4 Varieties of Sink Faucets Commonly Found Within Homes
Have you ever paid attention to the type of sink faucets within your home? Chances are, the faucet in your kitchen differs from that in your bathroom, and you might even have several varieties of faucets depending on how many sinks you have in the home. Why is this important to note? Generally, it’s not…until you have to repair a faucet.
There are four different faucet styles – compression faucets, disc faucets, ball faucets, and cartridge faucets – and knowing how to fix each one could come in handy the next time you find yourself facing a plumbing problem.
Four common types of sink faucets – and how they work
- Compression faucets. These are a traditional style of faucet typically found in older homes. Compression faucets have separate handles for cold and hot water – each of which needs to be manually rotated to control water flow, similar to turning on a hose.
- Disc faucets. Disc faucets do not rely on washers and are therefore more durable and require less repair in general than compression faucets. Disc faucets contain a handle that moves up and down and side to side. When the handle is up, the water flows by creating a gap between the upper disc of the faucet and the lower disc. Lowering the handle stops the water flow, where moving the handle from side-to-side controls the water temperature. These faucets are commonly found in bathroom sinks.
- Ball faucets. Similar to a disc faucet, ball faucets do not require washers. These faucets are commonly found in kitchen sinks, and feature a handle that moves relatively freely up and down and side to side. The water flow and temperature are reliant on the position of the handle.
- Cartridge faucets. Cartridge faucets are a bit trickier to distinguish since they can have either one or two handles. In this case, they are similar to compression faucets, but they differ in that you don’t need to rotate the handles to control water flow. Cartridge faucet handles with two handles rotate from off to on in one motion, while single-handle faucets move up and down for flow and side-to-side for temperature, similar to disc faucets.
The best plumbers in Schererville
The next time you have a spare minute or two, take a look around your home to determine which faucets you have so you can be better prepared if and when a plumbing problem arises.
Of course, if you need professional help with your plumbing project, you can always call the top-notch team at Reichelt Plumbing. To schedule an appointment, call (219) 322-4906 today.