Most property owners think all faucets are the same. They are however far from similar and in fact, the taps in different areas of your property might not all work similarly. You might not think much of faucets as long as they dispense water. You will, however, wish you took more time to pick the right taps when they have a hitch in their operation.
One of the areas in which you will need the input of a professional plumber from companies like Expert Plumbing, Heating, Air and Electrical is the sink faucets for your Salt Lake City building. This is because the mounting of these faucets is not very straightforward and these taps have the highest risk of leaks and hence water damage. Here are the four best faucet options you have for kitchen and bathroom sinks.
Compression Faucets
These are the oldest sink faucet types. They feature separate handles for cold and hot water which are operated by manually rotating them. The handles of compression faucets connect to two different stem assemblies for each handle. These stem assemblies are screws which have washers at their ends and sit on the tap’s valve seat. Though they are the least expensive option for your sink, compression faucets have a high risk of leaks and high maintenance needs.
Ball Faucets
These have one handle for both cold and hot water. Ball faucets rotate from side to side or up and down and are commonly used in kitchens. The pressure, flow rate and temperature of the water from ball faucets depends on the position of the ball handle. A ball faucet has several slots in it along with spring loaded rubber seals and rubber O-rings. It, unfortunately, has a higher leakage risk compared to disc and cartridge faucets owing to its high number of internal parts.
Disc Faucets
These faucets are designed to work without washers unlike compression and ball faucets. They are considerably longer lasting compared to the ball and compression faucets. The handle of disc faucets moves up and down, but it does not have as much motion as ball faucets. Disc faucets feature a single lever and a wide cylindrical body which emits water at different temperatures depending on the side-to-side handle rotation. They are quite reliable, high quality and have minimal repair needs.
Cartridge Faucets
Unlike other sink faucets, a cartridge faucet can have one or two handles. The tap only needs you to turn on a handle to initiate and stop water flow in one simple motion rather than the considerable force required in other faucets. Cartridge faucets are the most reliable option for your sink more so when they have a brass cartridge.
The above faucet types come in different materials to suit your application and room’s décor. These include bronze, stainless steel, zinc alloy, and copper. Bronze has a rustic and dark look but needs frequent polishing while zinc alloy suffices for most applications since it does not corrode easily. Stainless steel is an excellent choice for those looking for a shiny tap and is easy to clean while copper works for a classic bathroom and kitchen décor theme.
