Faucet Brands

[CherylS]

Hi. I am new to this site, so forgive me if I do something wrong.

I am remodeling my bathroom and looking at faucets. There are so many brands out there! Looking for input on a quality faucet that I won't have to mortgage the house to buy. Any help would be appreciated.

Cheryl

 

[Hardt]

Delta faucets are one of the brands recommended on this forum because replacement parts are readily available. I've replaced my kitchen faucet with a Delta and recently this Delta Lahara stainless steel bathroom faucet:

http://www.deltafaucet.com/bath/collection/lahara.html#axzz1bkLVfjjK

I think it has both "classical" and "contemporary" features. I've had it for a couple of months now and really like it. It replaced an American Standard one-handle faucet. Two handles is much better, much more functional, in my opinion.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Gary Swart]

While I personally prefer Delta, the other well known brands have their supporters. I think the important thing to realize is that the name brand fixtures you find in Big Box Stores often are of a lower quality than those in regular plumbing supply stores. Certainly they cost more, but usually the better quality pays off in the long term.

 

[SewerRatz]

Moen is a good brand. You can always get repair parts free from 1-800-BUY-MOEN

 

[JohnjH2o1]

I also prefer Delta over all others.

John

 

[SewerRatz]

Now if you are not looking for a pretty faucet, but want something that will last a lifetime. Chicago Faucets make bulletproof faucets for nearly 100 years now. Their quaturn stem/cartridge has been the same design since 1916

 

[Anthony Curtas]

I've had good luck with Price Pfister, Kohler, and Moen. Found replacement parts for all of them over the last few years (for my house and family), including some pretty old ones.

 

[CherylS]

Thank you for all of the input. Yes, I looked at the Chicago Faucets website....not for me ...

Think I will make a trip to a couple of the plumbing supply stores are here. Thanks guys!

Cheryl

 

[SewerRatz]

Thank you for all of the input. Yes, I looked at the Chicago Faucets website....not for me ...

Think I will make a trip to a couple of the plumbing supply stores are here. Thanks guys!

Cheryl

May I ask what was it about Chicago faucets that made them not for you? Was it the design, price or both?

Here are the most common ones I sell for homes.

Lav two handle

Two handle widespread lav under mount

Single Handle Lav

 

[Terry]

The Chicago isn't big on style. They look decades old to me. Kind of a sixties look about them.

 

[Voere]

Not too long ago I replaced all the faucets in my home. I went with Danze faucets. They offered a lot of bang for the buck. They came highly recommended for a friend that owns a large plumbing supply house. Time will tell how they hold up. The brand has not been around all that long and I had second thoughts about the brand being made in China.

However they appear to be well built and have ceramic cartridges. From what I understand they make a lot of parts for most makers. Under the Danze brand they are supposed to use better stuff in their faucets.

One thing I noticed is that faucets from the big box stores are packed with cheap traps and other stuff like that. If I were you I would stay away from big box stores and shop with a plumbing supply house. My friend told me the pop up traps in the big box store stuff are junk. And while I was shopping for faucets.

Here comes a guy buying a new pop up assembly that he had to replace from one of the big box stores. My friend told me he sells a lot of new brass pop up traps. From what he mentioned they last about a year or so. One of the big box store scams to make more profit. They package the faucet with a cheap trap. It's buyer beware.

 

[SewerRatz]

The Chicago isn't big on style. They look decades old to me. Kind of a sixties look about them.

Agreed, not a lot in style at all. I do like the retro look myself. But what I really like is the quailty. And Hi there Terry good to see you around.

 

[Jimbo]

For Cheryl: you can see we have a unanimous non-agreeement on this question!! Everyone loves something,and everyone hates something!

I would suggest for sink faucets, the old adage that you get what you pay for works pretty well. A kitchen sink or bathroom sink is not exactly a lifetime investment. If what you buy doesn't pan out after a few years, the loss is not great. SO....buy the style and finish you like, in a price range you are comfortable with.

 

[Terry]

And to add to that.
Nowadays there are so many fun things you can do with faucets. It used to be that every home in a development had the same fixtures. Now with the variety, you can really give the home some of your personality. The other day I was looking at faucets and I can no longer tell what brand they are by the look of them. There are a myriad of styles to choose from now.

Good to see you too Ron!
Next month I get to see what Kohler has. My son James and I will be getting the factory tour.

And choosing faucets is only getting tougher. I normally have been selling Moen, Delta and Grohe, and sometimes Kohler, HansGrohe, Danze, TOTO, Price Pfister and a few others.

 

[BobL43]

While I personally prefer Delta, the other well known brands have their supporters. I think the important thing to realize is that the name brand fixtures you find in Big Box Stores often are of a lower quality than those in regular plumbing supply stores. Certainly they cost more, but usually the better quality pays off in the long term.

Being that Delta and other brands give lifetime warranties on function and finish, I think buying a faucet at a big box store at a lower price is kind of moot. I've called Delta Customer service for free replacement parts (also American Standard) and they did not ask me if I bought the faucet at the Big Box so they could send me a special lower quality part. I've found customer service at those 2 companies to be outstanding. I've bought faucets from supply houses, over the internet. I have also had good results with Moen, except for their cartridges that get very stiff to push down/pull up after a few years. But, a plumber needs to eliminate call backs after installation, and if the pros experience indicates that the big box items are inferior, I'm sure they're talking from experience. My personal experience with the 40 years I've been in my house is the only basis I have for what I feel. 3 bathrooms, 1 kitchen, each gone though 2 renovations. some people do renos as often as they change their socks

 

[Terry]

A scary thing with big box is finding that the parts have been robbed after you are on the job and need to install it.

The last big box faucet I installed, someone had swapped the new pressure balancer with an old leaking one. Kohler now dates the brass body and the cartridge, and if the dates don't match, it's been swapped.

If you don't mind extra trips, then it's not so bad. Finding the new part, making a trip for the part, and then a trip to install it, and then time to add it to the customers bill for the "replacement" part, it all takes time.

That doesn't happen with stuff I get from a plumbing supply. Those parts are behind a counter where they are safe from prying fingers.

 

[CherylS]

Ron, I really don't like the looks of the Chicago faucets. Too industrial looking for me. But I do thank you for your input.

Someone else on here mentioned Price Pfister...I was under the impression that brand was pretty much junk? I replaced my kitchen faucet ( 23 yr old Moen) about six years ago with a Price Pfister, which lasted all of 2 1/2 years. Replaced it with another Moen, which is working out fine. Which I bought at a big box store, I might add.

I guess I'm finding out that faucets are like everything else...too much to chose from, and everyone has a different opinion. Basically I guess what I need to know is....what brands to stay away from!

 

[Jimbo]

One of our oldest and most experienced members swears by Price Pfister. Another swears by Kohler. Others dislike BOTH of those! Within every brand, there is a range of quality....they would call it "good-better-best". A top of the line model may 'feel' more solid, doesn't really mean it will last longer

 

[Terry]

Stay away from the no-name brands or house brands.

If and when you need a part, where do you get it?

For a short period of time, I tried selling some of that. The plumbers can buy them too and I've even seen them on an ad for a plumber in the Seattle area. They have these big vans with a man holding the back door up and if you look to the left, they have a no-name faucet. Premier, that's the brand. The junk only lasts for a little bit of time. Now granted you can buy the darn faucet for like $20.00 and then the plumber sells it for a few hundred, but they didn't seem to last very long for the few times I tried them.
A house brand, and Costco has them, so does Home Depot and Walmart, you don't know where they come from and if they will work until you pull your old faucet and try the darn thing. I can't tell you how many times I go into peoples homes and find just junk being used for a kitchen faucet. They are hated little things, but they're committed to the darn thing until it finally quits working completely. Nobody wants to admit that the faucet in the kitchen is almost worthless.

So you will hear from the plumbers that Moen, Delta and Grohe are fine. So far I'm having good luck with Danze too.

 

[CherylS]

Thank you, Terry. Much appreciated.

Cheryl