When it comes to replacing a bathroom faucet, most people will postpone it as long as possible due to the installation process, but there is no reason for that behavior. Because a single-hole bathroom faucet is your best option. Why? A single bathroom faucet seeks on your behalf minimal possible cost and work. Actually, your current faucet plumbing and opening will likely work with most replacements.
Big chances are that you will not even need experience in this field or professional assistance. Replacement of a bathroom faucet is something every beginner can do without question. As long as big reparations and other fixtures are unnecessary ( for example, switching from a tree hole to a single-hole faucet). And it may take only half of your day to do the replacement.
You can buy a single-hole bathroom faucet for a minimum of 30$, but it can also cost over 200$. The price depends on selection, material, and design. Down below are listed the three most popular single-hole bathroom faucet designs.
Standard single-hole bathroom faucet
If you have a habit of making changes in design from time to time, then themed bathroom faucets will not suit you. In that case, your best choice would be a standard single-hole bathroom faucet that has a basal design and allows you to decorate your entire bathroom as you like, and change it as many times as you want.
Contemporary bathroom vessel sink faucet
Because of their comprehensive and exceptional design and remarkable functionality, vessel sinks are becoming increasingly famous. With a simple and spick design, this bathroom faucet is an excellent appendage for a bathroom vanity unit or a new bathroom and can even function as an update to an existing faucet.
Victorian double handle single hole bathroom faucet
Bathrooms decorated in an antique or traditional manner will urge for traditional nature faucet design. Typically this kind of bathroom faucet has a bronze finish, giving away that feeling of nature. They also have a brass construction, which makes this type of faucet a little more expensive. But it all pays off because of that, as mentioned previously, brass construction which lasts for years to come and does not require any replacement.
How to buy a new bathroom faucet?
So you are in the buying mood for a new bathroom faucet. But first, there are some things that you need to consider before you buy a new single-hole bathroom faucet. For starters, the dimension of the faucet opening will have an important effect if you buy a double handle or a compact pull handle design. Choosing between these two calls upon reconstructions of your countertop and could be challenging for complete newbies.
Another thing is the cost has to be put into consideration. Some finishes are more durable and easy to clean. It would be wise to see your new faucet as an important investment in your long–term bathroom design. If you still have doubts about what fits you, ask for professional advice. A bathroom faucet plays an important role in bathroom design.
Since not every faucet is created equal, you can ensure your bathroom faucet has a long life by picking the right size, faucet valve, and finish.
The Faucet Size
To begin with, there are 3 sizes of faucet and handle spread traditionally used in a countertop-mounted faucet. The single-hole bathroom faucet is drilled into the counter and has one hole. The faucet can have a single lever mounted on top or 2 handles from its stem. Single-hole faucets are generally more contemporary and work well with a vessel sink.
A 4” or center spread faucet like the one you see in the picture above uses three holes in the counter, drilled 4” apart from the center of each handle. We can sort out two styles of faucets into this spread. A center-set faucet consists of an escutcheon plate onto which the handles and spout are mounted.
And a mini spread faucet that does not have an escutcheon plate; the spout and handles are mounted directly to the counter. It is harder to keep a 4” spread faucet clean as the handles and spout are mounted so close together that it can be very challenging to get in the middle to wipe up water and everything else that may fall in between.
It is completely possible to drill a smaller pedestal sink for a 4” spread to save space on either side. For those in desperate need of more space, choosing a single-hole bathroom faucet is their best option.
An 8” or widespread faucet uses three holes drilled 8” apart from the center of each handle. Unlike a 4” spread faucet, they are easier to clean and can be found in any style. The widespread faucet is the most used among faucet sizes because it suits almost every bathroom décor.
The Faucet Valve
Surprisingly, not many people pay attention to a faucet valve, considering that the faucet valve is a crucial part of the faucet. When your bathroom faucet leaks, the main cause may be that the single-hole bathroom faucet valve is worn out. Not to worry, if you pick a long-wearing valve, this will never be your problem.
If you look closely, on some faucets, the disc on the valve on which the handle turns is entirely plastic. You can see that on older and cheaper faucets. The cuttings from hard water and constant turning of a bathroom handle can wear down the plastic part. In order to turn off the faucet and stop the dripping, homeowners have to turn the handle tighter each time they do it.
So, of course, after some time, the plastic part is so used up that the handle cannot be twisted so tightly to turn off the flow of the water fully.
But nowadays, the valve’s discs are no longer made of plastic. Now they are made out of ceramic because it does not matter how many times you twist the handle or how hard you do it. Ceramic valves last. And although they are a bit more expensive than plastic valves, it pays off in the end. Ceramic valves save you money and trouble in the long run.
Faucet Finishes
Faucet finishes like satin nickel, polished nickel, and other metal finishes are sensitive to cleaning agents, long-term utilization, and hard water. And because of that, they go up and down in the popularity contest for bathroom decor. If physical vapor deposition is coating the faucet finish, it will be impermeable to everything. The only thing that will get through is bleach.
So to maintain faucet looks and durability, avoid using bleach at all costs. But you are welcome to use any other cleaning product without the risk of damaging your faucet finish.
Then there is polished chrome, the cheapest and easiest finish faucet you can find. Chrome is similar to nickel in that they both have silver tones, while chrome has a slightly cooler tone. Also, chrome is easier to clean and impervious to stains and wear. If you want to use bleach to clean your single-hole bathroom faucet, polished chrome is the way to go.
Powder coat finishes are perfect for those who want to have their faucets in red, white, black, or any other color. But they should remember that the only thing that powder coat is not impervious to is scrubbing, and they are a bit harder to find on the market.