The Quality Trend of Kitchen and Bathroom Faucets
The country has changed with regard to kitchen and bathroom faucets. Federal law now requires that all plumbing products be lead free. I suppose that this is a good thing in some ways, but I’m still a bit old school about this.
I like a good, old fashioned chunk of brass for a faucet. Something that is solid, strong, and lasts for 40 years or until the customer gets sick of the look and wants a change.
Like classic cars and everything else in modern life, things change and we all need to adjust and embrace modern thinking and technology. The classic brass faucet has largely been regulated out of existence like the incandescent light bulb.
With today’s regulations, faucet manufacturers have switched to the use of stainless steel, lead free brass, or plastic. Stainless steel and lead free brass are expensive, so to remain competitive, most major manufacturers have been pumping out plastic faucets. They are not necessarily less expensive than their previous products, but a lot are absolute junk.
Brand name is no longer a reliable indicator of quality in the plumbing fixture market. Sad but certainly true. The big box stores do an excellent job of displaying plastic faucets by putting them up high, hiding the working parts and allowing the customer to merely look at them from a distance. Shiny chrome looks good and a cheap price looks even better.
My suggestion is that you consult an honest, reliable, local plumber who has put in perhaps thousands of faucets. Ask what they recommend or have in their home. Ask what will last the longest, if that is your desire. For a rental, ask what is the strongest with least maintenance over time. If you desire an inexpensive option, we all have those available too. By law, a licensed CT plumbing contractor must guarantee the product they sell you for one full year minimum. If the customer buys the faucet themselves, sure we’ll install it, but the product guarantee is all on the purchaser.