A dripping faucet is as annoying as it is troublesome. On top of that, it may also stain your sink and waste thousands of gallons of water, increasing your water expenses. Fortunately, a leaking faucet can be easily avoided. By choosing a high-quality faucet from the outset, you’ll reduce the chances of problems occurring in the future.
So when you’re shopping for faucets for your commercial restrooms, make a decision based on more than the appearance and price. Whether you’re planning a makeover, replacing a broken faucet, or freshening up the design of your restroom, always consider the quality of the hardware so it will last for a long time.
There are four types of faucets in terms of mechanical function: compression, ball, disc, and cartridge. This post will focus on cartridge valves and tell you what you need to know to make your purchasing decisions easier.
Check out Chicago faucet cartridges to have an idea of what cartridges look like. Cartridges are the inside parts of the faucet that regulates the water flow and where hot and cold water mix. Let’s look into details on how cartridges work.
How Do Cartridges Work?
Faucet cartridges can range from simple to sophisticated, but they all operate on the same basic concept.
Before cartridges, there was only the double-handle compression faucet. One handle is for the hot water and the other handle is for the cold water. These types of faucets are still around, although they’re getting harder to come by.
The valves of a double-handle compression faucet include screw threads that tighten a washer down into the water entrance to stop the water from flowing. As the valve rusts and becomes harder to turn, these faucets become increasingly unreliable.
Faucet cartridges solved this problem. Instead of two handles, the cartridge faucet has a single handle coupled to a valve housing hot and cold water inlets.
When the faucet is turned off, the cartridge inside the housing, which is connected to the handle, prevents water from both inlets, but it has strategically positioned holes that allow both hot and cold water to flow when the faucet is turned on.
Rotating the handle in one direction allows hot water to flow, while rotating it in the other allows cold water to flow, allowing you to manage both flow rate and water temperature.
The Cartridge Difference
The first cartridges were made of metal, while modern cartridges are generally composed of plastic, and neither of these materials, unless they are precisely engineered, can establish a water seal against the valve seat, which is where the water inlets are located. There would be nothing to stop water from continuously pouring from the spout and the faucet handle if there are no rubber gaskets in the valve seats and rubber O-rings around the cartridge.
When a cartridge faucet spills from the spout or handle, it’s usually due to these rubber gaskets and O-rings, not the cartridge. This makes repairing leaks a breeze. It’s usually as simple as disassembling the faucet, removing the cartridge, and replacing the O-rings around it, as well as the gaskets in the water inlets, if any are present. Some faucet cartridges and valve seats are made with such perfection that they don’t require valve seat gaskets.
Take note that cartridge valves can also be found in double-handle faucets. A handle with a cartridge valve only rotates through 90 degrees, but a traditional double-handle compression faucet handle may be rotated 360 degrees and must be rotated numerous times to turn the water on completely.
Cartridge valves are commonly used in faucets today. They offer good performance at a low cost. Parts are also easy to find. Quality Plumbing Supply has Chicago faucet cartridges and other Chicago faucet parts. If you’re renovating, check them out as well as other brands they have.
Quality Plumbing Supply is your best source for high-quality plumbing supplies at reasonable prices. Visit their website today.
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