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faucet/sink quality DLK 03-06-2007
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Posted by DLK on March 6, 2007, 9:04 am


I am preparing to renovate my kitchen and will be purchasing a new
stainless sink and faucet. I was told by the salesperson in a local
plumbing supply company that there are differences in the quality of
faucets sold in plumbing stores vs. large chain stores (like Home
Depot) and internet retailers. She noted that they look the same, but
have different internal parts and there may also be warranty issues
with the manufacturer with online purchases. There seems to be a
large price difference as well. Does anyone know more about this
issue? And, why, isn't this issue publicized more? For example,
checked out the Consumer Reports (C.R.) website and they make no
mention of this on their faucet ratings.

Also, C.R. does a feature on sinks and basically says that there is
little difference among brands within each type of sink (stainless vs
enamel, etc.). Does anyone have suggestions on a quality manufacturer
for a stainless steel 1 1/2 bowl sink for 33 in sink base. Was
looking at Blanco, Elkay, and Am Standard.

Thanks.


Posted by oklaman on March 6, 2007, 9:08 am


I believe stainless sinks have various levels of thickness and/or quality.

I had a stainless sink once and paid the lowest price I could find. It was
a low grade stainless and when I used the disposer it made a lot of noise.
I am preparing to renovate my kitchen and will be purchasing a new
stainless sink and faucet. I was told by the salesperson in a local
plumbing supply company that there are differences in the quality of
faucets sold in plumbing stores vs. large chain stores (like Home
Depot) and internet retailers. She noted that they look the same, but
have different internal parts and there may also be warranty issues
with the manufacturer with online purchases. There seems to be a
large price difference as well. Does anyone know more about this
issue? And, why, isn't this issue publicized more? For example,
checked out the Consumer Reports (C.R.) website and they make no
mention of this on their faucet ratings.

Also, C.R. does a feature on sinks and basically says that there is
little difference among brands within each type of sink (stainless vs
enamel, etc.). Does anyone have suggestions on a quality manufacturer
for a stainless steel 1 1/2 bowl sink for 33 in sink base. Was
looking at Blanco, Elkay, and Am Standard.

Thanks.



Posted by RayV on March 6, 2007, 9:16 am


> I am preparing to renovate my kitchen and will be purchasing a new
> stainless sink and faucet. I was told by the salesperson in a local
> plumbing supply company that there are differences in the quality of
> faucets sold in plumbing stores vs. large chain stores (like Home
> Depot) and internet retailers. She noted that they look the same, but
> have different internal parts and there may also be warranty issues
> with the manufacturer with online purchases. There seems to be a
> large price difference as well. Does anyone know more about this
> issue? And, why, isn't this issue publicized more? For example,
> checked out the Consumer Reports (C.R.) website and they make no
> mention of this on their faucet ratings.
>
> Also, C.R. does a feature on sinks and basically says that there is
> little difference among brands within each type of sink (stainless vs
> enamel, etc.). Does anyone have suggestions on a quality manufacturer
> for a stainless steel 1 1/2 bowl sink for 33 in sink base. Was
> looking at Blanco, Elkay, and Am Standard.
>
> Thanks.

I have heard this also but think it is urban legend. I have yet to
see a concrete example of this practice.

Probably started by the the salesman, supply houses, and plumbers that
all get a little $ off of the Delta you buy from them.


Posted by JoeSpareBedroom on March 6, 2007, 9:29 am


>> I am preparing to renovate my kitchen and will be purchasing a new
>> stainless sink and faucet. I was told by the salesperson in a local
>> plumbing supply company that there are differences in the quality of
>> faucets sold in plumbing stores vs. large chain stores (like Home
>> Depot) and internet retailers. She noted that they look the same, but
>> have different internal parts and there may also be warranty issues
>> with the manufacturer with online purchases. There seems to be a
>> large price difference as well. Does anyone know more about this
>> issue? And, why, isn't this issue publicized more? For example,
>> checked out the Consumer Reports (C.R.) website and they make no
>> mention of this on their faucet ratings.
>>
>> Also, C.R. does a feature on sinks and basically says that there is
>> little difference among brands within each type of sink (stainless vs
>> enamel, etc.). Does anyone have suggestions on a quality manufacturer
>> for a stainless steel 1 1/2 bowl sink for 33 in sink base. Was
>> looking at Blanco, Elkay, and Am Standard.
>>
>> Thanks.
>
> I have heard this also but think it is urban legend. I have yet to
> see a concrete example of this practice.
>
> Probably started by the the salesman, supply houses, and plumbers that
> all get a little $ off of the Delta you buy from them.
>


For whatever it's worth, the supply house where I got my last Moen faucet
had a significantly lower price than Home Depot. I think HD has a price
matching policy, but so what? Drive across town to get the same price as the
place you just left? Duh.

It's always worth checking the specialty dealers. There's no logical reason
for them to ALWAYS be more expensive.



Posted by JoeSpareBedroom on March 6, 2007, 9:18 am


>I am preparing to renovate my kitchen and will be purchasing a new
> stainless sink and faucet. I was told by the salesperson in a local
> plumbing supply company that there are differences in the quality of
> faucets sold in plumbing stores vs. large chain stores (like Home
> Depot) and internet retailers. She noted that they look the same, but
> have different internal parts and there may also be warranty issues
> with the manufacturer with online purchases. There seems to be a
> large price difference as well. Does anyone know more about this
> issue? And, why, isn't this issue publicized more? For example,
> checked out the Consumer Reports (C.R.) website and they make no
> mention of this on their faucet ratings.
>
> Also, C.R. does a feature on sinks and basically says that there is
> little difference among brands within each type of sink (stainless vs
> enamel, etc.). Does anyone have suggestions on a quality manufacturer
> for a stainless steel 1 1/2 bowl sink for 33 in sink base. Was
> looking at Blanco, Elkay, and Am Standard.
>
> Thanks.
>


Warranty issues: You should address this question to the manufacturers,
using a telephone, and ONLY a telephone. They will tell you whether the
warranty is affected by where you purchase their products. What they CANNOT
tell you is HOW each type of dealer will be able to help you if you need a
product replaced. However, it should be obvious that an internet retailer is
not going to make you happy when your faucet has problems on Friday night,
you have to shut off the water to the kitchen, and you have guests coming
for dinner on Saturday. At least in my house, there are certain products
which cannot be out of commission for however many days it takes for someone
to ship me a new one. The kitchen faucet is one of those things. I think
you'd be crazy to NOT buy a thing like that from a local vendor, and
preferably a plumbing supply house. If they have several in stock most of
the time, I'd be surprised if they wouldn't swap a defect for a new one when
you walked in the door.

As far as manufacturers making different products for different retailers,
yes, it does happen. This is another issue you'll discuss on the phone with
the manufacturers. But, what you're MORE likely to discover is that certain
models aren't regularly stocked at Home Depot because maybe they don't think
their "typical customer" is going to spend $350 for a fancy faucet. So,
it'll be a special order item.

Sinks: Some are made of thicker metal than others. This matters because if
the deck (where the faucet's mounted) flexes too much, the gasket can begin
to leak and then you have a mess under your sink. This happened to me in an
apartment. They finally saw the light and replaced the sinks. Thicker metal
also makes for a quieter sink.



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