As the core part of the faucet-the valve core, largely determines the service life, quality and quality of the faucet. Therefore, to improve the quality of the faucet, the first step is to start with the valve core, and the material of the valve core determines the quality of the valve core. The valve core is divided into materials, which can be mainly divided into rubber core (slow opening valve core), ceramic valve core (quick opening valve core), ball valve core, stainless steel valve core and so on.
Rubber spool
Most of the faucets using rubber spools are spiral-opened iron-cast faucets, but now they have basically been eliminated. The faucets of this type of spool have a short service life and are prone to leaking.
Ball valve
According to relevant data, the ball valve core was applied in 1960, and most of the handles of ball valve core faucets can only be installed in the middle position. The advantage of this valve core is that the stainless steel sphere used is corrosion resistant; in addition, from the perspective of cost saving, the sphere can also be made of cheap materials such as plastic. The disadvantage of the ball valve core faucet is that there are more fittings installed, and the rotation friction resistance is large, which will easily cause the faucet seal to fail, resulting in water leakage.
Ceramic spool
As a new material emerging from technological innovation, ceramic spools are currently generally more popular in the market. Its advantages are less pollution to water quality, low price, longer service life and better sealing performance, which is more economical and environmentally friendly. In addition, ceramics have strong physical stability. In the process of use, they can withstand wind, sun, and rain, and are resistant to high temperatures, low temperatures, and abrasion; and their surfaces are not easily corroded and deformed after being subjected to various erosions. . These properties of ceramics are important factors that determine the service life of faucets. Therefore, the normal service life of the ceramic valve core is more than 10 years, which is longer than other valve cores. The disadvantage of the ceramic valve core is that the texture is relatively fragile and easy to rupture; the ceramic is also easily attacked by magazines in water, which requires higher water quality during use, which also limits its scope of use.
Stainless steel spool
Stainless steel is another new material of the faucet spool technology innovation. Its focus is on long service life, corrosion resistance and easy removal and cleaning. Compared with the ceramic valve core, its biggest feature is that the water quality is not high, and it is not easy to be eroded by impurities in the water, which affects the service life. Therefore, the stainless steel faucet spool is particularly suitable for use in areas with poor water quality. In addition, it is simple and convenient to disassemble and wash, allowing consumers to complete simple maintenance and installation work by themselves. However, it also has its disadvantages: it is more expensive.
Judgement of spool
1. When adjusting the left and right valve spools, you can judge by feeling. A good spool is “idling” when it is rotated left and right, it feels light and has no resistance.
2. Gently grip the handle of the faucet with your forefinger and middle finger and gently move it up and down, left and right, and observe whether it is flexible and not loose, whether there is a blocking feel, whether there is an oil damping feel, flexible and not loose, and no blocking feel. The heavy oil damping feel indicates that the faucet spool you choose is a high-quality product.