Kitchen Faucet: Repair versus Replace

Your kitchen faucet is the most-used faucet in the house, ten times over. Like all other fixtures and appliances, your faucet only has a certain life span. With the amount that your kitchen sink is used, that further limits this life span. Keeping that in mind, each time you have a problem with your kitchen faucet, you need to evaluate whether you should repair or replace it. Every situation is different, so it is near impossible to give an estimate or advice for each individual circumstance in one post, but we will attempt to give you a broad picture.

There are hundreds of different faucets out there, and each type has its own pros and cons. You could go to Lowe’s and buy a faucet for $149 that lasts you 5 years; or buy a German-made, top-of-the-line faucet for $600 that outlives the kitchen it is in. On the other side of the spectrum, your “cheap” faucet could end up lasting 20+ years, or your “high-performance” faucet could turn out to be a lemon; you just never know. This being said, you need to purchase what will meet your needs while considering your budget.

As time goes by, one day you will run into a problem with your faucet and will have to make a personal decision as to if you have gotten your money’s worth out of the faucet or not. Many faucets will needs small repairs throughout their lifetime, but once it becomes a regular occurrence, you should begin to consider replacing it. There comes a time where your money would be better spent buying and installing a new faucet than to continue with the repairs.

When to replace it, how much you want to spend, and what kind of faucet you want to get are all very specific and personal decisions that no one can make for you. Here at Santa Margarita Plumbing, we are happy to discuss options and point out things our experience has taught us, but at the end of the day it is your decision to make.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.