When it comes to plumbing brands, unless you’re working with them each and every day, it can seem a little daunting just how many different names there are. Some are categorized as eco-friendly, some listed as luxury, some are name brands that you see everywhere and so on. Knowing this, how do you determine which brands are (1) reliable and (2) in your budget. After all, these are the two primary questions you want to answer when purchasing a new plumbing fixture, right?
For those that’ve been following along here on our plumbing blog, you may have noticed a new series that we’ve been doing. It’s called, “Who’s Who of Plumbing Brands.” The main intention behind this series is to educate our readers and fellow Kansas City homeowners on some of the brands currently on the market. We’ll give a brief synopsis on how long they’ve been around for, what they’re known for and ultimately, if you can trust them as a consumer. This will be the third installment of the series. Part one highlighted industry giants, Delta, Kohler, Toto and American Standard. Meanwhile, part two keyed in on a few more of the bigger brands, including Moen, General Electric, Gerber and Grohe. With that said, let’s carry on and discuss a few more major plumbing brands.
Elkay
First on our list of plumbing brands to discuss this week is Elkay. Founded back in 1920, Elkay has certainly been an instrumental part of plumbing’s history. They started producing water coolers in the 60’s and they made a major leap when they introduced their ezH2O water bottle filling station in 2010. These have become widely popular in a number of different settings, including gyms and office buildings. Since then, they have innovated further with their water bottle filling station to make options capable of accommodating different commercial environments (including in-wall and outdoor units).
As stated on their website, “ezH2O bottle filling stations reduce lead and other harmful contaminants, putting cleaner, healthier water within everyone’s reach. This innovation and award-winning product line upholds our commitment to delivering clean water and sustainable design. It provides a rapid fill of drinking water to quench thirst and minimize plastic bottle waste in the environment.”
Here at Stine-Nichols, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to install numerous Elkay bottle filling stations and water fountains for our commercial clients in Kansas City. Always a reliable and professional product! While these get most of the attention from Elkay, they have also been remarkably effective in producing other high-quality plumbing fixtures, including sinks, faucets, and various other accessories.
Sloan
Next on our list is a company that’s become an industry leader in the commercial plumbing world. If you’ve used a public restroom, whether that be a large retailer, restaurant, gas station, or anywhere else, chances are you’ve come across a Sloan faucet. Sloan’s history dates back to 1906 when William Elvis Sloan founded the Sloan Valve Company and successfully invented the Royal® Flushometer. Sales for the flushometer increased rapidly and the rest is history. Sloan continued to expand into new markets and truly become a plumbing powerhouse!
If you look around their website, you’ll notice “sustainability” is emphasized on multiple occasions. A perfect example of this comes from their Our Brand page. It states, “Since innovating the Royal® flushometer over 100 years ago, our global team of engineers have developed technologies that improve water-efficiency without compromising design, quality, affordability or performance.” All in all, Sloan continues to focus on not only creating an effective product, but also being mindful of water conservation efforts.
Considering we work with plenty of commercial facilities around Kansas City, we’ve become accustomed to Sloan’s high quality plumbing products. Urinals, sinks, touchless faucets, soap dispensers, you name it and Sloan makes it for a commercial environment. In particular, their faucets come in a number of different styles, offer touchless technology and are available at an affordable price point for commercial facilities. To sum it up, when Sloan advertises themselves as the leader in commercial plumbing fixtures, they definitely mean it! A fun fact about Sloan? They are actually a “Legacy Partner” of the Chicago Cubs and the Cubs’ spring training facility was named “Sloan Park” a few years back.
As a side note, we would also like to give a huge shout-out to Sloan for providing the photos used at the top of this post. This includes one of their toilets and two touchless faucets that would be a perfect fit at any commercial facility!
InSinkErator
Just as Sloan is a worldwide leader in commercial plumbing solutions, InSinkErator is one of the biggest names in the garbage disposal industry. They offer various different sizes to meet the needs of any household and their products are about as reliable as you get. Based out of Wisconsin, InSinkErator is widely considered to be the largest garbage disposal manufacturer in the world. Back in the early-1930’s, John Hammes built the first-ever garbage disposal and opened up the InSinkErator Manufacturing Company in 1938. Since selling 52 units that very first year, they’ve gradually grown and are now involved internationally in over 80 countries.
What makes them different from any other garbage disposal manufacturer? Aside from 80-plus years of experience and having been started by the architect who invented the original garbage disposal, InSinkErator is well-known for their reliability and vast product lines. Whether it be for residential or commercial use, they have a disposal capable of being the perfect solution for anyone’s needs. Some of the time, that means investing in a unit from their “Power Series,” as these are suited for fighting through tough scraps.
On the flip side, their “Quiet Series” models have quickly become a fan favorite, as you no longer have to deal with the annoying loud noises put forth by traditional disposals. Furthermore, even on the “Quiet Series,” they also have options available capable of fighting through tougher substances as well. This includes their Evolution Excel, which is touted as the “Quietest Disposer on the Market.” With 1.0 horsepower and their 3-stage MultiGrind technology, this is definitely a top of the line garbage disposal!
Pfister
If you’re starting to notice a trend amongst many of these names on the “Who’s Who in Plumbing Brands” series, you’re likely realizing just how many faucet and fixture brands there are currently on the market. Yet another one to add to the list is Pfister. Having been around for over 100 years now, Pfister has repeatedly been at the forefront of plenty of innovations. Originally founded in 1910 as Price Pfister, they’ve had plenty of notable achievements over the years, including being one of the first companies to partner with the EPA in an effort to emphasize water-efficiency. In fact, they were the first-ever faucet company to receive certification by EPA WaterSense.
A common theme you’ll notice with not only most of Pfister’s marketing efforts, but also their products in general, is a focus on the end-consumer. Take this quote for example from their website:
“Your customers are style savvy. They’re concerned about conservation. And they’re looking for innovative products that are attractive, functional and backed by a lifetime guarantee. So every design we create is based on a “customer first” philosophy.”
As you’ll see, the majority of Pfister’s product lines are primarily centered on faucets. Touchless, centerset, widespread, wall mounted, you name it and Pfister has it! All in all, if you’re looking for a manufacturer that offers a wide range of styles and finishes, it wouldn’t hurt to check them out. They also sell many of their faucets at any of the big-box retailers, like Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Plumbing Installation Services in Kansas City!
We hope you enjoyed following along on this week’s blog to check out some of the major manufacturers in plumbing. From water bottle filling stations and commercial fixtures to garbage disposals and faucets, this one touched on a little bit of everything! Whether you have an upcoming remodeling venture or just want to simply swap out a faucet, Stine-Nichols Plumbing has you covered on the plumbing portion of the project! We’ll be able to recommend which brands in your budget will offer the most reliability while still providing some style. Give us a call at (816) 348-3481 to speak with a member of our team!