Kitchen trouble takes a considerable amount of time. How productive and enjoyable will be the time spent in the kitchen determines the quality of three things: a refrigerator, a stove and a faucet. Having figured out how to choose a faucet for the kitchen, you can not only reduce water consumption, but turn the washing of dishes into a real pleasure.
Kitchen faucet device
A mixer is a plumbing device intended for mixing flows coming through pipes of cold and hot water supply and obtaining a jet of water of the required temperature as a result. To implement this task, the following types of control mechanisms are used:
- The valve. A classic solution, the regulation of water flows in which is carried out by turning two crane-boxes (gates). This is also the most common and most unreliable option - the service life of the sealing elements (gaskets) does not exceed 6 months, after which the cranes begin to leak. The main characteristic of the faucet faucet for the kitchen is the gasket material: rubber or ceramics.
- Leverage. Adjusting the head and water temperature at the outlet of the mixer is done by turning a special lever, inside which is the cartridge mechanism. It is more convenient to use the lever mixer than the valve mixer: adjust the head and temperature with one hand.
- Sensory. This mixer has no external adjusting elements (lever or valve) - the desired parameters are set once for installation with a special screw. On the spout is a sensor element that reacts to the approach of the hands and turns on the water. More advanced models can change the pressure of water and its temperature depending on the distance to the hands.
Regardless of the type of control mechanism, the kitchen mixer includes a spout (also called a gander), flexible connectors for connection to water pipes and an aerator (sparger) - a mesh fitted to the spout that breaks the jet. In addition, the mixers can be equipped with dispensers for liquid soap and detergent, flexible hose, spout for filtered water and other "bells and whistles".
Types of Kitchen Faucets
Finding out which mixer for the kitchen is better to choose, it is impossible to avoid the matter of the material from which it is made. On this depends not only the appearance of the plumbing device and its ability to fit into the interior of the kitchen , but also reliability. In this regard, the kitchen faucets have much higher requirements than their counterparts for the bathroom - the load on the kitchen plumbing is much higher. In the production of kitchen mixers the following materials have found application:
- brass;
- bronze;
- ceramics;
- plastic;
- alloys of metals;
- a rock.
Bronze kitchen faucet
Those who decide on how to choose a faucet for the kitchen is not limited in finance, it is worth paying attention to the bronze model. As practice shows, these are the best mixers for the kitchen - stylish and reliable. They are not subject to corrosion, do not become a victim of salt deposition. The approximate service life of a bronze mixer with brass thread is 15-20 years. It will be an excellent addition to the classic interior , especially if it's a retro design model.
Kitchen faucets from a stone
A granite kitchen faucet looks impressive. It is easy to care material, not afraid of fat and corrosion. A wide range of colors helps to choose the model so that all kitchen plumbing is looked at as one whole. When choosing a color, you need to take into account that stone mixers for kitchens of black color are whimsical in care - they can see the smallest drops of water. Before choosing a kitchen mixer made of stone it is worth taking into account the need for careful treatment of them: the coating is afraid of sudden temperature changes and scratches. For cleaning you need special abrasive products.
Kitchen faucet - stainless steel
Not exposed to rust, corrosion and scratches, stainless steel can be called an ideal material for the manufacture of sanitary devices. But along with practicality it is distinguished by its high cost, so a stainless steel kitchen faucet is not easy to find. More often there are products made of brass with a coating of stainless steel or a silicon and aluminum alloy (silumin).
If the brass mixer "stainless steel" in operation is almost as good as steel, then silumin is rapidly out of order. How to choose a reliable mixer for the kitchen and not run into a product from a cheap alloy? To do this, when buying it is necessary to take it in hand - a little distinguishable externally from stainless steel, silumin will give itself out a little weight. A quality product made of stainless steel or brass with spraying will be more weighty (of the order of 3 kg).
Kitchen faucet - Chrome
Adherents of noble restraint will like a matt mixer for the kitchen with a coating of "chrome". Chrome plating not only ennobles the product, but also reliably protects the brass from the damaging effects of water. It is hypoallergenic and resistant to chemical and mechanical irritants. But at the same time, traces of drops of water and fingerprints remain on it, which requires additional efforts to set the gloss.
Ceramic Kitchen Faucets
If the design idea requires a color mixer for the kitchen, the best option will be exquisite ceramics. The plasticity of the material allows you to create plumbing of a wide variety of shapes and sizes, painted to that in all colors of the rainbow: white, gray and beige kitchen faucets are available in the range of ceramic models. Their advantages include long service life, non-standard appearance, undemanding quality of water. The main drawback is fragility.
Kitchen faucet - which one to choose?
Having determined the main technical aspects, such as the type of control mechanism and the material, you can safely proceed to the choice of design. And there is something to see: high, low, classically-restrained and futuristic-modern - on the market you can find mixers for every taste. We'll figure out what to take into account and how to choose the perfect kitchen faucet:
- Height of spout (gander). As you know, the amount of dirty dishes in the sink is limited only by the height of the crane. Jokes are jokes, but when choosing it is worth considering that when the water falls from a great height, a lot of spray is obtained, and under a low mixer it will not be possible to wash out the kitchen utensils. The golden mean is a spout with a height of 20 to 25 cm.
- Type of spout. On sale you can find monolithic, prefabricated and even modular structures. The most protected from leaks is a monolithic one, in which the gander and the mixer body are one. In prefabricated models, the spout is screwed onto the body, and in modular models it is a cunning construction of interconnected separate parts. The convenience of a modular system capable of changing configuration is devalued by the fact that all junctions are potentially dangerous in terms of leaks.
- Method of installation . Traditionally, the mixers cut into the back of the kitchen sink. But there are options, for example, wall mounting or a side mixer for the kitchen, which is attached to the corner of the kitchen sink.
- Manufacturer. Plumbing refers to those things, saving on which the idea is not at all the best. Choosing between the unpretentious model of a well-known manufacturer and the product "nouneym" with a lot of bells and whistles, it is worth giving preference to the first option. This will help to avoid unexpected leaks and significant waste to eliminate them. The rating of the kitchen faucets is headed by the products of the German companies Grohe and Hansgrohe, characterized by a long service life and a thoughtful detail. The Swedish company Gustavsberg is famous for its unexpected color solutions and various technical gadgets. For those who are looking for an opportunity to get quality for reasonable money, it makes sense to pay attention to the products of the Russian-Chinese producer Iddis.
Double faucet for kitchen
Two-lever kitchen faucets work in the same way as two-valve mixers - they separately regulate the pressure of both hot and cold water. This type of design is gradually becoming obsolete, as it is not very convenient to use, especially in the kitchen. Among the few advantages of double faucets for the kitchen can be noted relatively low cost.
Mixer for kitchen with flexible spout
Many do not dare to move the sink under the window, fearing that the mixer's gander will interfere with the free opening of the latter. In this situation, as ever, there will be a kitchen faucet with a retractable spout, which is a complex design of individual segments connected by hinges. As a result, the spout can bend in any directions.
Mixer with thermostat for kitchen
People who value stability and rationality in every way will like "clever" water mixers for the kitchen, automatically adjusting its temperature in accordance with the established parameters. Inside of them a thermoelement hides responsive to the change in the temperature characteristics of the input water streams and changes their proportions to achieve a result. Control can be electronic (in this case you need a power source) or mechanical.
Kitchen faucet with watering can
For those who have to regularly wash up a lot of dishes, conservationists and other fans of kitchen trouble, it makes sense to buy a kitchen faucet with a shower. Its design is simple - inside the gander hides a flexible hose, which can be pulled slightly by the nozzle at the end of the spout. But it was not without drawbacks: extraction of a hose is often accompanied by unpleasant sharp sounds, and the hose quickly fails. The main working characteristic of kitchen faucets is the length of the hose (from 0.5 to 1.5 meters).
Kitchen faucet with filter
Times when you could safely drink water from the tap had long ago become the past. Mixer for the kitchen under the filter - a highly functional device of concise design, providing the supply of technical and drinking (filtered) water, for each of which meets its own lever. To avoid confusion, the levers differ in size or shape. This symbiosis is convenient for those who want to unload the kitchen from excess items.
Sensory kitchen faucets
Determining how to choose a faucet for the kitchen makes sense to put at the heart of the issue of saving resources. The best kitchen faucets in this sense are sensory, not giving a single drop of water to spill in vain. They automatically turn on the feed when they hit the area of the hand sensor, and then automatically turn it off. But they have significant drawbacks, calling into question the advisability of installing such devices in the kitchen:
- Necessity of replacement of feeding elements.
- There is no possibility to quickly adjust the parameters (pressure and temperature) of water.
- Water supply in small portions.