From the material of manufacture of the mixer largely depends on its performance, efficiency and durability. And, of course, this parameter affects the cost of the product.
Materials
Silumin: This alloy of aluminum and silicon produces the cheapest faucets. In addition to the low price, it is rather difficult to find other advantages with them: silumin is very fragile and wears out quickly, so this is not the most suitable option for everyday use.
Steel: Such cranes are an order of magnitude more reliable and stronger than silumin ones. To increase the service life and give an aesthetic appearance, their cases usually have a chrome-plated stainless-steel finish.
Bronze and brass: These metals are the undisputed leaders in durability and strength. They are not afraid of rust and poor-quality water, and their average service life is much higher than that of products made from the above materials.
Polymers: They have a fairly good ratio of cost, quality and durability. However, so far they cannot compete with metal counterparts in terms of reliability in everyday use.
Ceramics: Quite a fashionable sanitary material, which buyers appreciated for its original and aesthetic appearance. Manufacturers characterize it as durable and wear-resistant, but practice shows that ceramics are afraid of mechanical damage: even from a slight blow, cracks and chips appear on its surface. Metal taps in this regard will be more practical.
Plumbing manufacturers are constantly improving the quality of materials, so when buying it is worth evaluating each model you like individually. To date, the most practical are products, the internal elements of which are made of ceramics, and the external ones are made of metal.
Height, shape and spout design
The comfort of everyday use largely depends on the characteristics of the spout of the kitchen faucet.
Location of the spout relative to the sink: It must be installed in such a way that the jet of water from it hits exactly the central part of the sink, otherwise water splashes will constantly scatter around the kitchen. Such kind of sink can be bought conveniently from kitchen sink sale offers that are widely available everywhere.
Spout height: When choosing here, it makes sense to be guided by the rule: the deeper the sink, the higher the spout. You can, of course, choose to your own taste, but you should not go to extremes.
If the spout is too low, it will be difficult for you to draw water into deep containers, as well as wash large pots or bulky foods. If the spout is too high, especially if the sink is small, there will be a lot of splashes.
Spout shape: It can be anything that is comfortable or attractive to you. This characteristic has little effect on the technical side of the issue.
Spout design (swivel or cast): The first allows you to rotate the crane around its axis. Standard models have a rotation angle of 120-140 °, for more expensive and technologically advanced models – 180 ° or more.
- Swivel spout especially relevant for sinks, which are located on kitchen islands.
- Cast crane design does not imply rotation of the spout at all. Such taps are quite convenient for use with corner kitchen sinks.
