When renovating the kitchen, many people pay attention to large items such as range hoods, stoves, sinks, etc., and do not pay attention to small items such as faucets. In fact, small items have an important impact on your kitchen life experience. It's also very important. I happen to be renovating my home recently, and I have been researching faucets for a long time. I have some thoughts and experiences that I would like to share with you for reference.
When choosing a kitchen faucet, the questions I consider more are: Can it be used for a long time? Will it pollute the water quality? Is it inconvenient to use? Are there many styles to choose from? I want to solve these problems Question, we must first understand the structure of the faucet.
The overall structure of the faucet is divided into valve core, main body and surface. The valve core is the part that controls the flow of water in and out, and is the heart of the faucet. Whether it is durable depends on this; the main body is the main component of the faucet, that is, the skeleton. Most water pollution is caused by the poor material of this part; the plating is the surface layer of the faucet. Material, that is, the skin of the faucet, is responsible for the appearance of the faucet.
1. Can it be used for a long time?
The faucet is turned on and off every day. We can’t even remember how many times it has been turned on and off, so when purchasing The first question to consider is whether it can be used for a long time. The active part of the faucet when it is turned on and off is the valve core, so if you want it to last longer, you have to look at the quality of the valve core.
The quality of the valve core can be judged by seeing whether it can withstand a long-term drip-free test. This test is a life test for the valve core. It is clearly stated in the faucet testing standards that the non-drip test of the switch requires no less than 200,000 switching times. In addition to judging the quality from this test indicator, you can also evaluate it sensoryly. Turn the handle up, down, left, and right. If it feels light and unobstructed, it means the quality is good.
Free consultation hotline for inspection, installation and maintenance of hidden pipes in water pipes and faucets: 400-017-1110
Currently, ceramic valve cores are a suitable valve core material for home use, and they are also used by many Widely used by faucet manufacturers. It is cost-effective because it is easy to obtain materials, and it is wear-resistant and can adapt to hot and cold temperatures for a long time. Although impurities in the water may cause damage to the ceramic valve core, the tap water used by residents is of good quality and this factor can basically be ignored.
Purchase TIPS
Material selection: ceramic valve core, cost-effective.
Quality evaluation: The non-drip test of the switch requires no less than 200,000 switching times.
Sensory evaluation: Turn the handle up, down, left and right, it feels light and unobstructed.
2. Will it pollute the water quality?
In the past, faucets were frequently exposed to have excessive lead content, leading to lead poisoning among residents, and everyone began to panic. Therefore, when purchasing faucets, in addition to quality, , I would also consider whether it will pollute the water quality.
To see whether the faucet will pollute the water quality, you must look at the material of the main part that has been in contact with tap water for a long time.
The main materials of the faucet body are cast iron, plastic, zinc alloy, copper alloy, and stainless steel.
Cast iron is easy to rust, plastic is easy to age, and zinc alloy has poor stability and is easy to burst, resulting in short-term use. Therefore, it is not recommended to purchase faucets made of these three materials.
Currently, copper alloy is a suitable main material for home use, because copper ions have a certain bactericidal effect and prevent bacteria from producing antibodies, so the inner wall of the copper faucet will not breed bacteria. This is other The materials are incomparable, which is why many brands now choose copper materials to make faucets.
Brass in copper alloys is a combination of copper and zinc. It has good mechanical properties, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, so it has become the faucet material.
Brass can be divided into many types depending on the copper content. Currently, most faucets are made of H59 copper, which is brass with a copper content of 57 to 61. In fact, some international bathroom brands even use H62 copper to produce faucets. , because H62 copper has a higher copper content than H59 copper and has better corrosion resistance.
In addition to copper and zinc, brass also contains trace amounts (less than 0.5) of lead. When the faucet was exposed and caused lead poisoning, everyone thought it was caused by the lead in the brass itself, but all leaving the dosage Anyone who talks about poisoning is a hooligan. The current standard for lead content in faucets is that as long as the amount of lead released does not exceed 5 μg/L, it will not threaten human health. In fact, there is no need to worry about this problem with standard H59 copper. Most of the faucets on the market that have been found to have excessive amounts of lead precipitation are not standard brass, but are made of shoddy zinc alloy, have too many impurities, or are roughly processed from recycled scrap copper. The faucets made in this way have quality problems.
If you want to completely eliminate lead contact, there is another option - stainless steel faucets. Many brands are now beginning to develop stainless steel faucets because they can be completely lead-free. However, due to the complex process and lack of the antibacterial advantages of copper, they are not currently popular.
Purchase TIPS
Material selection: Brass is a suitable faucet material and has antibacterial effect. Among them, H59 copper is suitable and the lead content is also qualified. H62 copper has less lead content and is more Corrosion-resistant; stainless steel can be lead-free and made of 304 food-grade stainless steel, which can be in long-term contact with drinking water.
Pollution evaluation: In the lead content test, if the amount of lead leached out does not exceed 5μg/L, it is considered qualified.
Sensory evaluation: Brass can be identified by estimating weight. Brass is heavier and harder, while other alternative materials are lighter and softer. Stainless steel can be sensory compared with sinks made of the same food-grade stainless steel.
3. Is the faucet inconvenient to use?
The faucet is inconvenient to use, which really affects the quality of life. In the past, faucets only supplied cold water. Every winter, washing dishes and vegetables became a torturous job. Later, everyone chose the hot and cold mode. Now, we can have more choices and provide more for life. convenience.
4. Is the appearance good enough?
Yes, faucets also have good appearance.
Today’s faucets are too similar. They are all the same silver color and have the same smooth surface. Don’t faucets have more imagination?
After looking around, I personally prefer retro models, but to be honest, many faucets that are better in appearance have higher requirements on the overall decoration style, so please try with caution!
Free hot water 400 for inspection, installation and repair of hidden pipes in water pipes and faucets -017-1110