I got this beautiful kitchen faucet from Amazon for $49.99. For the price, I'm not expecting miracles. However, what I got in return does feel like I've paid a lot more than I did. There is a good amount of weight and haft to the faucet and the matte black coating is absolutely stunning. It's a good change of scenery from the usual chrome and brushed finishings of our other facets. While I don't actually expect the finishing to last a lifetime and will eventually peel away, I'm hoping I can at least get two to three years before it does.
Below I'll detail some tips I got while installing this faucet. Being that this may also be your first "big" DIY project for many of you, I hope these tips (in no particular order of importance) will help someone out there.
1. If you've watched kitchen installations videos prior to installation like myself, then you'd realize that yes, it's as simple as turning off the hot and cold shutoff valves as your first step. My tip here is that anytime you are dealing with the valves coming out of the wall, you absolutely DO NOT want to use brute strength to cause stress on the pipings behind the wall. This is true especially if you live in an older house or apartment. You'll be in a world of hurt if you actually do damage them so be extra careful.
2. Many a time in my opinion, you're paying money to experts and professionals not only for their knowledge BUT for the tools they are using as well. A job is made a lot easier if you have the right tools before you start the actual job. The main tool I had to use to loosen the nuts on the valves is called a groove joint plier. This worked so much better than a regular grip plier because it allows you to not only get a maximum grip on the nut without slippage but also allows maximum torque as well. If there is a nut in a high-to-reach area where a regular plier wouldn't work, you need to get a tool called a basin wrench. Just trust me on this.
3. On both of the hot and cold supply lines of this new faucet there is a blue cap covering the ends (prevents dust from going in during shipping?). These two caps are extremely hard to remove. I broke the tip of a box cutter as well as injured my fingernails trying to pry the cap loose.
4. The faucet comes with two 3/8 to 1/2 inch adapters. The problem I had is that the adapter fit my hot valve without any issues. However, it would not fit the cold valve as the adapter was larger. I tried putting in the included o-ring first but it wouldn't thread at all. I had to finally go to the department store to ask for help. Turns out that although the valve is still 1/2 inches, it's a "compression valve", which is smaller. Therefore, I had to purchase a 3/8 to 1/2 inch compression adapter.
Pros:
- Easy to install once if you have the right tools ahead of time
- Looks amazing
- Extremely good water pressure
- No water leakage at all
Cons:
- Water stains are common (I knew this would be true prior to purchase, will have to just wipe excess water around the base plate each time)
- Harder to control water pressure (just a matter of getting used to this style of faucet handle as all previous ones we used had the handle on the top instead of on the side and swinging it right to left for temperature instead of front to back)
| Brand | Peppermint |
|---|---|
| Mounting Type | Deck Mount |
| Finish Type | Matte Black |
| Material | Brass |
| Color | Matte Black |
| Number of Handles | 1 |
| Included Components | Sprayer, Deck Plate, Handle |
| Hole Count | 1 |
| Special Feature | Pull Down Sprayer, Lightweight, Lead Free |
| Handle Type | Lever |
| Style | Handle Pull |
| Installation Type | Surface-Mounted |
| Handle Material | Stainless Steel |
| Spout Height | 8.66 Inches |
| Spout Reach | 8.27 Inches |
| Warranty Type | limited |
| Handle Location | Left/ Middle/ Right |
| Manufacturer | Peppermint |
| Part Number | PM-16Y |
| Item Weight | 5.56 pounds |
| Package Dimensions | 17.48 x 12.02 x 3.28 inches |
| Item model number | UT16YZ |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Finish | Matte Black |
| Shape | Curved |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Head Style | Spray/ Stream |
| Special Features | Pull Down Sprayer, Lightweight, Lead Free |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 10-year warranty |
