Why is there such a big difference between the $30 and $300 faucet?

Demystifying the difference between $30 and $3,00 faucets

Faucet material classification: The common faucet materials on the market today are: stainless steel, all-plastic, brass, zinc alloy faucets and other categories.

①Brass: Brass is the most common material for faucet manufacturing. It is made of international standard H59/H62 copper. The casting adopts steel mold for gravity casting, and its wall thickness is uniform, generally 2.5-3.0 mm. The faucet made of brass is characterized by: no rust, durability, anti-oxidation, and sterilization of water.

②Zinc alloy: low-grade material. The density of zinc alloy is lower than that of copper, and the hand feels heavier than the copper tap. The surface of zinc alloy is easy to oxidize from the inner wall, and white oxide powder will appear on the surface. The strength is much worse than that of copper, the service life is not long, and the lead content is high. If the faucet made of zinc alloy is only one to two years old, it will oxidize and rot.

③Engineering plastics: ABS plastic faucet has the characteristics of corrosion resistance, aging resistance, no rust, lead-free, non-toxic, odorless, high pressure resistance, light weight, simple construction and low price.

④Stainless steel: In the 21st century, health and environmental protection have gradually become the new themes of modern life. Stainless steel is an internationally recognized healthy material that can be implanted into the human body. Therefore, kitchen and bathroom products with stainless steel as the main material have begun to become popular in European and American countries.

Faucet manufacturing process: sand foundry casting, manual metal mold casting, gravity pouring machine or low pressure casting.

Most of the faucets on the market under 150 yuan are made of sand mold casting, which is commonly called “sand found”. In the products produced by this process, the internal structure of the valve body metal is loose, and it is easy to form internal defects such as “trachoma” and “stomata”. It may not be found in appearance. But after a period of use, there will be water leakage, poor sealing or even greater defects. High-grade faucets usually adopt gravity casting, and the internal structure of the valve body metal is dense, with good quality and long life. For the same valve body, the weight of the products produced by the two processes is different, and the consumption of materials is also different. The weight difference between gravity casting valve body and sand casting valve body is about 1/4. Therefore, the same product has different prices.

The production process of the faucet: copper ingot→dissolution→casting (low-grade casting with sand casting, high-quality faucet with gravity casting)→cleaning after casting→casting inspection→machining→tolerance inspection→grinding→surface inspection→plating→plating inspection→ Assembly → test pressure → finished product inspection → packaging → delivery.

Such a production process with 16 rigorous processes, each process has strict requirements on the production process. The brand’s factory is based on the principle of first-class products, second-class products are not allowed to leave the factory, but small manufacturers will not be the first and second-class repair products, so there is a big difference in price. Therefore, when buying a faucet, you should still choose a brand faucet. Any one is a high-quality product, and the small manufacturer depends on luck and character.

Why does the faucet burst?

Is the faucet burst due to poor product quality or man-made? There are two main reasons for the sudden faucet break:

1. The quality of the faucet is not good enough. The raw materials of inferior faucet manufacturers are often not copper, but some mixed materials, so the hardness of the produced faucet is not enough. In the later installation and use, damage to the faucet and changes in water pressure can easily cause the faucet to burst and disconnect.

2. Improper use of the faucet. Many consumers may not grasp the strength when installing the faucet, which makes the originally “unqualified” faucet even worse. In addition to the faucet for the washbasin, the shower also has a very important detail that is often overlooked. Many people like to roll the shower hose on the faucet after taking a shower. This tends to reduce the life of the shower hose and become a hidden danger of shower breakage.

Tell you where is a $300 faucet more expensive than a $30 faucet?

1. Material

Faucets currently on the market are mainly made of cast iron, plastic, zinc alloy, copper alloy, and stainless steel. Cast iron is prone to rust, plastic is prone to aging, zinc alloy has poor stability and is prone to bursting, resulting in short-term use. Therefore, I do not recommend buying faucets of these three materials.

More than 90% of high-end faucets at home and abroad usually choose copper casting. Brass is the most suitable faucet material and has antibacterial effect. Among them, H59 copper is the most suitable, and the lead content is also qualified. H62 copper and lead content is less and more corrosion-resistant ; Although stainless steel can be lead-free, it is not popular at present due to its complex process and no antibacterial advantages of copper.

2. Spool

The faucet is turned on and off every day, and the valve core determines the service life of the faucet. At present, ceramic valve core is the most suitable valve core material for home use. High-end faucet valve cores are mostly imported or foreign original ceramic valve cores, which are durable and can reach 500,000 times without leakage.

The traditional valve core is made of metal materials such as cast iron and copper. Such metal materials will be worn and rusted after a long time of use, resulting in poor faucet switching or tight sealing.

3. Hose

The water inlet hose of the high-end faucet is made of pure stainless steel. Its water inlet hose is a full 304 hose, because the pressure of the water that the 304 hose bears and the purity of the water quality are all It is very guaranteed.

4. Aerator

The bubbler of high-end faucet can give consumers a very comfortable bathing feel. The use of these accessories and materials can ensure the quality of the product.

5. Surface technology

The galvanized surface of high-priced faucets usually has a mirror-like feel. When you press it with your finger, the traces of handprints will disappear immediately. Moreover, advanced environmentally friendly electroplating technology can prevent secondary pollution of products and ensure pure water. For most hardware sanitary wares, the electroplating process is basically equivalent to chrome plating.

6. Service life

High-end faucets have good quality after 5 years of use, and all meet the national water-saving requirements. The durability, energy-saving and environmental protection of their products highlight the value of the products. The useful life of cheap faucets is very short, even after two or three months of use, there will be after-sales or accidents, and the safety is low, so consumers are not recommended to buy.

7. After-sales guarantee

Produced by regular manufacturers, with a complete national after-sales service system. No matter the product has an accident or failure, the manufacturer or distributor will be responsible for solving it at any time. Brands with higher configuration products are mostly high-quality sanitary ware brands, and they are very concerned about sales. Word of mouth generated by each product