Experts remind consumers that when buying faucets, it is better to turn, see, ask, try and recognize. When turning the handle, it feels light, indicating that the valve core is good, and the surface is as bright as a mirror, indicating that the coating is good. The products produced by manufacturers that can provide test books can better guarantee the quality, experience the water flow personally, and sense the effect of the bubbler, and the brand has guaranteed after-sales service.
Turn the handle: feel that the portable valve core is good
Common faucet valve cores include steel ball valve core and ceramic valve core.
The steel ball valve core has good resistance to pressure, but the disadvantage is that the rubber ring used for sealing is easy to wear and will soon age. Compared with the steel ball valve core, the ceramic valve core is more heat-resistant and wear-resistant. At the same time, the ceramic valve itself has good sealing performance, so it can achieve a high resistance to opening times, and will not cause water nozzle leakage due to the wear of the valve core. The faucet with ceramic valve core is also more comfortable and smooth, and can be opened and closed quickly.
Because the valve core is inside the faucet, the consumer can't see the valve core when purchasing, but the consumer can simply judge the valve core according to the hand feeling when turning the handle. Generally speaking, when consumers turn the handle up, down, left and right, if they feel light and without blocking, it means that the valve core is good.
Look at the appearance: the coating should be as bright as a mirror
After the faucet is polished and formed, the surface shall be plated with nickel or chromium to prevent the faucet from oxidation. After the nickel or chromium plating, the faucet shall be subject to medium hydrochloric acid test. After the test, the coating shall be free of corrosion within a certain period of time. It is understood that only faucets that have passed the neutral salt spray test can leave the factory.
When shopping, consumers should place the faucet in a place with sufficient light for inspection. The surface of the faucet should be as bright as a mirror, without any oxidation spots, scorch marks, pores, blisters, missing plating, and uniform color; No burr or sand particles by hand; After pressing the faucet with your fingers, the fingerprints will spread quickly and it is not easy to attach dirt.
To test the book: quality is more guaranteed
The main body of faucet is generally brass. The plating quality of the products made of brass can be guaranteed most. The higher the purity of brass, the better the plating quality, and the more difficult the plating layer on the surface to be corroded. In order to reduce costs, some manufacturers choose zinc alloy instead of brass. Although the state allows the use of zinc alloy instead of brass, the zinc alloy electroplating quality is poor and the corrosion resistance is not strong.
Generally speaking, consumers can use the method of weight estimation to identify when purchasing. Brass is heavier and harder, and zinc alloy is lighter and softer. However, relevant experts from the main materials department of Kuoda decoration believe that the quality of faucets should not be judged by weight alone, "because some manufacturers can also make faucets heavier by increasing the wall thickness of faucets or adding other metal materials". It is better for consumers to ask for the test report of the product from the salesperson. If the test report determines that the product is qualified, then "the problem is not serious".
In addition, consumers should choose more durable integrally cast faucets. The tapping sound of integrally cast faucets is more dull. Consumers can judge whether the faucet is integrally cast by tapping the faucet when purchasing.
Test water flow: rich and soft foaming indicates that the bubbler is good
When shopping, consumers should try to choose the faucet with a bubbler, and feel the water flow with their hands. The soft and foaming water flow (water bubble content) indicates that the quality of the bubbler is good. The bubbler generally has six layers and is usually composed of a metal mesh (partially plastic). When the water flows through the mesh, it will be cut into a large number of small water columns with air in the middle, so that the water will not splash everywhere.
Brand recognition: brand selection provides more guarantee for after-sales service
Finally, consumers should buy brand faucets in the regular market and supermarkets. Brand goods have the brand logo of the manufacturer. Informal products or substandard products are often only pasted with some paper labels, even without any marks. The faucet packing box shall also have the manufacturer's brand logo, quality assurance certificate and after-sales service card.