First, the composition of the faucet
I ’ve seen faucets a lot, but I do n’t know how much you know about the structure of faucets. Generally speaking, the faucet is divided into four parts: water outlet, control, fixed and water inlet. The faucet is fixed on the basin, sink, etc. through fixed parts. The water enters the control part through the water inlet hose. Then we adjust the water temperature and volume through the control part. Finally, the water flows out through the water outlet. This is probably the operation process. There are many water outlet parts. There are common water outlets, water outlets with curved pipes, pull-out outlets, waterfall outlets, and so on. When choosing a faucet, pay attention to the size of the basin and sink.
Structure type
If it is divided according to the structure, the faucet can be divided into single, double and triple. In addition, there are points for single and dual handles (also called single and dual controls).
Single type: can be connected to cold water pipe or hot water pipe;
Double type: It can connect two pipes of hot and cold at the same time, and it is mostly used in the faucet of the bathroom basin and the kitchen sink with hot water supply; (this is used by the Andy family)
Triple type: In addition to two pipes for hot and cold water, you can also connect shower heads, which are mainly used for bathtub faucets.
Single handle: adjust the temperature of hot and cold water by one handle;
Double handle: need to adjust the cold water pipe and hot water pipe separately to adjust the water temperature
If these two structures are combined, the common choices of single-link single-control, dual-link single-control, dual-link dual-control faucets will appear. How to choose them depends on the location and habits.
Third, the installation location
The problem of using position is mentioned above, so let’s talk about this issue next, the choice of faucet in different positions is still different.
1.Kitchen sink
The kitchen faucet is usually with a curved pipe, which can be rotated 360 °, so that when cleaning vegetables and tableware, you will not often touch the water outlet of the faucet. Pull-out faucets are currently the most popular choice There are those with elbows, spring supports, and lift pipes. Because the puller can be removed, it is not necessary to limit it to the sink when cleaning, and there is a great degree of freedom.
Bathroom space
Shower area, bathtub, basin, we usually install faucets in these three positions in the bathroom. The shower area mainly uses triple taps, and there are two water outlets; the taps at the bathtub position usually choose fast water taps, such as waterfall taps; the double taps in the basin are better, so you do n’t need to wash your face in winter The water heater was deliberately turned on to receive hot water. In addition, there is an electric hot water faucet on the market. It can generate hot water when connected to the power supply. It pays attention to fast heating. Is a good choice, can also be installed in the basin position.
Fourth, the material
The choice of faucet material is very important. Today Andy mainly talks about three kinds of zinc alloy, stainless steel and all copper.
1.Zinc alloy faucet
Zinc alloy has a low melting point, strong plasticity, and good corrosion resistance in the atmosphere. It is mostly used to manufacture the handle of a faucet or some hardware pendants in the bathroom. (More than 95% of the faucet handles I see every day are made of zinc alloy materials), but the corrosion resistance of zinc alloys in water is not good, unless an extremely high purity zinc and an alloy made of aluminum, magnesium, and copper are used. However, due to cost issues, many manufacturers will replace zinc alloys containing elements exceeding lead, cadmium, and tin. These elements are dissolved in water, which can easily corrode castings and affect human health.
2.Stainless steel faucet
The stainless steel faucet does not require electroplating, and the surface can be polished. It feels smooth and meticulous, does not contain lead (a little bit may be carried during the processing, but it is negligible), corrosion-resistant, hardly rust, and relatively durable. And 304 is a universal stainless steel, which is more common in the market. The standard 304 stainless steel faucet contains about 18% chromium and about 8% nickel. If there is anything afraid of stainless steel faucets, it is chloride ions. If the surface is If the oxide film is not properly prepared, corrosion will still occur. The key depends on the brand.
In addition, because stainless steel is hard and difficult to process, and the process is still immature, the price of stainless steel faucets will be relatively high.
3. All copper faucet
Hpb59 is a widely used lead brass, which means that the copper content is about 59%. Copper faucets generally use this national standard brass or brass with similar composition. There is an advantage to using copper as a faucet. That is, the bactericidal effect of copper ions can purify water. Lead is added because it increases the machinability of copper and makes it easier to process. As for the problem of lead precipitation, it cannot be generalized. Qualified brass faucets have a small amount of lead precipitation and meet the standards, so you don’t need to worry too much. In terms of price, all-copper faucets are not cheap. It costs hundreds of pieces (but it is cheaper than stainless steel). After all, the price of raw materials is placed there, and it has to go through multiple processes such as casting, polishing, and plating. It is understandable. of.
In general, if you want to choose the right faucet, you must pay attention to determine the use position, material, structure, opening method and valve core, and pay attention to the problem of the bubbler.