Faucet Basics: Part 8 How to Buy a Faucet
Choosing a faucet is largely a process of elimination. Typically, your range of choice is limited by budget, style, and finish. Your budget may eliminate the very high-end choices, and your need for reliability should exclude the very low-end faucets.
You should not even consider a faucet that has not been certified to North American standards of durability and safety as required by your local or state plumbing code. Uncertified faucets may not be lead-free and cannot be lawfully installed in your home.
You certainly want your faucet to match the style of your home. A contemporary faucet in a Cape Cottage or Arts & Crafts bungalow may not be a good fit style-wise.
However, even after you have eliminated the faucets you definitely do not want, there are still many considerations to think about.
How Much Should a Good Faucet Cost?
A manufacturer's list price is a good indicator of the esteem in which a company holds its own products, but not necessarily a guide to their actual selling price.
Faucets, especially high-end faucets, are often steeply discounted by retailers and suppliers.
The prices you should be interested in (and the prices we publish in our reviews) are the actual "street" prices at which a faucet can be purchased.
Street prices for faucets these days are all over the place.
Alternative retailing through the internet has created tremendous price pressure on established local retailers. For value received, faucet prices have never been lower.
It is entirely possible to pay more than $20,000 ($4,068) for a faucet, but also very simple to buy a good, well-made, stylish faucet for less than $100.00 ($137 CAD).
Forget about style, and a solid, all-brass faucet from a reputable company can be had for $50.00 ($60.00 CAD) It won't be much for looks, but it will provide trouble-free service for years and years.
"Top of Mind" Faucet Brand Awareness
Survey Results
Our survey question,
"When you think 'faucet', what is the first faucet brand that comes to mind,"
was answered by 1,771 readers. Discounting multiple answers from the same reader, blanks, and nonsense responses, here are the results.
| Rank | Company | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30.97% | |
| 2 | 24.15% | |
| 3 | 21.49% | |
| 4 | 6.73% | |
| 5 | 2.15% | |
| 6 | 1.43% | |
| 7 | 1.00% | |
| 8 | 0.86% | |
| 9 | 0.72% | |
| 10 (tied) | 0.57% | |
| 0.57% | ||
| 0.57% | ||
| 11 | 0.53% | |
| 12 (tied) | 0.43% | |
| 0.43% | ||
| 0.43% | ||
| 0.43% | ||
| 13 (Tied) | 0.29% | |
| 0.29% | ||
| 0.29% | ||
| 0.29% | ||
| 0.29% | ||
| 0.29% | ||
| 0.29% | ||
| 14 (Tied) | 0.14% | |
| 0.14% | ||
| 0.14% | ||
| 0.14% | ||
| 0.14% | ||
| 0.14% | ||
| 0.14% | ||
| 15 | All Other | 4.01% |
The brand awareness survey reveals no surprises. The top three U.S. faucet makers — Moen, Delta, and Kohler — are the top brands in the minds of over 75% of potential customers, a reflection of their percentage of sales in the U.S. and Canada: about 50%.
Importers of Chinese and Taiwanese faucets 20%. The hundreds of other brands, including the upscale European brands, divide up 30% of the market, but their share is growing.
Under $150 ($205 CAD)
Considerd economy faucets, many if not most of the faucets in this price range are made in China and sold on websites that host third-party sellers such as Amazon, Wayfair, and Walmart. They range in price from $40.00 to $150.00 ($41.00 to 205.00 CAD), and provide basic functionality with simple designs and no frills.
- Certifications: Most of the faucets in this price range have not been tested and certified to joint Canada/U.S. standards and are not legal for use in a drinking water system in either country.
- Durability: Functional for infrequent use as in aguest bath or little used prep sink, but may wear out or leak sooner (around 5-7 years) compared to pricier faucets. There are exceptions, however. faucets, Delta's economy brand, has a reputation for flawless performance year after year.
- Features: Simple, no-frills basic design sometimes dating back to the 1960s. Most are two-handle configurations.
- Finishes: Electroplated chrome and sometimes brushed nickel. Faucets close to the $200.00 ($274.00 CAD) mark may be available in aditional finishes such as Oil Rubbed Bronze and Matte Black.
- Materials: Some will be zinc or a zinc alloy rather than brass of stainless steel. Plastic components, including kitchen sprays.
- Wrranty: Generally short term five to ten year warranties. Some brands, however, like protect their economy faucets with a lifetime warranty.
$150 - $600 ($205 - $821 CAD)
These are mid=priced faucets that include fmailar brands such as
Mid-priced aucets typically offer a good balance of durability, style options, and enhanced features like more finish choices.
- Certification: Most of the imported faucets sold in this price range have not been tested and certified to joint Canada/U.S. standards and are not legal for use in a drinking water system in either country. Choose a domestic brand or confirm that the imported faucet has been certified by reading our review of the faucet brand.
- Durability: Functional for regular use even in busy kitchens and family baths. Almost all faucets at this price level include the latest technology ceramic disc valves that do not require washers and O-ring to be replaced regularly.
- Features: A huge array of style choices. Suitable for any decor style from Victorian to Ultra Industrial contemporay. By no means cutting edge design, but pleasant and stylish. Common enhancements include pull-down or pull-out kitchen sprayers, high-arc spouts for better clearance at kitchen sinks, and longer and stronger warranties.
- Finishes: More finish options that vary among manufacturers, but usually include brushed nickel, matte black, and oil-rubbed bronze as well as the standard chrome. Some companies offer as many as 15 finishes standard. A few brands can be cuustom finished for an extra charge.
- Materials: Brass or stainless steel primary material. May use a zinc alloy for parts that do not show. Baseplates, , and other parts not under water pressure may be plastic. Some companies equip their kitchen faucets with pull-down or pull-out plastic sprays. Metal sprays are better.
- Wrranty: Most brands provide a lifetime warranty.
This is the price band that delivers the most value for the buck.
Over $600 ($685 CAD)
What distinguishes a true luxury faucet line is more than just price. It is extensive customization. Brands in this category usually offer a vast array of finish choices, a vriety of configurations, and cutting edge styling.
Functionally, luxury faucets do not differ in any significant way from mid-priced faucets. The additonal cost of these faucets is not in their operation, durability, or reliability but due to their unique designs, small production runs, and more hand crafting.
Upscale luxury faucets include brands such as
- Certification: Faucets sold in this price band are almost always fully certified. We know of just two exceptions,
- Durability: This faucets have the same durability as most mid-priced products or slightly better due to the use of better components, including top-drawer ceramic valve cartridges. However, long-term durability varies depending on where the faucets originate. Domestically produced faucets and those made in Northern Europe (Germany, Denmark) tend have fewer prlblems than those originating in Southern Europ;e (Italy and Spain).
- Features: Cutting edge original design, a large array of style choices suitable for any decor style, unique texturing and finishing options, including gold. Some companies like even allow users to design a custom faucet online.
- Finishes: Finish options vary among manufacturers, but tend to be vast, sometime as many as 30 choices in standard finishes and virtually unlimited options in custom finishes.
- Materials: Brass or stainless steel primary material. Like mid-priced faucets, these may include zinc alloys as secondary materials. Use of plastics only where unavoidable.
- Wrranty: Warranties on upscale faucets vary substantially from 5 years to lifetime. North American producers generally provide a lifetime warranty while European companies tend to import their short-term European warranties along with their European faucets. There are exceptions. The German comppany, for example, provides one of the strongest lifetime warranties in the industry.
How to Choose a Faucet
If you are buying a faucet from a name manufacturer, odds are very good that you have chosen a good faucet.
The "why" is very simple. Well known faucet companies do not let sub-par faucets remain on the market for very long. Very shortly after they start getting complaints and warranty claims, the faucet will be yanked.
This does not mean you cannot buy a clunker from the likes of Even the best companies produce a lemon from time to time, but it would be rare indeed.
It is when you buy from a less well-know company that problems may begin.
The first thing you should do, if a brand is not immediately known to you, is read our report on the company to get the straight, unbiased, and unvarnished facts about the company and its faucet products.
The second thing you should do is closely examine the faucet. Unfortunately, however, you may not be able to do this before the sale. Even if you buy from a street store rater than over the internet.
New faucets are sealed in booxes. If you do manage to open the tamper-resistant, fire-retardant, waterproof, high-security packaging, remove all the expanded foam packing, and extract the faucet from the box without setting off an alarm while eluding arrest and detention by Milton the mall cop for shoplifting and malicious destruction of store property, there's no place to examine the faucet in any detail.
No problem, just make certain you can return the faucet if it does not live up to its billing.
Faucet Weight
The golden rule of faucet buying is that "weight equals quality."
Metal is heavier than plastic, and brass is heavier than zinc. A thick-walled brass faucet like one from the can easily tip the scales at a hefty 10 lbs. or more.
If it weights a mere 1.5 lbs or even less, it's probably plastic. Plastic faucets are suitable from RVs and campers where they are not under household water pressure. They are not a good idea in home kitchens or baths.
Faucet Material
We won't immediately veto a faucet that contains a little zinc. It depends on what part is zinc. A zinc handle, or does not detract from the overall quality of a faucet, and many save a few bucks.
How to tell if a faucet is brass? We unscrew the and peek inside the spout (a flashlight might be useful here) to see if it is the warm brown of tarnished brass or the silvery gray of stainless steel. To make sure, using an ice pick, awl or similar item (a nail or screw will work), we scratch a lineinside the spout where it won't show. It should be a golden yellow if it's brass. If the faucet is stainless steel, scratching is not necessary. Steel looks like steel.
Where Is It Made?
If you are interested in buying a North-American-made faucet, there are a few things you should know.
First, disregard the popular notion that almost nothing is manufactured in the U.S.A. or Canada these days. Not true, at least when it comes to faucets.
Some manufacturing has been moved overseas, but scads of excellent faucets are still manufactured by U.S. and Canadian companies in North America — faucets equal in quality and craftsmanship to any in the world.
In fact – and here's a shocker – Most of the faucets sold in North America are still manufactured or assembled in North America. Foreign-manufactured faucets account for less than a third of faucet sales in the U.S. and Canada.
Admittedly, it is sometimes hard to tell which faucets are made here. Companies that have moved their manufacturing overseas often take great pains to "deemphasize" the fact. It's not that they actively conceal the fact. They just don't talk about it.
for example, despite its name and distinguished pedigree as a pioneering U.S. sanitary wares manufacturer, does not manufacture or assemble a single faucet in the U.S. or Canada.
It is now owned by the same Japanese firm that owns , and while it still designs its faucets at its U.S. headquarters in New Jersey, the faucets are made in Mexico from components manufactured in China and Vietnam.
(formerly Price-Pfister) also does not manufacture any faucets in the U.S. or Canada. It, like American Standard, manufactures, in Mexico and China.
On the other hand,
Many traditional U.S. faucet companies are still manufacturing, or at least, assembling faucets, in the U.S. including the old standards: and some less well-known old-line American faucet companies, including
Up-and-coming companiess such as also produce their faucets in the U.S.
Brasstech, the Masco manufacturing company, assembles and finishes its faucets in the U.S., although from mostly Chinese components.
Canadian manufacturers are still going strong, just not as strong as in times past.
These include
The Replacement Parts Problem
Not much though is given to getting replacement parts when buying a faucet, but it should be a primary concern.
No faucet lasts forever. Eventualy it will fail. It may be in a few months or after many decades, but ultimately it will need repair. Most repairs require parts.
With North American-based faucet companies, parts are seldom an issue.
If you have a problem with a Kohler, Moen, or Delta faucet, you don't call Home Depot or the Ace hardware store where you bought it. You call the manufacturer's support hotline to get it solved.
If you need parts, the faucet manufacturer provides you with the parts – not the retail seller or distributor.
If the faucet manufacturer is not located in North America, the product support solution gets a little trickier.
Most major foreign faucet manufacturers sell in North America through a local subsidiary that provides the necessary support for North American buyers.
Companies like Danze, Dornbracht, Grohe, Hansgrohe, KWC, Paini, and Toto, to name just a few of many, handle post-sale support issues through customer service based in the U.S. or Canada.
A few European and Asian faucet manufacturers that make store-brand faucets also maintain service centers in North America to handle back-end support for the retail chains that buy their faucets for private branding.
Globe Union, Lota, and Paini all provide warranty and parts support for the U.S. and Canadian retail stores that buy and re-brand their faucets. These include Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Costco, Sam's Club, and the Ace, True Value, and Do-it-Best buying cooperatives.
If you call the technical support telephone number for a Pegasus faucet purchased at the Home Depot or an Aquasource faucet from Lowes, you will likely reach Globe Union or Lota customer support.
However, if the companies that supply the faucets do not maintain customer service or parts operations in North America for the faucets they sell in wholesale lots to North American importers, and most don't, the parts problem may be unsolvable.
Unlike larger operations with deep pockets, small companies cannot reasonably afford to maintain large parts inventories for every faucet they now sell or have sold in the past. Typically the company can scavenge parts from faucets still on the shelf as long as a particular faucet model is being sold but when it is discontinued, there is usually no further availability of replacement parts.
Some major U.S. faucet companies manufacture in Canada, including
Not a single Grohe faucet is now manufactured in the U.S. or Canada and only a very few in Germany.
Many Canadian faucet companies no longer manufacture in Canada, if they ever did.
Country of Origin Labeling
Faucets imported into the U.S. must be marked in a conspicuous place" on the faucet itself or the box it is packaged in with "Made in [Country]"). The mark must be "legible, indelible, and permanent." (19 U.S.C. § 1304)
In other words, the mark cannot be so tiny that is cannot be easily read, must contrast with and stand out from the background, and it musst be made in a manner that prevents it from being removed.
The mark may take several forms, including, "Made in (Not U.S.A.)", "Product of (Not U.S.A.)", or "Assembled in (Not U.S.A.)
Canadian law is very similar.
The country of origin of imported goods must be clearly marked on the goods in a visible place that cannot be covered or concealed. (Canada Border Services Agency, Memorandum D11-3-1)
Unfortunately, these laws are woefully out of date in the internet age.
Prior to 1990 most faucets were bought in stores where they could be examined before purciase. Today, an increasing number of faucets are purchased online.
The consumer has no product or package to look at and must rely on the seller to disclose the country of origin. Unfortunately, many importers don't.
Made in (Not USA or Canada)
The rules governing "Made in USA" and "Made in [Another Country]" differ somewhat and are enforced by separate federal agencies.
In the U.S., "Made in" labeling required under the Tarrif Act (19 U.S.C. § 1484) is enforced by Immigration & Customs Enforcement. The fundamental purpose of the law is not to inform customers, but to collect the right amount of import duties. That it also informs consumers is a happy side effect.
Customs considers a product made in a foeign country if it is
- assembled in that country and
- the assembly is transformative, meaning that it results in an item that is recognizably a new or different product.
The concept of substantial transformation is actually quite simple although our friends in Washigton have done their very best to make it seem very complicated.
If I take a pile of parts and components and assemble them into a faucet, the assembly changed the pile into a faucet. That asembly was transformative. Before the assembly there was no faucet. Now there is.
Canadian customs enforcement is generally along the same lines using the same "substantial transformaton" rule. Canada, However, also requires a label identifying the legal name and address of the seller.
Origin Washing
But here's the rub. If parts and components made in Britain, China, Indonesia, Sigapore, and Vietnam are sent to Japan where they are assmbled into a faucet, the faucet is "Made in Japan" even though not a single part or component used in the faucet was produced in Japan.
This loophole results in a lot of what is called "origin washing."
Companies facing high import duties or from a country with a bad reputation among consumers (or both) can simply ship pieces and parts to a country with low or no import duties or a good reputation, where they are assembled into a faucet.
Lots of Faucets are assembled in Mexico from parts and components imported from China for this very reason. Most imports from Mexico are duty-free under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and for many Americans, "Hecho en Mexico" is much more agreeable than "Made in China."
Faucet companies that routinely engage in origin washing include
Made in U.S.A.
"Made in USA" labeling is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. Unlike the customs service, its enforcement policy is focused on informing the consumer where the product is made, not collecting taxes.
To be laeled made in U.S.A …
- The final assembly must be done in the U.S. and result in the "substantial transformation" of the faucet into its final form.
- For example, it is not sufficient if all the company does is attach handles to a foreign-made faucet, because the resulting transformation is not "substantial". The faucet was already a faucet before the handles were attached. It was not transformed into a faucet by that last attachment.
- "All or substanially all" of the parts and components used in the faucet must also be made in the U.S. Some incidental parts may be made elsewhere but the critical parts must be made in the U.S.
For example, a faucet may have "hot" and "cold" label buttons made elsewhere and probably still be "Made in USA". The buttons are not critical parts so they are considered negligble or de minimis. But, if its handles, valve or body were manufactured outside the country, it is not made in U.S.A. because these are critical parts of a faucet, and not at all de minimis.
Assembled in U.S.A.
A faucet that is assembled in the U.S. from more than de minimus foreign parts, can be labeled "Assembled in U.S.A." or "Made in U.S.A." with qualifying language such as "Made in USA from Domestic and Imported Components,"
As a consumer you must remember that anything other than an unqualified "Made in USA" claim actually means "Assembled in USA" no matter how creative the qualifying language: "90% Made in USA," "Mostly Made in U.S.A," or "Truely Made in U.S.A. from Domestic and Foreign Components" all mean "Assembled in U.S.A.", nothing more.
Made in Canada
The "Made in Canada" policy of the Canadian Competition Bureau is similar to that of the U.S. but somewhat less stringent.
A faucet must be given it transformative assembly in Canada and at least 51% of the total direct costs of manufacturing the faucet must have been incurred in Canada. This means that not quite half of the components used to create the faucet can be imported.
Assembled in Canada
Canada does not have an "Assembled in Canada" mark per se. The Candian equivalent of "Assembled In USA" is "Made in Canada" with a qualifying statement such as: "Made in Canada from imported parts" or "Made in Canada with domestic and imported content".
Country of Origin Tips
If country or origin is important to you here are some tips:
- Companies that manufacture or assemble faucets in the U.S. or Canada display that fact all over their websites. (See e.g., ) If the company does not indicate that its faucets are made in the U.S. or Canada, then they are not.
- Companies that import faucets from nations in Europe are more likely to identify their country of origin.
- Companies that import faucets from Asia are more likely to identify their country of origin it they are made in Taiwan, but less likely if they are made in China or Vietnam. So, if the faucet's origin is not stated, you can safely assume it was manufactured in one or both of these countries.
- If a seller does not identify country of origin on its website, telephone or email customer service and ask for that information. We prefer email since it leaves a written record. If the mark on the box identifies a country or origin different from what you were told, send it back.
- Keep in mind, however, that some sellers are not at all bashful about lying about their product's origens. An example are the five intelocking companies owned by Masara Sadiq: and Mr. Sadiq insists that the faucets are made in Virginia in the face of incontrovertable proof that they are imported from China.
Choosing a Faucet
Now that we have a good grasp of faucet prices, style, configuration, certifications, finishes, warranties, and how to determine "made in" status, we can go ahead a choose a faucet.
There are still a few additional considerations, however.
Choose the Sink, Faucet and Countertop Together
There are many more faucet styles than there are sink styles. It's much easier to match a faucet to a sink than it is to match a sink to a faucet, so choose your sink first, then your faucet. Then go back and review your sink choice.
Most drop-in sinks have a ledge at the back with one or more mounting holes for the faucet. The number of mounting holes must fit the faucet. If you have selected a single-hole faucet, you don't want a 5-hole sink. You have to cover those extra holes with hole covers, which is unsightly.
If your faucet requires three holes, but your sink has just one, you are going to have a mighty agitated plumber, although most plumbers know how to punch a hole in a stainless or composite sink. If the sink is cast iron, however, you are just plain out of luck. Hope you kept the receipt.
If your sink is an undermount style, then the faucet will most likely mount through the countertop behind the sink. If your countertop is laminate or solid surfacing like Corian it can be drilled at the time it is installed. But, if it is stone or an engineered product, it will have to be drilled at the fabricator's shop before it is delivered.
Reach and Clearance
The faucet you choose should swing in an arc large enough to dispense water to a good portion of the sink's basin(s).
This is the faucet's "reach", and it is determined by the horizontal distance from the spout opening to where it joins to the faucet base. This dimension will usually be printed in the faucet's specifications.
The faucet should also be tall enough so that you can fit your largest pot under the spout for filling.
This is called the faucet's "clearance" and it is measured from the base of the faucet to the highest point of the spout's arch.
You then need to add the depth of the sink to that measurement. If the faucet's clearance is 8" and your sink is 6" deep, the tallest pot you can fill is 13" (you need that last inch to provide enough clearance to maneuver the pot).
Faucets with pull-out sprays or side sprays greatly extend both reach and clearance and may eliminate any problems. Just place the pot on the side of the sink, and fill it with the hose.
Another option is a pot filler faucet. These are faucets installed over the range so you can fill a large pot without having to then lug it from the sink to the stove.
We seldom install them because we don't like them. Putting a faucet over an expensive range without any means of draining the water is to us just a tad short of stark lunacy, especially if you have children in the house who like to "experiment".
Say "No" to Plastic
Plastic has no place in a fixture meant to give many, many years of trouble-free operation. Look for all-metal construction — by that, we mean only brass and stainless steel with possibly a little zinc where it does not matter – handles, baseplates, and for example.
Even plastic handles are suspect. Acrylic plastic fauceted handles imitate fine crystal glass handles on very high-end faucets, but turn yellow and harbor mold.
Manufacturers avoid use of the word "plastic" using code words instead. The usual codes are "ABS" or "DOM" (types of plastics), "polymer," composite," "hybrid," and "non-metallic." All of thee sneaky words just mean "plastic."
You can usually tell a good all-metal faucet by its weight. It's heavy and feels solid.
If you are not sure how heavy it should feel, ask the clerk to see a hose bibb (the outside faucet your hose attaches to). These are almost always heavy, solid brass. Your faucet should be at least this heavy.
Test the faucet out of the box. There are often heavy things in the box (a hose weight, for example) that are not part of the actual faucet.
If parts of the body, spout, or handles are made of plastic, you can feel the difference. Metal feels cold to the touch, plastic does not.
Watch out for pull-down and pull-out sprays. Increasingly the heads are made of plastic.
Manufacturers will tell you that plastic is better because it does not get hot and is more comfortable to hold. Plastic is not better. We are finding quite a few problems with plastic spray heads. If you have a choice, and with many brands, you don't, choose metal.
If you are concerned about the problem of a spray that can get too hot to handle, the solution is to reduce the temperature of the water. Nothing needs to be washed or rinsed in scalding hot water.
Smooth Operation
Turn the handle(s) full on and full off. The operation should be smooth with no hitches, and certainly no scratching or grinding noises. If the handle seems to bind or stiffen in certain positions, there is probably a problem with the faucet. Leave it alone.
Firmly Attached Pull-Out
Make sure any spout pull-out device operates smoothly without catching.
It may be hard to tell before it is installed, however, because the hose counter-weight is not fitted until installation.
Any pull-out spout can be damaged if it is pulled too far and too hard. You probably won't do this, but your children will.
Look for a solid metal-to-metal attachment. No pull-out is immune to damage, but well-attached hoses resist damage better. Just look, don't yank. If you break it, you have probably just selected your next faucet.
The faucet industry has been slow to adopt PEX as a hose material, but it is slowly coming around. PEX is considerably stronger than the rubber and cord hoses now the standard.
A Lifetime Valve
Just about any faucet-buying advice, you will read other than ours will tell you that the style and finish of a faucet are the most important elements to look for. (See, e.g. "Before Buying That New Faucet, Think Finish First", HGTV).
Certainly, they are important. But, the critical element is the faucet valve.
The valve is what makes your faucet work. If it fails, you don't have a faucet, you have a stylish, nicely finished chunk of useless metal. So, if you want reliable performance year after year after year, a good valve is essential snd should your first considration.
A cartridge should be certified compliant with the U.S./Canadian standard (See "Make Sure the Faucet Is Certified" below) which requires a life cycle test of 500,000 on/off cycles without failure.
A faucet certified to meet the requirements of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), Canadian National Plumbing Code (NPC), or the International Plumbing Code (IPC) has passed this test.
Many cartridges used in foreign-made faucets are rated under the European EN817 (CE/EU) or Chinese GB18145-2003 standard that require 70,000 or 30,000 on/off cycles respectively.
The North American standard also requires what is informally called the "Burst Test." The valve is subject to ten times normal household water pressure for one minute to see if it will leak or deform. The test simulates the pressure surges that can occur when a faucet is shut-off sudenly.
Never buy a faucet you have not heard of.
Unknown brands have often justly earned their obscurity.
Jerry Francis Leonard, MSE, PE, JD
Engineer, Lawyer, Master Plumber, and Steamfitter
Certified Safe, Lead-Free and Reliable
All faucets sold or installed in the U.S. or Canada must be certified safe, lead-free, and reliable. A faucet that is not certified cannot be lawfully imported, sold, offered for sale, or installed in either country.
Thirty years ago, it was nearly impossible to buy an uncertified faucet. They were simply not sold here.
In todays internet-selling world it is a different story.
Uncertified faucets are the rule and widely available. Our research has shown that most of the brands sold on popular internet venues such as Amazon and Wayfair.com are uncertified, and therefore illegal. Most have no warranty and virtually all have no source of replacement parts.
One of the most prolific traffickers in illegal faucets on Amazon is Amazon itself.
All of these sites have policies against the sale of unlawful merchandise, and none of them seem to enforce the policy when it comes to faucet sales.
Builder sites do a better job of screening out uncertified faucets. They seldom appear on those sites, and when they do are, in most cases, immediately removed once we point them out.
Be careful, however, of Build.com and its associated sites. When we pointed out the contraband faucets for sale it this website, we were asked, politely, to mind our own business.
On-line sites connected with big lumber stores: Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards at one time did a good job of keeping uncertified products from being sold, but that's no longer true. Ace, True Value, and Do-It-Best hardware store sites however, are more careful.
Online auction sites such as e-Bay are some of the worst offenders, even though they also have policies prohibiting the sale of unlawful merchandise.
In a count conducted in April 2023, we found 69% of the new-in-the-box lavatory faucets offered for sale on e-Bay were illegal to sell in the U.S. or Canada. In many listings, the brand name of the faucet was omitted — a sure sign that the faucet is illegal — and some listings go so far as to proclaim that certification "does not apply" to the faucet.
But, the worst offenders of all are internet retail sites originating in China. These sites totally disregard U.S. and Canadian laws regarding certification. We found no certified faucets at all on AliExpress, LightInTheBox, or FaucetSuperDeal, even though these sites target U.S. and Canadian customers, even going so far as to establish fulfillment centers in the U.S. to reduce shipping time.
So, where can you be sure that the faucet you are buying is legal in the U.S. and Canada? First, most faucets made or assembled in the U.S., or Canada are legal. There is one exception, however. All of the German and Italian faucets sold in the U.S. and Canada are legal.
While most major Chinese- and Taiwanese-made faucet brands are careful to comply with U.S. and Canadian laws, some do not bother. And, determining whether a brand of Asian faucet is legal for sale in North America often requires a lot of sleuthing..
But, the best course is just common sense. If you have never heard of a brand, check it out thoroughly. Our faucet reviews can help. We identify faucets that are being sold unlawfully without certifications or compliance with federal regulations..
If the faucet is being sold with no brand name mentioned, avoid it like malaria. This is especially true if the faucet is being sold through an online auction site like e-Bay or an internet general merchandiser like Amazon. A no-name faucet from one of these sites is almost guaranteed to be uncertified, with no warranty, and without a source of replacemment parts.
Never buy an uncertified faucet. Certification is the only way to tell if a faucet is free of toxic materials and safe to use. All plumbing codes in use in the U.S. and Canada require that a faucet be tested and certified to meet both ASME A112.18.1/CAS B125.1 (safety and reliability) and ANSI/NSF 61 (toxin-free/drinking water safety) standards..
Without certification, you also don't know anything about how a faucet is likely to function over the long term. Certification testing ensures that a faucet meets at least a minimum standard of robustness and durability. With an untested, uncertified faucet, you can't possibly have any idea how well it will function.
Easy to Clean
Look for a faucet that is easy to clean – not just the faucet itself, but area around the faucet. You have to be able to get your fingers in those small recesses. Remember that even the most stylish faucet does not look so good crusted and rusted.
Fingerprints can be a problem with some faucet finishes. Polished stainless steel is a particular culprit, but almost all highly polished faucet finishes will show water spots that have to be wiped off from time to time.
Some manufacturers recommend using a household wax on the faucet to reduce spotting and online. (Before you do this, go to the faucet seller's website to see if a specific wax is recommended. Using the wrong wax may void your warranty.)
In one sense, are the easiest to take care of because you don't have to take care of them. They will show dirt, oil from your hands and cooking, water spots, staining, fading, and color changes.
None of this is a problem because that's what they are supposed to do. It's what makes them "living" finishes They are designed to look like they are not being taken care of. It's a feature
of the finish and part of their "charm."
However, if you don't want a finish that looks like it has never been taken care of, then prehaps you should avoid living finishes.
Most manufacturers publish maintenance and cleaning procedures for their faucets which should be followed. Almost all recommend against harsh detergents and any sort of scouring — both of which can ruin a finish very quickly. We find the original Windex to be an effective cleaner that does no harm. But, for most finishes, a little dishsoapy water works just fine.
Select a faucet that matches your personal style, but still is easy to maintain and keep spotless with just a little effort.
A Durable Finish
The durability of a finish is determined primarily by the process used to produce the finish.
Six processes are in use. Some are very common and two are very rare, but we will do through all of them from the most to least durable.
The process used to create a finish are rarely diclosed by the faucet manufacturer on its website, and if it is, it's usually buried somewhere. So most likely you will have to connect with customer service to find out. Don't be surprised is the customer service agents don't know. Insist they find out. If they can't tell you the process, look for another faucet.
- is the old standby. It is a tough finish that will stand up to most abuse. but its durability depends on the metal used. The most common are chrome and nickel.
- Chrome is durable, nickel less so because it is inherently a softer metal (the reason chrome replaced nickel as the faucet finish of choice in the early 20th century.). More rarely gold and silver are electroplated. Gold is very soft and will scratch easily. Silver tarnishes and requires regular polishing.
- (PVD) finishes are 10 to 20 times more scratch-resistant than electroplated chrome. They are also not affected by most household chemicals. In our experience, they are largely invulnerable to harm.
- PVD finishes are often used to simulate more fragile finishes. Native brass, for example, tarnishes and requies regular polishing to retain its bright brass look. PVD brass, by contrast, never tarnishes because it is not brass. It is an inert metal, usually titanium or zirconium made to look like brass through the PVD process. Even chrome, already very durable, can be deposited using PVD to produce a finish that is almost impossible to scratch.
- Thin Film Ceramic paints are new to faucets. They were originally developed for the miliary to protect firearms and field equipment. They are infused with millions of microscopic ceramic particles that make it nearly impossible to scratch or mar the finish. These are color finishes like powder coatings and liquid paint, but unlike these more fragile finish, they are very durable.
- While an increasing number of faucet companies are turning to ceramic paint to replace powder coatings, its use is as of yet not widesprea. For a company that does use it, see of Dallas Texas.
- is essentially a paint applied in a powdered form and then heated in an oven to cure. It is considered semi-durable with about the same scratch resistance as the finish on your car. The finishes are usually matte, without any shine. To give them a litle shine, they can be overcoated with a clear coating, usually some form of acrylic or lacquer.
- Paint and Clear Coats: Liquid paint is a rare finish these days. It has largely be dupplanted by the more durable powder coatings. But clear top coats are still fairly common. If a finish has a lear coat, it is the clear coating that determine the durability of te finish, and lear coats are not usually that durable – about as durable as the finish on your car.
- Uncoated: This "finish" is not an applied finish but the material of the faucet buffed and polished. Stainless steel, a durable metal that does not tarnish, is rarely given a finish. It provides its own "finish," Brass, however, is also left uncoated and delivered from the faucet company bright and shiny. It won't stary bright and shiny for long, however. Brass tarnishes readily and will turn a nice shade of medium brow in a few months. Don't choose uncolated brass unless you just love polishing things wekly or even more often to keep that new-brass look.
For more information about faucet finishes, including their durability and longevity, see Faucet Basics: Part 5, Faucet Finishes.
Step by Step Guide to Buying a Faucet
Now that you have read all of the parts of this article, starting here, you have all the information you will need to select a faucet that will give you a lifetime of reliable, trouble-free service. Now let's walk through the actual process of buying a faucet.
Step 1: Read Faucet Basics
Read all of the sections of this multi-part article on faucets, starting here.
Already read them? Great! You now have the basic information needed to buy a good, reliable faucet that will give you a lifetime of trouble-free service. You are ready to buy a faucet.
Step 2: Select a Faucet
Follow the guidelines on this page to choose a faucet that meets your needs. To shortcut the process a little, read our Best Value Faucets report listing faucet companies that will give you the best value for your faucet dollar.
Step 3: Read our Review of the Faucet Company
Read our review of the faucet company. Basic information about the company that will help you decide whether its faucets are something you will be comfortable buying as a lifetime investment. If after reading the review, you are not confident in the company, go back to Step 2 and choose another faucet.
Step 4: Read the Faucet Warranty
Go to the company website and read the faucet warranty. Sometimes these are hard to find. If you can't find it, or it's not on the website, call customer service and ask for an e-mailed copy.
You will be able to find out how confident the company is in the durability, reliability, and longevity of its faucets, and if its faucets have any weak points that might cause the faucet to fail. Anything less than a lifetime warranty should be suspect. If you do not know how to analyze a warranty, go back and re-read Understanding Faucet Warranties.
If the company will not provide you with a pre-sale copy of its warranty on the faucet of your choice, go back to Step 2 and choose a faucet from another company. By law it has to provide you with a warranty on request.
Step 5: Country of Origin
If our review shows the company's faucet to be made in more than one country, call customer service to get the country of origin of the faucet.
Anything but a straight answer should be suspect. Be especially wary of the evasive or equivocal answer like: "This faucet is made in several countries, so we don't know". If you can't get a straight answer, go back to Step 2 and choose another faucet.
If the company says the faucet was made in Wisconsin, but the box it comes in says "Made in China", don't hesitate to send it back. It has been misrepresented and that misrepresentation constitutes fraud.
Step 6: Get the Listing Certificates for the Faucet
Any reputable faucet company should be able to provide you with listing certificates for the faucet immediately. They are requested all the time by plumbers and plumbing code officials to verify the faucet's bona fides. It is not an unusual or rare request.
The certificates should show that faucet has been tested and complies with the three mandatory standards for faucets sold in North America: ASME A 112.18.1/CSA B125.1 for overall safety and reliability and with the lead-free requirements of ANSI/NSF 61.9.
These are often three separate certificates but may have been consolidated into two, or even one, depending on the practices of the organization that issued the certificate.
We usually ask the agent to circle or highlight the model number or name on the certificate so we can easily spot it without having to wade through dozens, if not hundreds of model names or numbers.
If the company cannot provide a certificate for each standard clearly showing the model name or number of the faucet you are considering for purchase, pass it by. It is very likely not certified no matter how often or how loudly the customer service rep says it is.
To see what a Certificate of Listing looks like, click here for an example from IAPMO, the most widely used certifying agency, for faucets. Other certifying organizations have slightly different certificates.
Be wary of forged or altered certificates. Any valid certificate will contain the company's name, an indication of the standard used for testing (ASME A 112.18.1/CAS B125.1 or ANSI/NSF 61.9), and the actual model name or number of the faucet you are considering for purchase. If any of those three things is missing, it is probably not a valid certificate.
If you are buying from Acme Faucet Company, but the name at the top of the certificate is Szechuan Wang Shu Happy Golden Way Faucets Co., it is not valid for Acme. Some faucet companies will try to pass off a certificate for another company as their own.
To see what a forged or altered Certificate of Listing looks like, click here (.pdf). This altered listing certificate was e-mailed to our reviewer by to prove
the certification of its faucets.
Not only was it altered to erase the name of the company that actually received the certification, but it also is not even a certificate for faucets. It certifies stainless steel sinks.
If you think you got a forged or altered certificate, email it to us at starcraftreviews@yahoo.com and we will check it out.
Here's an old plumbers trick that we learned years ago (from an old plumber, naturally):
Put the paperwork for your faucet, sink, disposer, hot water dispenser, etc., including receipts, installation instructions, user manuals, your plumber's business care and warranties, along with any leftover hardware and special tools, in a plastic bag and tape it to the inside of the sink cabinet under the sink.
Even if you forget where it is, your plumber will find it when he or she starts work under your sink.
Step 7: Pay with a Credit (Not a Debit) Card
Most likely, since you have carefully selected a faucet using all of the information to be found in these articles, your faucet will arrive in working order with all of its parts.
But, if it does not, then your first recourse is to contact the seller and get a replacement or refund.
If the seller is not willing to make it right, you are entitled to cancel the credit card transaction.
Credit card purchases are protected under the Fair Credit Billing Act. This law, administered by the Federal Trade Commission, gives the consumer the right to withhold payment on misrepresented, poor-quality, or damaged merchandise purchased with a credit card.
Contact your credit card company for the complaint form to fill out. Some allow you to fill it out online.
Step 8: Inspect the Faucet
When you receive the faucet, open the box to make certain all of the parts have been provided.
If anything is missing, a call to customer service will often get you the missing parts in a few days.
Read the installation instructions to see if they are intelligible. International companies such as Ikea or American Standard often use pictures and diagrams in place of text. If you can't figure out the instructions, most likely your plumber can't either.
Step 9: Save the Paperwork
Once your new faucet is installed, put the installation instructions, warranty certificate, receipt, spare parts, special tools, and the installer's business card in a plastic baggy and tape it to the back of the sink cabinet (or hang it on a hook).
If your faucet breaks, you have all the information you will need to make a warranty claim. And, even if you forget where you put it, the plumber will find it soon enough when he starts work on your defective faucet.
Rev. 01/14/25