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What are the Different Types of Single Faucet?

Jeri Sullivan
Jeri Sullivan

Single faucets are types of faucets where the water only flows from one spout. The different types of single faucet fixtures are bathtub faucets, kitchen faucets, bar faucets and lavatory faucets. Single faucets can have a single lever on the handle that turns the water on or may have separate hot and cold handles.

Single faucets are the way most bathtubs are manufactured. The water flows from a single spout that is mounted in the wall. If the bathtub is part of a tub and shower combination, there will also be a shower head above where you can wash your hair. There are three different types of temperature controls available for bathtubs.

A single handle kitchen faucet.
A single handle kitchen faucet.

There is a lever that you can lift up to turn on the water then move from one side to the other to control the water temperature. When you move the lever to the left the water gets warmer and when you move the lever to the right the water gets colder. The single knob type of faucet handle works the same way as the lever. Both of these types of handles deliver the flow of water and the water temperature through a single handle. The other temperature controls work with a hot and cold knob handle.

Single faucets can often be found on bathroom sinks.
Single faucets can often be found on bathroom sinks.

Single faucets in the kitchen work slightly different than bathtub faucets. The faucet itself is sold in a lot of styles from the arching swan neck type to the wall mounted variety. For the swan neck style faucet, the water source is underneath the sink and flows up through the neck and out of the faucet head. The wall mounted variety has a straight pipe that comes out of the wall and then arches slightly so the water will flow into the sink.

Some faucets have built in filtration systems for drinking water.
Some faucets have built in filtration systems for drinking water.

The most common types of bar faucets are single faucets. Typically the sink basin is much smaller than a regular kitchen sink and there is also only one basin instead of the normal two in a kitchen sink. The faucets are often manufactured in the same way and use either lever handles or separate hot and cold temperature controls.

Lavatories are another area that may use single faucets. Many lavatories use a basin style sink vessel which require a much taller faucet. To accommodate for the added height, the faucet may either be a swan neck style or a pump style. The swan neck style faucet is usually just a smaller version of the kitchen style. The pump style faucet is a tall cylinder with the actual faucet jutting out over the basin.

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    • A single handle kitchen faucet.
      By: Elenathewise
      A single handle kitchen faucet.
    • Single faucets can often be found on bathroom sinks.
      By: Vladitto
      Single faucets can often be found on bathroom sinks.
    • Some faucets have built in filtration systems for drinking water.
      By: science photo
      Some faucets have built in filtration systems for drinking water.