Do you need something replaced in your plumbing system and have no idea how to differentiate the quality brands from the lackluster ones? No matter if it be water heaters, faucets, showerheads, garbage disposals or anything else, you would be surprised just how many brands there are in the plumbing world. After all, just walk down a few of the aisles at Home Depot or Lowes and see how many different faucet types you come across!
Having been in the plumbing world for a while now, we’ve seen examples of both the good and bad in terms of plumbing brands. And if you don’t have experience working with these particular types of products on a daily basis, it can be nearly impossible to decide which brand will provide the best return on your investment. Knowing this, a new blog series we’ve implemented this year has been “Who’s Who in Plumbing Brands.” Every now and then, we walk through a few different brands in the plumbing industry and touch on topics like the company’s history, product lines they sell and ultimately if you can trust them on your next plumbing project.
Here are links to the previous posts:
Part 1: Delta, Kohler, Toto, American Standard
Part 2: Moen, General Electric, Gerber, Grohe
Part 3: Elkay, Sloan, InSinkErator, Pfister
Part 4: North Star Water Treatment Systems, KitchenAid and Kraus
Chicago Faucets
If you’ve noticed a theme throughout some of the prior posts in this series, it’s that there are plenty of faucet companies to discuss. It’s a highly competitive market filled with so many quality options. We’ll kick off “Part 5” with Chicago Faucets. Founder Albert Brown started this company in the early 1900’s as a company that produced a number of different plumbing products. As the city of Chicago was growing rapidly throughout the 1920’s, so were the operations for Chicago Faucets as they kept up with the increased demand. As the years went by, they’ve continued to innovate and expand their product offerings. They were acquired by the Geberit Group in 2002.
Chicago Faucets is extremely well-known for their commercial products. Considering commercial fixtures can receive quite a bit of wear and tear on a daily basis, durability is always a critical attribute to look for. Luckily, Chicago Faucets takes pride in making sure this is present with all of their products, thus preparing them for this constant usage. Click HERE to check out some of their commercial plumbing products. From touchless faucets and manual faucets to pot fillers and plenty more, they have more than enough styles to find something that makes sense for your commercial facility!
Before we move on to the next brand, I did want to add a little extra information about their various offerings in the touchless faucet world. With the global impact of the Covid pandemic, touchless fixtures are going to become something that customers expect. With Chicago Faucets, they have a few different touchless faucets to pick from, including one that offers Bluetooth capabilities.
NuvoH2O
If you’re following us on social media, chances are you’ve seen NuvoH2O mentioned a handful of times. When it comes to resolving some of the issues associated with hard water, we feel confident recommending the systems from Nuvo. In “Part 4” of this series, we discussed one of our favorite salt-based water softeners, North Star. On this blog though, we’ll be taking an inside look at a water softener that approaches things in a slightly different manner.
Rather than using salt, Nuvo is citrus-based. They utilize proprietary technology, known as CitraCharge, to eliminate the adverse effects of hard water. In fact, they even had an independent study conducted by the Battelle Group to confirm their product performed as advertised. Aside from serving its purpose as a water softener system, one thing many of our customers also love about their Nuvo’s is how easy they are to maintain. Replacing the cartridges is a quick and easy process! In terms of products, they are all displayed on their website. For softeners, they have a few different products, including the popular Manor Water Softener and the Manor Duo System that includes a taste filter. In the end, when it comes to fighting hard water, it’s hard not to love the capabilities of Nuvo!
Krowne
Our final brand that we’ll discuss on this week’s blog is Krowne. While they sell a number of different products, we’ll primarily be focusing on their plumbing ones, where they’re well-known in the commercial world. Having been founded back in 1947, Krowne has been at the forefront of innovation on countless occasions and continues to be an industry leader in the commercial plumbing world. They’re a family-owned business and truly take pride in ensuring quality is always prioritized.
Similar to what we mentioned with Chicago Faucets, when it comes to commercial environments, it’s critical to develop fixtures that not only look flawless, but also are durable. No matter if it be retail locations, healthcare buildings or any other type of commercial facility, this will always be the case. With the products available at Krowne, you’ll notice they sell manual faucets, touchless faucets, pot fillers, hand sinks and plenty of other plumbing components. This includes their Diamond Series, which is composed of their higher-end models. In addition, all of their Diamond Series products are backed by a Lifetime Warranty.
As was evidenced with Chicago Faucets, there are no shortages of touchless faucets with Krowne either. This helps ensure you can prevent the spread of germs and bacteria, while still selecting a trendy design that matches the overall vibe of your commercial restroom. If you’re interested in checking out all of their hands-free faucets, click HERE for a complete overview.
All in all, with Krowne, you’re working with a family-owned company that emphasizes quality at all times. Furthermore, they’re always looking for ways to improve the customer experience and essentially lead the way with innovation.
Need a Trusted Installer in the Kansas City Area?
No matter what the plumbing component or fixture may be, your friends at Stine-Nichols Plumbing have you covered for all of your installation needs. Water heaters, faucets, water softeners, you name it! We hope you enjoyed this week’s overview of a few more trusted plumbing brands. While it can certainly seem a little overwhelming just how many different brands there are, it’s definitely nice to know that there’s no shortage of quality ones. Just in terms of faucets, you would be surprised at the number of companies that’ve been around for more than a few decades!
If you live in the Kansas City area and are interested in a FREE QUOTE for any type of plumbing project, we would be happy to help! We currently serve the entire Kansas City area, as well as all of the surrounding cities. Either give us a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE and a member of our team will be in touch. Stay tuned for more editions of “Who’s Who in Plumbing Brands” to be posted in the coming months.