Big improvement!
I bought 5 of these to replace existing bathroom faucets. I originally went to Lowe’s to find a style that I liked. When I chose this one, they didn’t have it in chrome. I was also told that there is a better version (this one) than what is available in stores, because the nicer version would get stolen. You’ll notice that this faucet has a cheaper version of it on Amazon / Lowe’s/ Home Depot with lower quality parts. The first thing I noticed about this faucet is that it is heavy and solid. It’s made of metal, not brass. (Although what “metal” means is a proprietary mix and a secret Moen will not disclose, apparently. I saw this as an answer from Moen to a question on the HomeDepot website for this product.) It’s also very, very shiny! While I would have preferred the brushed nickel color, chrome matches other bathroom hardware (including the shower, which is not easily changed out). I had my handyman install these. Before installing, we did a test run to see whether it would look better with or without the plate and decided it looks better as a standalone. The installation process was straightforward. The box does not include plumbers putty, but my handyman had some. I didn’t have him replace the drain, because I prefer the look and function of the push drains I currently have. This made installation very quick. The water lines aren’t labeled as hot or cold, and the directions also don’t tell you which is which. This means you can choose if you want hot water to be when you turn the handle toward you or away from you. I google searched it and it seems that hot away from you is safer (eg if a child grabs the handle toward them, they won’t get burned). I read that aerated water tastes better. I do think the water tastes better, but this might have been due to buildup in my old faucet. The aeration also reduces water flow, but I haven’t noticed a substantial difference. I had read that this aeration can also increase the time it takes for water to get hot, but I haven’t noticed this either (although I have a recirculating pump which might skew my experience). The laminar flow keeps water from splashing. So far I haven’t had any splashes or needed to wipe up the sink after using. The chrome is very shiny and will show fingerprints, but it wipes off easily so far. I think it looks very nice! It’s a drastic improvement from my old faucets, which had a lot of grime buildup and were incredibly loud. These faucets are quiet and a good 15-20 decibels quieter than the faucets I replaced! And believe me, they look wayyyy better too! Moen also has a lifetime warranty, so you know they believe their faucets are high quality. Read more
