuration
The configuration of a faucet refers to things like the quantity of handles, mounting style (wall or countertop) and the configuration of the spout (conventional or pull-out/pull-down).
You need to decide whether you want a two-handle or a single lever configuration, when choosing a faucet. Two-handled faucets generally have a more traditional look and provide one handle for each of the hot and cold water.
A single-lever faucet combines the operation of hot and cold water together through the operation of a single lever. The orientation of the lever will regulate the amount of water coming out of the spout as well as the temperature.
The number of handles and any other options like side sprays and filtered water dispensers will also determine the number of holes required in your sink, countertop or both.
A single-lever faucet without any additional accessories requires only one hole, whereas a faucet with two-handles and a side sprayer will require 4 holes (one for each handle, the spout and the side sprayer).
The mounting style refers to where the faucet is mounted (on the countertop or wall mount). Wall mounted faucets include both the primary faucets as well as specialty items like pot fillers.
The main factor here is that how your faucet is mounted will determine where the associated plumbing needs to be. If you’re just replacing an existing faucet with no additional remodeling, you’ll need to stay with the original location. If you’re doing a more extensive remodel or building from scratch, you have a choice of mounting options.
