Your faucets are some of the hardest working plumbing fixtures in your home. They can also add beautiful design to a bathroom or kitchen along with their functional features. When choosing a new faucet you want to consider the long term investment of the fixture that you install. While a cheaper option might seem like a great way to save money, it can potentially cost you more in the long run.
Choose A Name Brand Faucet
When shopping around for faucets you might come across some brands you have never heard of with either a design that you like or a lower cost. Always stick to a brand name that you recognize. With these faucets you are also getting a warranty to preserve the life of the faucet. With a faucet purchase from well known manufacturers you will likely get a limited lifetime warranty on the function and finish of your faucet with normal use in your own home. Installation in a rental property typically carries a five year warranty.
In addition to the warranty, consider the availability of replacement parts. Any repairs on a faucet require parts specific to that faucet from the manufacturer. If you ever need to call a plumber to have an off brand faucet repaired, the options to repair might be limited or non-existent. If you are unable to find replacement parts for the faucet, you will again have to replace your faucet.
Consider Where You Purchase Your Faucet
While the big box stores that we are all familiar with do carry these name brand faucets, they do not carry the same quality faucets as plumbing supply houses. The faucets will look exactly the same on the outside, but some parts that are normally metal, like brass, are switched out for plastic counterparts. This allows these faucets from the big box stores to be sold at a lower cost, but the longevity of the faucet is impacted by the cheaper material. When you look up the item number for the same style faucet from a big box store at a plumbing supply house, those item numbers will be different.
Faucets Are An Investment
When you are choosing a faucet replacement, you should be considering the long term. Ideally, if you choose a high quality faucet, you will only be replacing it should you decide to renovate or change the look of the faucet. Consider all of the functional options that are available. Now there are touch-free faucets with motion sense technology that do not require dirty hands to turn on the handle. There are even faucets that can be controlled by voice with smart home systems. You also want to consider the look of the faucet, and do not underestimate the visual impact of a faucet in a bathroom or kitchen.
Thinking about replacing a faucet in your home? Give Trident Plumbing a call at 540-642-0023 or submit a service request below and we are more than happy to help you select just the right faucet!
