Faucet's Type of Valve Are Important Features to Consider When Choosing One

How a bathroom faucet is made and the type of valve it uses are important features to consider when choosing one. A well made faucet with good valve technology can provide you with years of dutiful service. Brass is a common material used to make the faucet body and spout although some cheap models do use plastic. Brass is normally coated with chrome plating or a PVD finish (see the section on "Finish" below). Without it, brass will tarnish and corrode. The faucet's valve technology is what actually controls the flow of water. The valve is what really does all the work and has the most moving parts. How it's designed affects how well it performs. Bathroom faucets use 4 kinds of valve technology: compression, ball, cartridge and ceramic disk. The important point to remember here is that the kind of valve that's used plays a role in its reliability. Reliability equates to how long the faucet works before it starts dripping and needs repair. Compression valve faucets typically have separate hot and cold water handles. They're the simplest form of faucet valve and they control the flow of water by means of a screw-like feature in the handle that compresses a seal, which is usually a rubber washer. These valves usually wear the fastest and require maintenance sooner than other valve types. Ball valves are used with single lever faucets. The ball valve has slots in it that control the mixture and the amount of hot and cold water that's allowed through the spout. Moving the handle changes the position of these slots within the valve which regulates the flow. These valves don't use washers like compression valves but they have more parts making them more complex. Cartridge valve bathroom faucets utilize a hollow sleeve attached to the water supply that moves inside another sleeve. Movement of the faucet handle moves these sleeves relative to each other, aligning or blocking holes that control the supply of water. They have fewer moving parts than a ball valve but they do have seals that can wear out and require replacement. Ceramic disc faucet valves make use of two hard, highly polished ceramic disks that slide relative to each other. The motion between the two disks controls the flow of water by opening or restricting the pathway for the water. Although they're typically more expensive, ceramic disk valves are considered the most durable and longest-lasting type of faucet valve. Source: home-style-choices.com