When you are renovating or need to replace the drip faucet, are you worried about how to choose a good faucet? There are many types of faucets on the market, with a wide variety of styles. Let me introduce the advantages and disadvantages of each style of faucet to you. The main places where faucets are used at home are the kitchen and bathroom. This article mainly introduces the selection of kitchen faucets and bathroom faucets.
1. Faucet Type
- According to the way water comes out, faucets can be divided into single cold water faucets and hot & cold water faucets.
The most commonly used ones are hot and cold water taps, which can be further differentiated by different control methods.
The first is the most common single-handle dual-control type, which uses one handle to adjust the mixing ratio of cold and hot water.
The other is a dual-handle dual-control type, which uses two independent handles to control the flow of cold water and hot water respectively.
Compared with the single-handle, dual-control type, faucets with double-handle, dual-control functions are slightly more expensive and relatively less used.
2. Common styles of kitchen and bathroom faucets
3. Kitchen and bathroom faucet height
Basin faucets are generally divided into three height specifications: short, medium, and high. Choosing the right specification is closely related to the installation location. It is recommended to determine the basin type before purchasing.
For under-counter basins and integrated basins, short or medium faucets are usually suitable. For semi-recessed basins, medium-sized faucets are a good choice. For above-counter basins, you can consider choosing taller faucets.
The height of the kitchen faucet depends on the design of the kitchen counter. Generally speaking, the faucet should be about 20-30 cm away from the kitchen counter surface to meet daily use needs. If it exceeds this height, it may cause water splashing; on the contrary, if it is too low, it may affect the connection of the water inlet hose.
4. Mainstream configuration of faucets
Main body material: The main body of the faucet is usually made of copper alloy, stainless steel or zinc alloy. In terms of corrosion resistance, stainless steel and copper alloy are better than zinc alloy. Copper alloy is the most common and recommended choice on the market .
Valve core material: The valve core is the core part that controls the opening and closing of the faucet and the water flow. The mainstream material on the market is ceramic. Ceramic valve core is wear-resistant and has a long service life.
Surface treatment: There are many processes for the surface treatment of faucets, such as brushing, baking varnish, etc. The most common and recommended process is electroplating, and it is best to choose the highest level (level 10 electroplating) in accordance with national standards. Such electroplating process can have good corrosion resistance even in a humid environment.
Aerator: Aerator is one of the standard features of current brand faucets. Its functions include saving water, filtering impurities and making the water flow soft. Some big brands of aerators are also designed with quick-release structure for easy daily cleaning.
Pull-out spout: The length of the pull-out spout is usually between 20-60cm. The pull-out design allows for cleaning without dead corners, and is convenient for directly using it in the bathroom to rinse hair, providing more convenience.
360° rotating water pipe: This is the basic configuration of the kitchen faucet, usually used in combination with a pull-out spout to expand the cleaning range.
Multiple water flow modes: Most faucets are equipped with 2-3 different water flow modes, such as normal water flow, pressurized water flow or shower-style water flow. Among them, the pressurized water flow is mainly suitable for kitchen faucets and can help clean stubborn stains.