A durable and stylish kitchen faucet or bath faucet blends together function and aesthetics. The well made faucet makes life a lot easier. Excellent valve mechanism and more durable finishes boost longevity and looks.

Here are six steps in choosing the right faucet for you:

1. Two-handle designs, generally goes for as low as $50, allows you to regulate the temperature more accurately. Having independent control for the hot and cold water makes adjusting the temperature easier.

The single handle faucets also known as post-mount, generally goes for $75 to $200, operate from side-mounted lever or a top-mounted knob. Most single-handle faucets have pullout spouts.

The cross-shaped design and large wing levers are the more popular designs. However, most faucets have different handles that can be attached to a faucet body for a customized look.

2. If the style of the faucet is important, begin your choosing with the type of finish. The most affordable finish for a faucet is a chrome finish. Usually priced around $60. The chrome-finish has a long warranty on scratches.

The more colorful enamel coatings generally will cost you from $20 to $200 more, and are more susceptible to scratches and chipping. Add 25 to 40 percent more to the price of coated faucets for stainless steel faucets.

3. A PVD (physical vapor deposition) finish is better than usual plated finishes but add $150 to $750 more in costs. The PVD finish is done by vaporizing the metal and glazing it with a scratch-resistant and non-tarnishing film.

Look at brushed chrome, oil-rubbed bronze and satin nickel for a rustic appeal. The brushed finish and satin finish cleverly hides scratches.

4. There are more to spouts aside from the standard straight faucets. There are high-arching goose-like spouts, great for filling pots. A pull-out faucet can get you anywhere in a sink with three-bowls. You can go from a spray mode to a stream mode with a touch. There are also restaurant-type models for those extra long hoses.

5. Know that there are four kinds of faucets.

a. The compression valve:

The compression valve uses rubber washers. The compression valve type of faucet will eventually leak but they are typically easy to repair.

b. The ball valves:

The ball valve controls the flow and temperature of the water by using a steel ball. The ball valves are washerless and easy to maintain because of this. Replacing a ball valve is readily affordable and easy to do.

c. The ceramic disk

The ceramic disk is virtually a maintenance free water faucet. It is guaranteed not to wear out but is obviously much more expensive than the ball valve or compression valve.

d. The cartridge faucet

Much like the ceramic disk, the cartridge faucet usually does not need any maintenance. Just like the ceramic disk, it has a hefty price tag.

Regardless of the type of faucet you choose. Always check the warranty and the finish.

6. You may opt for filtering faucets, costing $200 plus, to bring in purified water. Several filters are placed under the sink while others are fitted inside the spout. To set the maximum water temperature, an anti-scald faucet can be used. An electronic faucet with an infrared sensor is also available. They save on water and allow for cleaner handles.

In general, you don’t need to hand over your hard earned money to pay for good quality. Most faucets have the same basic parts and sometimes even the same finish across several price lines.

To have a streamlined, urban look, choose a faucet that is mounted on the wall, this is often used with vanity bowls.

Be sure that your faucet connection matches your sink holes. If they don’t match, you’ll have to provide more drill holes or cover the unused holes using an escutcheon plate.

All faucets in general carry at least one year warranties. Even the low-end models carry at least one year of warranty. Many faucets carry a warranty by the manufacturer that is more than one year.

Good luck choosing the perfect faucet for you.

The dictionary defines a “faucet” as ‘A device for regulating the flow of a liquid from a reservoir such as a pipe or drum’. This is a bit older explanation not able to describe the utility of the modern faucets. The modern day faucets are something more than a regulator of the flow of water.

They provide a variety of functions in the kitchen or in the bath. The kitchen faucets comes with pullout and pull down sprays facilities for water filtering all in a variety of makes and styles where as the faucets in the bath are plenty available with fine matching accessories to suit the taste and likes of the consumer. However, it would be ideal to follow certain basic principles to make the best use of bath faucets.

Let us start with the bath. High spouts always facilitate easy washing of hands and filling water in cups or tumblers in the bath . The water purification system build in the faucets also makes available purified water for brushing of teeth and mouth washing protecting the teeth with the fluoride in tact. There are even faucets that provide cold drinking water without losing any of its natural minerals by passing the water softening system.

Leaky faucets are a perennial problem. The best way to prevent leaks is to provide a washer free or cartridge based faucet. The latter variety avoids the frequent need to change the misfit or worn out washers. These faucets provide a leak-less performance though out its life. This one-piece technology is conducive for a hassle free usage. The cartridge replacement is a one minute affair by taking out the old one and replacing it with the new one.

Like all plumbing products faucets also calls for quality material for durability and better service. It is always better not to be ‘penny wise pound foolish’. Instead of going for cheaper variety of brands, faucets made of good and durable metals like brass or copper makes the life easier in the long run. These faucets not only give you a superior performance but also present an elegant appearance in the bath. The faucets manufacturers offer a plethora of varieties for the modern bath or kitchen. It is your responsibility to choose the best suited for the kitchen or bath.

The industry having standardized the products, there cannot be any confusion with the selection of this accessory. However one needs to understand the basic details of your sink or bath. For example if one needs to select a faucet for the kitchen it would be appropriate to keep in mind the number of mounting holes under the sink. The exact number of the mounting holes may have to be found out if the same is concealed behind the existing faucets and deck.

The faucets for bath are available in two configurations such as the center set and the widespread set. The former is a 4-width type while the latter is of 8-width variety. Though the styles can be changed the size cannot be changed unless of course you want to replace the sink itself in the bath.

Before going to the plumbing accessory shop it is wise to ascertain the size and the type of the water supply lines that normally is either 3/8 inch or ½ inch. The supply hook ups comes in various materials like copper, braided copper and flexible plastic. Having confirmed the size of the of the supply line one has to shut off the water supply, remove the parts and take it into your favorite hardware or DIY store and select the faucets of your choice of the size and type best suited to your bath or kitchen.

The selection and fitting of a faucet may look simple however a wrong and thoughtless selection may prove futile and end up in a perennial problem and a sheer waste of your hard earned money.