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Will I hate a bridge faucet?

13 years ago

Has anyone put in a bridge faucet after having previously had a single handle faucet?

I have found that I am drawn to all the kitchens with the P&R bridge faucets, especially with the apron front sinks. I've tried for months to find an alternative, but I keep coming back to that one. Trouble is, for most of my life I've had a single handle. I like the convenience when my hands are full, and can even turn on the water with my wrist or forearm when my hands are grubby. I don't want to fork over the money for a pricey faucet only to end up hating it.

One thing to consider: in this kitchen I will have a prep sink near the main sink, and a bar sink across the room. Previous kitchens have all had only one sink. If I do single handle/pullout in my prep sink, maybe I won't mind the two handles for clean up only?

I welcome your advice.
Pam

Comments (31)

  • 13 years ago

    I love mine! Course, I had a not -so-cheap faucet on a cheap sink and improperly supported counter in my previous house, and when I turned on the GD, the entire sink shook enough to turn the water OFF....

    Nancy

  • 13 years ago

    I LOVE the look of a bridge faucet and for a vintage kitchen I think it looks best BUT from a functionality standpoint I chose to go with a single pull down. We have had all types and the pull down is hands down the best function in my opinion. You can get a side spray but they never seem to work as well.
    Can't beat the look though of a bridge!!

  • 13 years ago

    I LOVE the look, but I fear the cleaning would be annoying!

  • 13 years ago

    I prefer a single-handle faucet for the reasons you've mentioned. Also, will you have a side spray, instant-hot, and/or disposal air switch? That's a lot of holes, and a look of a little "forest" of fixtures behind your sink you will have to clean around. I dislike side sprays, and would only have a faucet with integrated sprayer, but that's my personal choice.

    You did not describe the look of your kitchen. Is your kitchen very traditional? Is that why you want the bridge style faucet? There are many many apron front sinks of forum members that do not have bridge faucets - I think there are threads if you search for "faucet" and "apron front" where you can see pics.

    Only you can answer whether after a year or two your love for the look of a bridge faucet will fade, and whether the functionality issue will bother you at that point. The three holes in your counter are permanent. You will always have to have a bridge-style faucet once the holes are in your countertop. If you love it as much as you say in your OP, this should be fine with you.

  • 13 years ago

    Lauren -- Sorry to hear about your disappointment with the bridge faucet. Those are many of the same concerns I have. But...if you truly want to replace yours, you can find faucets and accesories to fill 4 holes. The current Delta faucet in my old house is a four hole setup. From left to right: sprayer, faucet spout, faucet single handle, soap distenser. If you combine the spout and handle, or get a pull down sprayer, you can always put in air switch for GD or second soap dispenser for hand soap or lotion. Good luck!

    Nancy -- Is your bridge faucet your only faucet in the kitchen? If not, which do you end up using more?

    P.ball -- Exactly! I know I love the LOOK of a bridge faucet. Will I hate the FUNCTION of it? I have always had a side sprayer, even on single handle sinks, so I'm not too worried about that, unless the sprayer won't reach everywhere in my 36" Whitehaven sink. (new issue to worry about?)

    For some reason, my husband prefers a two handle faucet. (He's a surgeon. That must be what they have at the hospital!) I will be using the kitchen WAY more than he will, but when he helps, it's more likely with cleaning than cooking. So mayber, he gets the 2 handle, bridge at the big clean up sink and I get a pull down single handle at the prep sink?

    I've never had a kitchen with a prep sink before. Which do you end up using more often? I knew I wanted the large single bowl main sink because I'm tired of not fitting skillets and baking sheets in divided sinks. My prep sink will be about the size of one side of a divided sink and that may be the one I use most. IRONIC?

    Pam

  • 13 years ago

    Akchicago -- My kitchen will be traditional, but not vintage. Don't know what exactly -- updated French country? My husband and I are remodeling a home build in 1975-76 (Can we say bad kitchen?)But the house was built to look like an old French Chateau, with reclaimed brick, marble floored entry, extensive mouldings etc. I want the kitchen to refernce the rest of the house, but not be as formal. I have beaded inset cabinets, painted white, with a walnut sink base for the Kohler 36" Whitehaven sink. Hardwood floors. Massive island with walnut "table legs" a la Alabamamommy's kitchen.(Walnut paneling is in another part of the house, so I wanted to bring that in here too.)

    Since the sink will be so large, I'm not too worried about not having space for a bridge faucet. Actually the opposite. I thought the bridge faucet would scale down the size of the sink. The P&R bridge only has two holes, plus side spray, and probably soap dispenser. Switch for GD will probably be on the wall but if not, I don't think the air switch contributes to the "forest" of fixtures. I have four things behind my 27" sink now.

    Prep sink will be about 16" on the island and probably have pull down, single handle faucet and air switch for GD. Maybe soap too. Nearby will be a bar sink with filtered water dispenser of some kind.

    I'll have to review the sticky to figure out how to post pictures. Sorry.

    Pam

  • 13 years ago

    Here is a link that shows Segbrown's kitchen faucet. It is near the bottom 1/3 of this thread. I think it is the best of both worlds. It is a Kohler HiRise bridge with a matching stand alone spray that is on its own hot/cold water supply. The HiRise side spray comes in Polished stainless steel or brushed stainless only and I suppose the bridge faucet does too. Anyway that little spray has the hot cold function and a single lever to turn it on/off. It is positioned so that it sprays into the sink without pulling it out, or you can pull it out. I bought one in the polished stainless steel to go in my bathroom remodel to go with a wall faucet that is chrome and it is a very good color match. I haven't installed it yet. I think the specs say that it is 7" tall, and about 4" deep.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Segbrown's kitchen faucet and sidespray

  • 13 years ago

    Pam,
    It was not originally going to be the only faucet, but when I found the table, instead of having an island built, I could not bring myself to cut holes in the table!! I was using the coordinating bar faucet, which only has one handle, and a single hole. My faucet is an Elkay Explore, so it is a contemporary rendition of the classic.

    Nancy

  • 13 years ago

    They often are more leak prone due to their design....even the high end ones. I would not use one in my house after having several clients have their Whitehaus fixtures leak.

  • 13 years ago

    I replaced a Grohe pulldown with a Perrin & Rowe bridge faucet and separate sprayer. While I liked the pull down I haven't missed it and I love the Perrin & Rowe faucet. It just seems so much more solid, and better quality. I had made the decision based on aesthetics/appropriateness for the style of our kitchen, and like you I wondered if I would miss the pull down. But it was very easy getting used to the new faucet.

  • 13 years ago

    I do like my bridge combined with the sprayer. However, a warning: on my prep sink, we couldn't fit the side spray in the island due to space issues (takes too much room with own water supply). So now I have an extra side spray, if anyone wants to buy it. :-) And while I don't mind the function of the faucet (it has levers), it is a little annoying to be unable to spray out my prep sink. But it's just a minor inconvenience, and I still love the faucet. Just make sure you plan for it if it's in a tighter space.

  • 13 years ago

    No, you won't! Since it is the look you love, I believe you will love it like I do!As I ws debating the bridge that I really, really wanted, I realized that the only sink in my house with a single handle was the kitchen sink. Using the bathroom sink, tub or slop sink with a 2 handle faucet never irritated me. I went with the bridge, with lever handles and LOVE using it every single time.

    It's actually easier to control the temperature, that it was with my previous single handle faucet.

    I have the Kohler Parq with a 30" Shaws.

    HTH

  • 13 years ago

    Get a Tapmaster and you won't care if it has a thousand handles.

  • 13 years ago

    Thank you all so much for your replies. I love this forum!

    Segbrown & enduring(or any others):I have toyed with the idea of using the Kohler independent spray faucet as the only faucet on my prep sink because it would be so low profile. Is it only a "sprayer" or can it also fill pots etc? Why would the side sprayer take too much room? If I haven't already plumbed for it, would that eliminate it as an option?

    Partyof7: I do like the Parq faucet, but I love the curves on the P&R. To me that's what sets it apart from other bridge faucets, all of which are beautiful in their own way. I actually like the look of the Parq side spray better than the P&R but I can live with it. BTW your kitchen is beautiful!

    Fori: Is the Tapmaster something that can be added later or must it be plumbed/ wired during construction?

    So now that you've all reassured me of my choice, are there any traditional-styled,single-handle, pull-down prep faucets to coordinate with P&R bridge faucet that aren't 16" high?

  • 13 years ago

    Regarding the Kohler Hi-Rise, you have to bring in separate pipes for it. It has it's own dedicated plumbing. At least on my bathroom project the plumber brought up a separate set of hot/cold copper from the basement to plumb this faucet. A year ago I was at a big city supply store so I got to try out the side spray. It seemed like it would work well as a faucet on its own. The spray is angled so that it goes into the sink like a faucet when docked. I don't know about the volume that comes out because I still have yet to get mine installed.

    So regarding your question about the room needed to install, it is probably the space to put in the extra set of plumbing that is the factor. My plumber told me that the standard side sprays that are typically hooked into the sink faucet don't last very long and fail eventually. He has not seen this Hi-Rise operate but is looking forward to the installation.

  • 13 years ago

    Sorry for the delay ... yes, it's the space under the counter that was the problem. My prep sink is in an island, and there are drawers and trash pullouts and whatnot in the way of the second set of plumbing.

    I still might get a second opinion from another plumber, to see if someone can fit it in there....

    As for using at as the only faucet, I don't see why that would be a problem. I have filled pots with it ... if I need to fill my main sink or other large vessel with water, I turn on both the regular faucet and the sidespray and it works faster. Or you can have the reg faucet on filling one pot and the sidespray on doing something else at the same time. That's kind of nice.

    This post was edited by segbrown on Mon, Dec 3, 12 at 10:53

  • 5 years ago

    lolauren I am trying to make this decision myself. What did you end up doing and how do you feel about it now? Thank you,

  • 5 years ago

    @User @HU-407258711

    what did you decide? Happy with it? I have my heart set on the Perrin and Rowe also but I’m hesitant also!!!

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    @ehwilli20

    I am not lolauren BUT I did put in a Perrin and Rowe bridge faucet after a lot of indecision and concern. It was also a large investment due to the price and that you would not be able to redo the holes later. In the end, it wasn't an adjustment at all. It's been really easy. I did the Georgian with the level style hot and cold with a sprayer along with a soap dispenser I have NO regrets! I was very concerned about the functionality of it. But it has been much easier and smoother than I thought it would be. I actually mostly use the hot water lever side which heats up faster. LOVE my choice.


  • 3 years ago

    I am considering the P&R Georgian as well, but have always had a single pull down faucet. I LOVE the look of the bridge. I have read some bad reviews on this faucet however, leaking, sprayer also leaks and poor water pressure. What is your impression of this faucet since you have had it? thanks.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    I will refuse to do a bridge faucet for clients....unless they purchase and install on their own. Every one I've ever done for a client has leaked. The last one I did, I warned her...and she did it anyway. She called me two years later laughing how I was right.

  • 3 years ago

    thank you for the insight. that is very helpful.


  • 3 years ago

    @The Kitchen Place are they really that bad? I was almost 100% set on a bridge faucet..doing a kithen reno this fall and after reading your comment im second guessing it. Always had a single..

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    @ aniakrystyna I love the look of bridge faucets too! Don't get me wrong...they're beautiful. As an old house owner for 40+ years...I really wanted one. But I didn't. I did my kitchen in 2013 and opted for a single post. No regrets...less to clean around and 10 years later, not one leak.

    Personally, I would never do a bridge faucet.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Here's my single post kitchen faucet.



  • 3 years ago

    A good quality faucet won't leak. I had a Chicago Faucets bridge model for years and a couple decades later, it's still in use. Of course, those aren't your standard "pretty" residential faucets. (I don't know if you can still get ceramic handles for those but they were super cute in a vintage kitchen...)

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @aniakrystyna if you want a traditional look in a faucet, but hesitating about a bridge style, I suggest the Kohler Artifacts kitchen faucet. It is a traditional look, but with the convenience and functionality of a single-hole, single-handle faucet. I have it in polished chrome, and really like it. It comes in other finishes. Its spray function has 3 settings - regular spray, berry spray (gentle, for berries and other delicate foods), and sweep spray which is a fan shape to spray down a dish in one motion.

    I have the one in the first pic (K-99259), but I also really like the model in the second pic (K-99260):




  • PRO
    3 years ago

    The one my client got (that leaked)....and this was 20 years ago...maybe more...was Whitehaus Collection (which is NOT cheap). The other one? I can't recall. But both were a long time ago....and both leaked. THey were both higher end brands...as that was the beginning of their popularity.

    So this is just my experience. Maybe they are better now. It just scared me away from them

  • 3 years ago

    I don't normally consider faucets a big deal to change out, but bridge faucets really do tie you in to the holes in the countertop. You have to really want it because it's hard to take back those holes. 😁


    (I only wanted it because I had a sink situation that required a double-jointed faucet which sent me to commercial faucets. And commercial faucets do have replaceable parts...)

  • 2 years ago

    I have a bridge faucet with wrist handles, a tall sprayer on a spring hose, and a long neck. Super sturdy, no leaks, every part is replaceable and the model won’t be discontinued.


    I’m remodeling my kitchen now and am going to keep this faucet and add another at the prep sink. I may add foot controls to the prep sink.


    It is a T & S. These are commercial faucets, so not pretty but really well made.