I hear you on the touchless stuff—my kids treat our faucet like it’s a magic trick. One thing I’d add: if you’re going eco, check for models with adjustable flow rates. Some are sneaky water hogs if you don’t tweak the settings. Learned that the hard way...
- Adjustable flow rates are a must, but I’ve seen some touchless models where the “eco” setting is buried in a weird menu or takes a weird combo of button presses to set up. Not exactly user-friendly.
- Double check for manual override options. If the sensor fails (and trust me, they do), you’ll want a way to get water without tearing the thing apart.
- Watch out for models that claim low flow but have poor aerators—sometimes you just get a sad trickle and end up running the water longer anyway.
- Last thing, check replacement part availability. Some of the fancier touchless brands make it a pain to get new sensors or valves when something goes sideways... learned that one in the field.
- Had a sensor faucet in our last place—when the sensor died, it was a nightmare. Ended up using a wrench to get water until the part came in (took weeks).
- I’m with you on the aerators. Tried a “water-saving” model that just dribbled out... ended up running it twice as long to rinse anything.
- One thing I’d add: check if the finish scratches easily. Some eco models look great at first but show every little mark after a few months.
- Manual override is non-negotiable for me now. Not worth the hassle otherwise.
I hear you on the sensor faucet headaches—when they fail, it’s a pain. I’ve been leaning toward fixtures with a manual backup too, just in case. About the finishes, is brushed nickel really that much better for hiding scratches? I’ve seen some “matte” eco models that looked great at first but picked up water spots and scuffs fast. Anyone had luck with those? Also, with aerators, I’m still searching for one that actually saves water without making rinsing impossible... is there a sweet spot or is it just trial and error?
Brushed nickel definitely hides fingerprints and little scratches better than chrome, at least in my experience. Matte finishes look cool but yeah, water spots show up fast unless you wipe them down all the time. Aerators...total trial and error for me. Some restrict way too much and make rinsing a pain. I ended up swapping out the one that came with my faucet for a mid-flow off Amazon—saves water but still gets the soap off.
