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Faucets
While some faucets are purely practical,
most kitchen and bath faucets
are ornamental
and designed to match other fixtures
(such
as towel holders and hooks).
Most have either
a chrome, brass, nickel, or gold
finish and
some incorporate ceramic. The
gold finish
is usually thought to be more
elegant and
the ceramic suggests a vintage
style. When
shopping, consider these variations:
- finish
- number and spacing (4" or 8") of
handles
- height
- valve mechanism
- matching or incorporated extras such as filter,
soap dispenser and spray
Valve Mechanism
Perhaps the least noticeable
but most important
characteristic is how the faucet
controls
the flow of water. The most common
types
of valves are compression, cartridge,
and
ceramic disk. As the name suggests,
compression
valves work by squeezing off
the flow of
water; while the most common,
they are also
the most prone to wear and leaks.
The cartridge
style valve is found on single
handle faucets
(which for most purposes are
the easiest
to use). The ceramic disc valves
provide
easy, long wearing, drip-free
performance
and are usually only found at
the upper end
of a manufacturer's line. |
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