While everyone knows that a commercial kitchen usually requires a considerable amount of energy for operation, water is also greatly in demand. And where there’s water, there are commercial sinks and faucets. In foodservice there are a wide variety of faucets including pre-rinse faucets, swing faucets, gooseneck faucets, pot-fillers and more. If you are about to go shopping for a new faucet, or several faucets, here are five questions to consider before you start shopping. By answering these questions, you’ll be better prepared to make a final decision and this will help you to ensure that you’re satisfied with your final commercial faucet purchase.
1. Where will you be placing this faucet? There are a wide variety of faucet types because each type is developed for a unique purpose or application. For example, a pot filler faucet is specifically designed for filling a large pot quickly and typically have a long neck that can be placed over a large or heavy pot that may not easily fit into a sink. If you’re not sure about what faucet you need for the area you will be installing your faucet, you can refer to the Cook’s Guide to Commercial Kitchen Faucet Types for direction.
2. Will you be mounting the faucet through a wall or backsplash or do you need a deck mount faucet? Faucets that are designed to be mounted to the wall or the back splash of a sink have a different design than faucets that get mounted through the deck although you will find each type of faucet with the mounting that you require. Most faucets are available in 4” and 8” centers as well as single hole options. If you are replacing an existing faucet, it will be more efficient to shop for one that matches the previous models dimensions.
3. What are the rough-in dimensions for your installation? The rough-in dimensions are a plumbing measurement which is the distance from center line to center line of the water supply inlets. As a general rule, 4” and 8” are common for most commercial kitchen applications, but there can be other installation requirements including single hole applications. Replacing a faucet with the same rough-in dimensions typical because it is efficient but sometimes it isn’t the best decision. To make a change, deck plates with adjustable flanges are available to give you more flexibility.
4. Are there any specific features you want that would enhance the efficiency of the faucet for the user? If you are shopping for a faucet that will be used on a three-compartment sink, you may want to consider a double jointed faucet so that it can reach all three compartments and be easily moved out of the way. For a mop sink, there are special heavy duty faucets that have a stabilizing brace so that you can hang the mop bucket on the faucet during filling. Be sure to review the area the faucet will be installed so that you can select a faucet that is best suited for the application.
5. Is a hands-free operating faucet an option for your application? Hands free options are available in many different applications and very valuable in the commercial kitchen environment for sanitation and efficiency. Along with electronic sensor faucet options, there are often knee or foot valve operated faucet units on the market that provide a hands free solution.
Cook’s Direct offers a wide variety of faucets and sinks for the commercial kitchen to fit the diverse applications in that environment. We carry top brands including Krowne, Advance Tabco, T & S Brass and more. We also have options for other areas of the facility including hand wash sinks, eye wash stations and more.
