Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Shower Faucets

The market is flooded with an unlimited range of choices for shower faucets, from polished chrome, antiques and brass, to polished and stained nickel and gold, acrylic, brass, stainless steel, copper, and mix-and-match combinations. While individual preference and taste plays a major role, quality must not be compromised for cost. PVD shower faucets are popular for their scald-guarding and temperature-regulation properties. Gerber faucets have also found increasing popularity, for their ability to fight water?s corrosive properties. Durability and deliverance should be as essential as the aesthetic appeal of a shower faucet.

Shower faucets, in contrast to kitchen faucets, are often chosen on the basis of their aesthetic appeal rather than functionality. While style and appearance is important, the functional utility and practicality should not be neglected. A shower experience provides a reclusive haven, and a heavenly solitude in a relaxed and stylish environment. Hence, appearance and practicality both matter. A shower faucet must complement and enhance the bathroom?s look. Care must be taken to see that the shower faucets fit the lavatory, address the requirements of the unit and meet your performance expectations. A 4? center lavatory faucet looks appealing, but is difficult to clean in comparison to an 8? center lavatory faucet. Most modern faucets are washerless ones, as the washers which used to control the flow of water have never been durable.

It is advisable to purchase your shower faucet, bathtub and other bathroom fixtures from the same place, to ensure that they can be installed and fitted properly. It is always advisable to seek the opinion of an expert plumber or designer when purchasing shower faucets. Other things to be kept in mind are the type of finish, style and design desired, requirements of the lavatory, cost, type of handle, effect desired, and the feasibility and opportunity to bring out those effects. Accordion-folding shower doors are another efficient and inexpensive modern choice. They can be fixed and are easily replaceable, durable, safer than glass, easy to maintain, aesthetically appealing and available worldwide.

Shower Faucets provides detailed information on Showers, Shower Faucets, Shower Doors, Shower Curtains and more. Shower Faucets is affiliated with How To Clean Marble

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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Metering Faucets - Industrial Asset Moves Into Mainstream Home Bathroom Design

We have all used them at some time but probably did not even know what to call them or why they were developed. Metering faucets - a bathroom faucet that when activated gives a flow of temperate water for a measured length of time. They are a common sight in public washrooms as a water-saving device with the added feature that they cannot be left running to eventually overflow the sink.

It took a few decades but top end manufacturers like Kohler, Grohe and Moen recognized the need for metering faucets for home use and recently developed attractive yet functional water-saving metering faucets. Easier on the budget, metering faucets work well in guest bathrooms or the kids bathroom where taps can lead to a mess or left open.

The same manufacturers have taken metering faucets one-step farther with the hands-free function. An infrared or motion detector turns on the water flow for as long as the movement continues and, like the original metering bathroom faucets, the water temperature is pre-set to whatever the preference or use.

A hands-free metering faucet may seem like a strange addition to a home but they are catching on quickly as homeowners and designers begin to recognize the added advantage of a constantly clean and hygienic bathroom sink area.

Metering faucets are ideal partners for vessel sinks that do not have an overflow built in. Normally these sinks are installed with a grid drain so that if a faucet is left on, they will not overflow but in a shallow bathroom vessel sink, a metering faucet is a guarantee well worth the investment. Metering faucets – no longer a boring institutional standard but a beautifully redesigned with your home in mind.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Dealing With The Leaking Bathtub Faucet

Drip, drip, drip. A leaky bathtub faucet is a common problem in many homes. If you have one, the good news is they are usually fairly simple to take care of.

The repair of leaky faucets is another often minor plumbing job that can be done by yourself with a minimum of effort and with no special tools. Although this may be true, it is an extremely important job. A single pinhole leak in a water pipe can waste up to 70 gallons of water per day. A badly leaking faucet can waste even more. This is a serious environmental issue today. There are some who claim that the very population levels of the world are depending on the supply of potable water. And we are already running behind.

There are two major types of faucets. The most common one in older homes is called the compression faucet. This faucet uses a rubber washer that is compressed when the valve is closed. The compressed washer expands and seals off the water flow. This process is hard on the washer and after a time they will wear out and need to be replaced.

When you go to replace the washer, you must first shut off the water supply to the faucet. Sometimes it is possible to do this at a more local spot close to the faucet, but other times it is necessary to shut off the main water supply to the home to isolate the faucet. It is a good idea to protect the enamel of the bathtub with towels to protect it from chips from dropped tools. Another good preparation idea is to cover drains to prevent small pieces from being dropped into them.

When you take apart the faucet to get to the washer, make diagrams or notes of exactly how you do so. This will make it easier to put it back together. Normally, the replacement of the washer will solve the leak problem. Keep spare washers handy in your tool box. You will need them again before long.

The newer type of faucet is called a washer less faucet. The name tells it all. The valve opens and shuts by an actual physical closing of the valve. You can usually tell if your faucet is compression or washer less just by feel. A compression faucet needs to be tightened to get it closed. The washer less faucet glides easily into place and does not need additional pressure to cut off the flow. There are fewer problems with leaking on washer less faucets. They tend to be either working or not. When they wear out, or do not operate properly, they should be replaced.

Fred Linson is with PlumbingStop.com - providing basic plumbing information and more resources.

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