Kitchen Faucets - Functionality First, Style Second

Single vs double handed kitchen faucets

When selecting kitchen faucets it might be tempting to go for style over functionality but practicality pays off in the long run. Always make sure you choose a faucet that fulfils your needs before style, as well as one that fits the plumbing requirements.

If you’ve never had to consider buying a kitchen faucet before, the technical plumbing jargon can be a little confusing to begin with. Faucets usually fall into two types, those that have a single handle or those that come with a double handle.

The single handle variety allows you to adjust the temperature and flow of water with one hand, leaving your other hand free to tend to other tasks. However, these faucets tend to be the first ones to cause problems.

The double handle faucet is the classic, basic style of one tap for hot and the other for cold. Some models will fit pre-drilled openings in sinks, so they will either be close-set or wide spread.

If you do a lot of baking or commercial cooking you may want to consider installing a restaurant style faucet which has a large spray head attached to the end of a hose which usually hangs from the wall near the sink.

These days most quality kitchen faucets are washer-less, this means they use cartridges or ceramic disks to control the flow of water. This newer style of faucet tends to be more dependable as there is less wear and tear compared to the old fashioned rubber washer faucets.

If you’re replacing an old faucet, you’ll need to make sure the new faucet requires the same number of holes in the deck of the sink. The single handle, one-piece faucets, usually require one hole for the handle/spout and a separate hole for a sprayer. The classic double handle faucet, with separate hot and cold taps requires three holes for the taps and spout and an additional fourth if you wish to install a sprayer. However, if you are starting from scratch you can usually put any holes you need in the sink to accommodate the faucet you want.

It might not seem logical but try and co-ordinate the faucet with the surrounding appliances, cabinets or countertops rather than the sink. This is because from across the room you probably won’t see the sink but you will see the faucet and what is surrounding it.

Polished chrome and brass are two of the most popular finishes with chrome also being one of the most durable products. Other finishes include: Colored epoxy, stain nickel, polished nickel, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, stainless steel and porcelain.

 

 

 

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