Double-Handle Kitchen Faucets: What You Should Know

Choosing the perfect faucet is an important step in improving the look and functioning of your kitchen. One of the many alternatives accessible to homeowners is the traditional and functional double-handle kitchen faucet. This page presents a thorough purchase guide, installation instructions, reasons to pick a double-handle kitchen faucet, and details of when these faucets are most suited. In addition, we fixed a leaking faucet and discussed typical issues with two-handle faucets.

Why You Should Get a Double-Handle Faucet for Your Kitchen

A double-handle kitchen faucet is preferable to a single-handle model because it gives you greater control over the water’s temperature and flow rate. Instead of depending on an internal valve that might be old, worn, or partly blocked by scale, you can manually regulate the temperature to your liking with the separate hot and cold lever handles. Some may find two handles to be an inconvenience in a hectic kitchen, but as Kitchn points out, it’s rather easy to adjust both handles at once provided you have one hand free for one.

Having two handles allows the faucet to continue working even if one of the valves leaks, which is another advantage of choosing two handles. When fixing a standard faucet, you often only need to turn off one cutoff valve to access the worn part—a cheap washer—for replacement. However, if you have a washerless faucet, you may also need to replace an O-ring or a somewhat more costly cartridge. No matter what, the faucet will continue to work until you fix it.

One example of a double-handle faucet is the bridge model, which is ideal for use as a bar faucet but is also suitable for use in the kitchen. This style is compatible only with two-lever handles. Additionally, two handles are necessary for wall-mount and broad faucets. These could be a need for your sink or countertop due to predrilled holes or the kind of kitchen sink you have, but they might also be an aesthetic choice.

Three Holes Are Required for Your Sink or Countertop

Verify that your sink has enough room for a two-handle faucet before you go shopping. There must be a minimum of three holes in the sink for the faucet to work, and an 8-inch gap is standard for kitchen faucets. There must be four holes for a two-handle faucet to accommodate a detachable side sprayer. Because it is very difficult and unsafe to drill additional holes in a sink deck, you will only be able to choose from single-handle faucet types if your sink only has one hole.

A sprayer may still be installed in a sink with just three holes. As with single-handle faucets, two-handle models may include sprayers that draw down or out. One kind of faucet angle directs the sprayer downwards into the sink, while another type directs it toward the user, who may then fill pots on the stovetop or countertop with the sprayer. Even if your sink only has room for three of them, you can always install a soap dispenser in the fourth hole.

Buying Guide For Double-Handle Faucet:

Depending on the design and material, a double-handle kitchen faucet may range from one of the most affordable options to one of the most expensive. 

Any home-supply store should be able to sell you a simple plastic or polished chrome replica for about $50. Models from Delta, Moen, and Pfister are often the most affordable, while the most affordable of all are made by Home Depot’s exclusive brand, Glacier Bay. A one-of-a-kind faucet in stainless steel or brushed nickel designed for a farmhouse kitchen by one of these brands or another, like Kingston Brass,

To maximize your sink’s potential, you may customize the spout arrangement. Here are the four main arrangements:

Modern Swivel 

The spout of the cheapest faucets is long enough to reach the middle of a regular sink and extends straight out. To accommodate a double-bowl sink, the swivel spout is an essential feature of most conventional two-handle kitchen faucets. A common feature of wall-mounted faucets is a swivel spout and two knobs.

Gooseneck

You can put huge pots beneath the spout of a gooseneck faucet because its arm produces a high arch. This faucet is almost as practical as a pull-down or pull-out model since the spout can also rotate.

Pot Filler

A pot filler, which is an essential fixture in any commercial kitchen, is a wall-mounted faucet that extends to reach the stovetop or countertop pots. To make it easier to fill pots, this sort of faucet might have three handles: two on the body of the faucet and one near the spout.

Bridge

With its intricate curves and shiny chrome, brushed brass, or stainless steel finish, the bridge faucet is the most elaborate two-handle kitchen faucet design. Extra space is provided for washing pots by positioning the spout, which often swivels, at a height of 4 to 12 inches above the sink deck, where water flows from the handles to it via exposed pipes.

Similar to a bridge faucet, but with the connecting hoses hidden beneath the countertop, the handles of a broad faucet give the impression that they are separate from the spout. As an excellent complement to an under-mount sink, this faucet style is ideal for installations where the holes for the fixtures have already been drilled into the countertop.

A Guide to Installing a Double-Handle Kitchen Faucet

While it’s true that some faucet reviewers find double-handle models more challenging to install than single-handle ones, the gap isn’t huge and shouldn’t deter any do-it-yourselfer. A typical deck-mount model’s installation consists of threaded rods inserted into the sink holes, retaining nuts tightened with pliers or a basin wrench from beneath the sink, and finally, flexible water hoses screwed on and connected to the water supply valves.

Installing faucets with side sprayers or wide spreads might be a little more of a challenge. The supply hoses must be connected, and you must also attach the spout and handles to the countertop separately. Most high-quality faucets come with easy-to-use quick-connect fittings on the supply hoses, while cheaper models may need a tool to secure the connectors.

A Guide to Understanding a Compression-Style Faucet

To anticipate potential issues while disassembling your double-handle kitchen faucet for repair, it is helpful to know the kind of valve it uses. You can tell a compression-valve faucet from a cartridge-valve one by looking at the handle:

• To fully open or shut a compression valve, you must spin the handle through many revolutions due to the valve’s screw threads. In contrast, a cartridge valve faucet only allows the handle to spin a full circle.

• One telltale sign is the design of the handles. While cartridge-valve faucets frequently have sleek, geometrically shaped handles, classic compression-valve faucets often include clear plastic and cross handles.

The Most Frequent Issues With Double-Handle Faucets

Leaks and insufficient or unpredictable water flow are the two most common issues. In most cases, all you need is a screwdriver, a pair of locking pliers, and a cloth to shield the faucet finish from harm. No professional is usually required to solve such issues.

If the water pressure from your faucet is lower than usual, remove the aerator and clean it thoroughly. In most cases, you’ll need to clean the valve on either the hot or cold side, or both, if that doesn’t work. You may remove the scale by soaking the valve in vinegar for an entire night after unscrewing the handle and the nut that holds the valve in place. Then, you can replace the valve or cartridge. You must disconnect the water supply before dismantling either handle.
For a more detailed guide on how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet, check out our blog post on HOW TO FIX A LEAKY KITCHEN FAUCET.

Fixing an Issue with a Double-Handle Faucet

The water temperature that drips from a double-handle faucet is a good indicator of which valve is leaking. Disconnect the water supply to the hot and cold water pipes, dismantle the faucet handle, locate the compression valve, and replace the washer at the end of the stem. You’re done; the whole process (not including the time it takes to get a new washer) shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.
For a more detailed guide on fixing a leaky kitchen faucet with two handles, check out our comprehensive article on How to Fix a Leaky Kitchen Faucet with Two Handles.

When dealing with a leak in a faucet that uses a cartridge valve, changing the cartridge is the recommended course of action. Replacement cartridges are available for the majority of faucet types at any decent hardware or home improvement shop. Remember to check the orientation of the new cartridge to be sure it’s for the hot or cold water valve; they seem different. Please switch off the water supply before disassembling the handle. After removing the old cartridge, just put in the new one and reinstall the faucet. Very simple.

Conclusion

Finally, double-handle kitchen faucets provide both practicality and style. These faucets will add classic style and functional value to your kitchen if you take the time to read about them, think about your sink setup, follow a purchasing guide, and then install and maintain them properly.