Durable DELTA Lavatory Faucet

Long Beach Ed

We've standardized all the fixtures over the decades in our buildings to use Delta parts. For the sake of service and general quality we found Delta to hold up well. In the past several years, however, their line has turned to Chinese "Homeowner Quality" for the Home Depot and Lowes market. That just won't last a week in our apartments.

I know Delta still makes some professional quality products. Can anyone advise a durable lavatory wideset faucet that will fit our needs?

If we can't find a Delta product that works for us, we'll probably go with Gerber, which still makes a brass-based "prison quality" line of faucets used in Section 8 public housing projects.

EBEBRATT-Ed

I have used Simmons with decent luck.

Long Beach Ed

Thank you Ed.

hot_rod

Wolverine Brass and Chicago Faucet still. Make brass lav faucets. Ceramic cartridges seem to last the longest.

ann1more

X2 on Chicago or symmons. Hopefully you have local support for parts.

Long Beach Ed

Thanks for the suggestions. Nice stuff. Hate to start on stocking and carrying another line of seats, stems, washers, seals and supplies. But it seems like Delta is now only an importer of low end consumer goods. Tenants would bust these in a week. The older ones had served us very well in the past. Hate to switch, but nothing's forever I suppose.

dko

I'll be the third to recommend Chicago Faucets. You really do get a quality faucet at great prices. You should buy from a supplier that's part of the "wider" program if available in your region. They will be able to get Chicago faucets at extremely low prices.

edit: I see you are looking for a widespread lav. Chicago Faucets wouldn't be your company for that.

Which delta faucet model #s have you been using?
I wouldn't say delta has turned their line to big box market quality, they added a budget line along with their standard line. Many look identical until you hold them, but you would know when you pay $50 instead of $150. Widespreads are another story, since the budget ones are in the $100 range and you have to fork over $200-300+ for anything better. Back in the day those good ones were in the $100 range, no more.

yellowdog

Don't buy any Delta from Home Depot. Buy them from plumbing wholesalers. There are big box specific models made just for HD, Lowes and others that are of a lesser quality. These are words right out of Delta's mouth.

GGross

Yeah our Delta stock is still the good stuff, if they sold the plastic junk to us we just wouldn't buy it anymore. The big box stores want the cheapest price, so they pressure the manufacturers to make a cheaper line for them

mattmia2

Delta used to brand their budget line as peerless, at some point they merged it all in to being delta branded. Delta's advantage over someone like Kohler or American Standard or Chicago Faucet used to be that it was decent quality and cost less, now the price is close to the same so there is little incentive to not go with the higher end stuff.

jesmed1

We're doing a church bathroom remodel and bought a Symmons lav faucet at our local plumbing showroom/supply house. I haven't used Symmons before but it feels like a quality fixture. They have a factory near me in Braintree MA. I'd buy them again just on that basis.

https://www.symmons.com/press/symmons-industries-nominated-for-2021-massachusetts-manufacturer-of-the-year/

Intplm.

T&S BRASS brand faucets will do all that you are asking for.

If you have a true plumbing supply house near you, let them know about the issues you are having with the big box stores delta packaging.
They should be able to help.