Remodel Guide: Faucet Valves

Every faucet has an inner valve that controls water flow through the spout. Since the faucet's advent, manufacturers have sought ways to build a better valve-one that offers safe and convenient control, is affordable to manufacture and can beat the bane of all faucets-the dreaded drip. Today, four basic types of valves are made: compression, cartridge, ball and ceramic disc (their names identify the internal part that controls water flow).

Three of these-cartridge, ball and disc-may utilize a single handle or control, though cartridge and disc types are also made with two handles. Compression valves always have two controls. The type of valve you choose will make a difference in a faucet's price, how well it works and how long it will last.

Compression faucets have been in use the longest and are the least expensive type. When the handle is turned, it raises or lowers a stem. At the base of the stem, a washer or seal opens or closes the water's passageway-a valve seat. The problem with a compression faucet is that the rubber washer or seal wears out because, with most types, it grinds against the valve seat as it closes. When the washer wears, the faucet drips.

Some newer types raise and lower the washer without grinding it into the valve seat. American Standard's economy NuSeal(tm) faucets, for example, lift and lower the rubber washer vertically without rotating it.

The other three primary faucet types are called "washerless" because they use methods other than a washer and valve seat to control flow (though they do have O-rings and elastomeric seals to prevent leaking). Washerless faucets are a better value than compression faucets because they are more reliable.

The first washerless single-handle faucet was manufactured by Moen. Their unique design has a hollow, plastic-and-brass cartridge insert that seals against the inside of the faucet body with O-rings. On single-handle models, water flow is controlled by an up-and-down movement of the cartridge; temperature is determined by rotation. On the two-handle faucet, flow is controlled by a turn. Though faucets are available from a low of about $30 to high-end models in the $600 range, most of these are medium priced at from $60 to $175. These faucets are very reliable-leaks are generally due to simple O-ring failure. If cartridges ever require replacement, they cost from about $9 to $20, although new Eljer and Moen faucets carry a limited lifetime warranty against leaks and drips.

Ball Faucet

The ball faucet has a single lever that operates a rotating slotted metal ball. The ball's slots line-up with cold and hot water inlet seats in the faucet body to regulate the amount of incoming water allowed to reach the mixing spout. Delta has been manufacturing this type of valve since 1954 for its single-handle faucets, using a ball that, at first, was brass, then became synthetic polymer and is now polished stainless steel. Craig Selover, Vice President, engineering, points out that the stainless steel ball is designed to last a lifetime and, because the valve has just one moving part, there is less chance of malfunction than with some other types. Delta boasts that less than one in every 100,000 single-handle faucets is returned. And if a part needs to be replaced, the cost is relatively low-from $3 to $11.

Today, an emerging trend is the ceramic disc valve, a type made popular by high-end European faucet makers and now produced by American Standard, Kohler, Price Pfister and many other American faucet manufacturers. A ceramic disc faucet actually has two fire-hardened ceramic discs-an upper one that moves and a fixed lower one. The two discs move against each other in a shearing action, blocking water or allowing it to pass through. The seal between the two discs is watertight because they are polished to near-perfect flatness.

Ceramic disc faucets are nearly maintenance free and are generally guaranteed not to wear out. According to John Schott, Senior Product Manager of faucets at Kohler, "Ceramic valves are more durable over the long run in a broader variety of water conditions than any other variety of valve on the market. The discs themselves have diamond-like hardness-they are impervious to line debris, mineral buildups and other common problems that affect valve life." If a peeling from galvanized pipe or a small rock got into the valve, it could score the surfaces, but these occurrences are rare. Rick Brandley of George's Pipe and Supply in Pasadena, California, suggests, "If a ceramic-disc faucet drips, don't try to force the handle closed-just flutter it back and forth a few times to dislodge any particles."

The range of control with a ceramic disc faucet varies. From full-off to full-on may require only a quarter or half turn; for a fuller adjustment range and greater flow, three-quarter-turn models are also available. In general, all washerless faucets offer very precise, ergonomic control. Regarding ceramic disc faucets, Bob Cosolito, General Manager at Harrington Brass Works, notes, "Even a child can turn one of these faucets off and on with one pinkie. They're good for people who have arthritis and who want something more decorative than a lever style."

Ceramic discs are popular because of their ease of use and reliability. Though competitively-priced ceramic disc faucets are now available, ceramic discs are used primarily in mid-range and high-end styles-faucets that cost $100 or more. If repair is ever needed, the entire ceramic-disc cartridge is replaced, which runs from about $15 to $25.