Does anyone make a good faucet?

[GaryS]

I Have a single control, pull-out style Delta faucet in my kitchen. The first one lasted 4 years, but needed 3 repair kits in that time. Thinking I had a lemon, I bought another of the same style. It has now been in place for 3 years and has had 4 kits installed. A letter to Delta brought words of sympathy and another repair kit. It has been in for 3 months and now the faucet is dripping again.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, so I want to change brands, but get the same style faucet. Does anyone have experience with other brands that have given good service?

[SSN596]

Delta is generally considered one of the better brands. I will say that I have never seen a residential-grade pull out type faucet where the pull out hose lasts. Something about the way people use these, they just don't stand up. I much prefer a "normal" faucet with a side spray. Just one man's opinion.

[Max]

We have a Franke and it's been installed for over a year now with no issues.

[kactuskid]

I've always had good luck with Moens, mine is 10 years old now and has had to have the cartridge replaced, but that was sent free from Moen. Kohler is another quaility brand. If you go to a Bath/Kitchen store or a plumbing supply house you will usually get either of these brands better quality faucets as they do produce lesser quality ones that they sell to the big box stores.

[LazyPup]

When discussing plumbing fixtures Delta is a well respected trade name, as well as Moen, Kohler, Price Pfister, American Standard, Eljer and a number of other manufacturers, however, in todays competitive marketplace quite often the consumer selects their faucetts, shower mixers and other fixtures solely by style, color and price tag. In order to remain competitive the major manufacturers are then forced to build the same style and color in a number of different quality levels which we commonly refer to as Professional or Designer grade, Commercial grade, Contractor grade, Homeowner grade, and discount grade.

While the final appearance may be the same for all the grades, the real test of quality is in the internal construction, Solid brass bodies versus pot metal or plastics bodies and true Metal castings versus electroplated brass or wash plated plastic trim parts.

In turn, there are numerous types of materials used to make the internal valve components, Stainless steel, Monel Metal, brass, ceramics, nylon, teflon, and right down to common rubber.

Far too often we as plumbers are chided by the customers as attempting to gouge our prices when we offer a designer grade or contrator grade which we can install with confidence while the customer locates the same style at a big box store or online for a much lower price.

Remember, not everything that glitters is gold. For the most part, in order to keep their retail price low, the Big Box homesupply stores only carry the mid to low quality line, and often they carry generic lookalikes that come from foreign suppliers we have never heard of.

This problem is even more pronounced when one starts searching for an online source. In fact, i was recently asked to install a Kohler shower mixer that was purchased through E-bay and found that it was a factory defect unit that had been returned to a store, along with a rebuild kit to repair the original problem.

[Village Idiot]

We are sold Moen people...have either changed to Moen, through renovation, or installed Moen in new construction for about the last 15 years. We have, knock on wood, never had an issue with higher grade Moen faucetts, etc. The last two homes were/are 100 % Moen, and we have had no problems with any of the fixtures. Moen is also very good about standing behind their products. In the last home, we had hard well water that gunked up the screens on the kitchen faucett. When we phoned Moen for replacement screens, seven years after installation, they shipped us an entire new "end/pullout" for the faucett, free of any charges...that's a great company! When we built our new home in NM, the builder tried, unsuccessfully, to go Delta (no doubt he knew where to buy the cheapest contractor grade fixtures). We had Delta years ago....they leaked! I agree with some of the other comments posted,..stay away from the big box stores. Buy through a well known, reputable, plumbing supply in your area.

[GaryS]

Thanks for the opinions. I've been searching catalogs trying to find a similar unit from another manufacturer, but the only thing close is an expensive European brand I never heard of and I'm leary of buying something that might not have parts readily available if it needs repair.

I agree with the Moen comments. I have a Moen single control shower faucet that was installed when the house was built 7 years ago and it has operated flawlessly. Unfortunately, they don't make the style I'm trying to find, so I might find it necessary to change styles.