Elkay Faucets Review & Rating Updated: July 7, 2024
2222 Camden Ct.
Oak Brook, IL
(630) 574-8484
CustCare@Elkay.com
Consumer@elkay.com
511 W Freshwater Way
2nd Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53204
(414) 808-0100
(800) 476-4106
Law Requirements
Footnotes:1. "As long as the original purchaser of the faucet owns the faucet."2. Elkay reserves the right to inspect the faucet and its installation.
Download the Elkay residential faucet warranty.
Learn more about faucet warranties.
This Company In Brief
Elkay is an American company that manufactures and distributes kitchen sinks. It pioneered the die draw method of pressing stainless steel sinks from sheets of metal.
It still manufactures some of its sinks in the U.S., but most are now made overseas. It also designs and sells faucets to accompany its sinks but does not manufacture any of its faucets. They are made by contract factories in China, Taiwan, Israel, and Italy.
Elkay's residential faucets are generally more expensive than competing imported brands of similar quality and design.
When its residential faucets were modest modifications of its heavy-duty commercial faucets, we felt the pricing was justified. Today, we see little added value in the company's residential faucets that justifies the line's generally higher price tag. The one saving feature is its excellent warranty and exceptional customer service.
Elkay is primarily a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of good quality stainless steel sinks. Its faucet business is a supplement to its main business of selling institutional, commercial, and residential sinks.
At one time Elkay residential faucets were minor modifications of its commercial faucets. At present they are designed expressly for residential use and, while more stylish and still of very good quality, they are not the heavy duty products of former years.
The Company
Founded in 1920 by Leopold and Louis Katz with Ellef Robarth and headquartered in the Chicago area for over 90 years, Elkay was a Katz family-owned and -managed global player in the kitchen and bath world until 2022 when the company was acquired by Zurn Water Solutions and renamed Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation.
Zurn Elkay owns the Elkay brand of sanitary wares, faucets, and bath accessories, and also MasterCraft, Medallion, and Yorktowne cabinetry — all major brands, with eight factories in the U.S., and the Revere line of plumbing fixtures.
The company did not begin producing its signature product, stainless sinks, until 1935 and during the World War of 1939 to 1945, produced thousands of sink units for the U.S. Military.
In 1948 it developed a method of die-drawing stainless steel to make sinks. The innovation cut manufacturing costs in half. Elkay's die-draw process is now the standard, used throughout the world to produce stainless steel products of all kinds.
With manufacturing facilities in Broadview, Illinois; Lumberton, North Carolina; and Ogden, Utah, Elkay manufactures many of its sanitary-ware products (toilet, sinks, etc.) domestically.
But, it also owns Zhuha Daya Kitchen Sanitary Ware Co., Ltd., a manufacturer based in China, and E.B. Tecnica Mexicana, Mexico's largest sink manufacturer located in San Luis Potosi.
These provide stainless steel sinks for their home markets but also supply Elkay with sinks for sale in the U.S. and Canada.
Elkay's Faucet Manufacturers
Elkay does not manufacture its own faucets.
Faucets have always been somewhat a sideline for Elkay, offered to complement and round out its main product, kitchen sinks. At one time it manufactured its faucets in North America but those days are long gone. We are no longer able to identify a single faucet manufactured or even assembled by Elkay in the U.S. or Canada.
All Elkay faucets are now manufactured in China, Taiwan, Italy, and Israel, shipped to Elkay finished in the box and ready to sell.
Elkay's known foreign faucet manufacturers are:
- Carlo Nobili SpA of Borgomanero, Italy makes a few Elkay faucets. It also supplies faucets to
- Chang Yi Shin Co., Ltd. of Taiwan, trading as Taiwan Aqua Professionals, sells its own T.A.P. brand of touchless faucets in Asia. It makes most of Elkay's extensive line of automatic faucets for commercial and residential applications.
- Crescent Plumbing Inc., manufacturing in Taiwan, provides two wall-mount faucets to Elkay. These are model numbers LK69CH and LK69CP. Most Crescent products are sold in the U.S. by its sister company, , under the Pioneer, Olymmpia, and Central Brass brands.
- It also producets faucets for other faucet companies including
- Sheng Tai Brassware (Taiwan) Co., Ltd. makes most of Elkay's stainless steel kitchen faucets. It also sells its own line of stainless faucets in Asia under the Bestyle and JustMe brands.
- Sloan Valve Company, Inc. of Franklin Park, IL, manufactures in the U.S. and China. It provides four of Elkay's automatic faucets, all of which are made in China.
- Tech O.E.M. International Corp. of Taiwan manufactures professional and semi-professional kitchen sink faucets for Elkay and for its competitor,
- Zhejiang Jinyuan Copper Mfg. Co. Ltd. provies commercial pre-rinse faucets to Elkay. It also supplies upscale faucets to the of Canada.
Elkay's Faucet Designs
Elkay has never been a name that immediately springs to mind when thinking about stylish residential faucets. In our Top-of-Mind" survey conducted in 2017, fewer than 1% of respondents identified Elkay as the faucet brand that first comes to mind when thinking "faucet."
But, if you are building a hotel, restaurant, or public restroom, it may be the first catalog you reach for.
It has, in the last few years, begun adding more contemporary styles to its faucet line but historically its designs have always been fairly conservative. It is in no sense a high-style faucet company. However, most North American buyers prefer traditional or transitional styling which is Elkay's strong suit.
Elkay faucets have always been justly famous for their reliability. However, since the change from domestic to foreign manufacturing, we have begun to see some decline in the quality of the company's faucets. They are not the durable, extra-heavy-duty faucets they once were.
One change we especially don't like is the more expansive use of plastic in essential parts of the company's residential faucets.
The pull-down spray head of the Avado faucet, shown at left above, for example, is plastic. In fact, Elkay does not sell a pull-down, pull-out, or spring-type pre-rinse faucet spray in its residential line that does not include a plastic spray head.
For a metal spray head, you have to look to Elkay's commercial faucet lines.
Elkay's Faucet Finishes
Elkay had a limited choice of faucet finishes until a few years ago – essentially polished Chrome or Stainless Steel.
It has broadened its finish pallete to include variations on stainless steel: Lustrous Steel, and Satin Stainless Steel as well as Antique Steel, Black Stainless, Matte Black, Oil-Rubbed Bronze,and Polished Nickel.
Black Stainless and Matte Black can be paired with Chrome in what is called a in which a primary finish is combined with an accent color.
The new finishes are not available on every Elkay faucet.
Matte Black, for example, is limited to the Avado and Avenue collections. Lusterous Steel and Black Stainless are offered only in the Avado collection, Antique Steel in the Explore collection, and Satin Stainless on a single faucet in the Allure collection. Oil-Rubbed Bronze and Polished Nickel are available only on pot filler faucets.
The split finishes – Matte Black with Chrome and Black Stainless with Chrome – are limited to just a few Avado faucets.
We don't know whih processes are used to create Elkay's finishes. We have asked the company for this information but have not had a response.
Based on a visual examination, however, we are reasonably certain that Chrome and Polished Nickel are almost certainly electroplated. Satin Stainless Steel is just the material of the faucet buffed to a smooth finish. Most other companies call this finish just "stainless steel."
The rest of the finishes are more of a mystery. Matte Black, Antique Stainless, Black Stainless and Oil-Rubbed Bronze are variations on black. All of these could be produced using a process called physical vapor deposition (PVD) but we think it more probably that Matte Black and Oil-Rubbed Bronze are what are called powder coatings.
The process used to produce a finish largely determines its durability.
PVD is preferred, not just for its variety and versatility, but for its incredible hardness. Powder coatings are essentially a paint applied in powder form and are the least durable. Electroplating is somewhere in the middle.
Electroplating
is the well-established traditional way of finishing faucets that has been around nearly since faucets were invented.
It involves immersing the faucet components and the metal to be used as plating in an acid bath, then applying an electrical charge to both objects so metallic ions are drawn from the plating metal to the components. Usually, at least three coats are applied, an undercoat of nickel and then two coats of chrome. The final finish is usually polished to give the chrome its shine.
The process is inherently hazardous to the operator and the environment. It involves toxic and corrosive chemicals that must be disposed of safely. No other coating technology even comes close to the dangers involved in electroplating.
Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)
is the latest space-age faucet finishing technology, rapidly replacing electroplating as the finish of choice. Although the technology was discovered in the 19th century, it was not used in industry until the 1950s and then only rarely due to its great expense. Its first use was in nuclear reactors and the space program where very robust coatings are needed to withstand extreme environments. Today, the technology is everywhere and the machinery required is getting smaller, faster, and cheaper all the time.
The process involves loading a vacuum chamber with unfinished faucet components. All of the air is replaced with a carefully calculated mix of nitrogen or argon and reactive gases. A rod of the metal to be used for the coating is heated to a temperature so high that the metal dissolves into individual atoms. These atoms mix with the various reactive gases to get the desired color and finish effects and are then deposited in a very thin layer – 2 to 5 microns – on the faucet components.
A micron is one-millionth of a meter or 1/26,000 of an inch. The average human hair is 83 microns thick. The smallest the human eye with excellent vision can see without magnification is about 5 microns.
Despite being just microns thick, a PVD coating is extremely dense and, in consequence, very durable. By some estimates, it is up to 20 times more scratch-resistant than electroplated chrome. From long experience, we know that PVD is nearly impossible to accidentally scratch or mar, never fades or changes color, and resists all forms of soiling.
Finish Durability
Some finishes are more durable than others, keep their new looks longer and require less care than others.
- is the old standby. It is a tough finish that will stand up to most abuse. but its durability depends on the metal used.
- Chrome is durable, nickel less so because it is inherently a softer metal (the reason chrome replaced nickel as the faucet finish of choice in the early 20th century.)
- (PVD) finishes are 10 to 20 times more scratch-resistant than electroplated chrome. They are also not affected by most household chemicals. In our experience, they are largely invulnerable to harm.
- is essentially a paint applied in a powdered form and then heated in an oven to cure. It is considered semi-durable with about the same scratch resistance as the finish on your car.
Powder Coating
is usually described as semi-durable
, not as robust as electroplated or PVD finishes, somewhat more durable as the finish on your car, and requiring more care to maintain a like-new appearance.
It is essentially a dry paint in powder form applied using a special low-velocity spray gun that disperses the powder while giving it a positive electrical charge. The particles are drawn to the item to be finished which has been given a negative charge.
Once the powder is applied, the item being coated is baked in an oven, which melts and bonds the powder and changes the structure of the coating into long, cross-linked molecular chains.
These chains are what give the coating its durability, reducing the risk of scratches, chipping, abrasions, corrosion, fading, and other wear issues.
Elkay's Website
The company's website, launched in its present format in 2014, is extremely well done, visual, with intuitive navigation.
The website faucet finder filters on features you rarely see elsewhere, such as flow rate
, spout reach
, and spout type
as well as the usual "number of handles", "number of mounting holes", "finish", etc.
All of a faucet's certifications are identified and links provided to download installation instructions, specification sheet, and warranty.
Because many of Elkay's customers are sophisticated commercial buyers selecting faucets for hotels, restaurants, institutions, and other commecial uses, the the amount of detail provided about the faucets is unusually detailed.
Unfortunately, however, it is not quite sufficient for a fully informed buying decision.
| Specification | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ADA Compliance (Yes/No) | 5 | |
| Aerator Brand | 0 | |
| Certifications | 5 | In downloadable Spec Sheet only. |
| Country of Origin | 5 | |
| Deck thickness, maximum | 5 | |
| Dimensions/Dimensioned Drawing | 5 | |
| Eschutcheon Included (Yes/No) | 5 | |
| Faucet Images: Multiple images, 360° rotating image, or video | 5 | |
| Finish(es) | 5 | |
| Finish Process(es) | 0 | |
| Finish Images | 5 | Finish image(s) in which a faucet is available are displayed with each listing. |
| Flow Rate(s), Maximum | 5 | |
| Installation Instructions | 5 | |
| Material, Primary (Brass, Stainless, etc.) | 5 | |
| Materials, Secondary (Zinc, Plastic, etc.) | 0 | |
| Mounting Holes, Number of | 5 | |
| Parts Diagram | 5 | |
| Spray Head Material | 0 | Not specified, but all of the spray heads examined were plastic. |
| Supply Connection Size/Type | 5 | |
| Supply Hose Included (Yes/No) | 5 | |
| Valve/Cartridge Type | 5 | |
| Valve/Cartridge Brand | 0 | |
| Warranty Online (Yes/No) | 5 | |
| Warranty Link in Listings1 | 5 | |
|
Scale:
90+ A Excellent, 80+ B Good, 70+ C Average, 60+ D Poor, 59- F Fail
| ||
|
Table Notes:
1. A link from a faucet listing to the full text of the applicable warranty is required by pre-sale availability of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
| ||
| Download/Read/Print the minimum content required in an online faucet listing to permit an informed buying decision | ||
We identify about 30 essential specifications necessary for an informed buying decision – everything from the materials from which the faucet is made to the maximum thickness of the countertop in which it is to be mounted.
The number of specifications varies from company to company and faucet to faucet. Not every specification applies to every faucet.
A Watersense® listing, for example, applies only to lavatory faucets. Since Elkay does not sell residential lavatory faucets, this specification does not apply to Elkay.
Specifications that do not apply are eliminated from the Minimum Website Information Table.
Some specifications, however, are universal: primary and secondary faucet materials, certifications, maximum flow rate, and type of valve, for examples.
The Elkay website does fairly well. It scored 80 out of 100 points, a grade of B-. Respectable, and better than most faucet company websites. But the company can certainly do better.
It has all of the necessary information. It just needs to be willing to share online.
Where to Buy
The website has a dealer locator that allows the user to select a brick-and-mortar showroom location or an online source.
The faucets are widely sold through plumbing supply houses, decorative plumbing showrooms, and in big box lumbers tores like Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards. They are also available from dozens of online plumbing suppliers like Build.com and QualityBath.com., and at general merchandizing sites such as Wayfair.com and Amazon.com.
Faucets are not sold at retail on the company website.
Deep discounts from the company's list prices published in its Residential Price Guide are unlikely.
Elkay enforces a Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) policy aimed primarily at online sellers that limits discounting. Dealers can sell below the minimum advertised price, but they cannot advertise the discount. Most sellers will sell at the allowed discount but rarely below that price. (Download/Read/Print the July 1, 2024 Zurn Elkay Water Systems Minimum Advertised Pricce Policy.)
Elkay's Faucet Warranty
The Elkay residential faucet warranty is considered one of the best in the industry, and certainly one of the simplest.
All faucets are guaranteed against any manufacturing defect or part failure to the original consumer purchaser for the "life of the product."
It is well written, lacking the ambiguities and redundancies of the usual faucet warranty.
All states and provinces in North America have laws requiring that consumer products be fit for their ordinary purposes and conform to an ordinary buyer's expectations.
This is the implied warranty of merchantability. It derives from English Common Law and is the law in both Canada and the U.S. It automatically attaches to every sale of a consumer product by a merchant.
A product is merchantable if it serves its ordinary purpose. A faucet, for example, is merchantable if it may be legally installed in a drinking water system and dispenses controlled amounts of water.
A merchantable product must remain merchantable for a reasonable amount of time. How much time varies with the product. A faucet that leaks after one or two years is probably not merchantable. One that doesn't leak until its 20th anniversary probably is – a faucet is not expected to be leak-free forever.
Magnuson-Moss refines state warranties of merchantability by providing uniform national standards for form and content, but it does not supersede them and does not allow a merchant to waive them.
For example, the warranty is extended only to the "original consumer purchaser", a phrase that eliminates any question about who is the owner of the warranty where a plumber buys the faucet on behalf of a customer.
The warranty does not extend to the plumber because he or she is not a "consumer." The warranty, therefore, passes to the plumber's customer, who is the "original consumer" although not the original buyer.
It contains, however, one misstatement that violates the requirements of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301), the federal law that governs the content and form of consumer wqrranties.
Here is the provsion (printed in the warranty in bold type so it is conspiculous and unlikely to be missed):
"This limited warranty is expressly in lieu of any other warranties, expressed, implied, arising by law or otherwise, including without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose."
Statutory implied warranties "arising by law", however, cannot be excluded by a written warranty. (15 U.S. Code § 2308)
The approach adopted in Magnuson-Moss is that company warranties supplement state law implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for purpose. A written warranty is "in addition to" and not "in lieu of" statutory warranties.
Elkay's attempt to exclude (lawyers say "disclaim") implied warranties is illegal and can be ignored. Per Magnuson-Moss, it is void and without effect.
As a consumer, you always have the protection of state law warranties in addition to the company's written warranty.
Elkay's Customer Service
The company's customer support is responsive and helpful, famous in the industry for its efficiency, as befits a customer support organization that deals every day with designers, builders and architects — folks not especially well-known for their limitless reserves of patience and understanding.
The Elkay agents ware able to satisfactorily answer most of our inquiries about the company's faucets, failing only on the most technical questions. In our warranty check, the agent quickly identified our the part that needed to be replaced, even though our tester deliberately tried to sow doubt and confusion.
We give Elkay customer service a thumbs up and a customer service score of 4.4 out of 5.0. Anything over 4.0 is very good.
The Better Business Bureau largely agrees with our conclusion, having graded Elkay with an A-. This rating is, however, down from the company's former rating of A+ due to a failure to answer 3 BBB complaints about warranty service failues over the past three years. Elkay's failure to respond to the complaints is inexplicable, but occurred at about the time Elday was transitioning to Zurn Elkay, which may have something to do with it.
The company is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau and not pledged to the BBB's very high standards of ethical business conduct.
Legal Entanglements
The California Energy Commission sued Elkay for selling faucets in California from 2015 to 2021 that had not been certified to the state's water conservation standards.
The lawsuit was resolved by a settlement agreement in September 2022 by which the company paid a fine of $20,000 and agreed to test and certify all faucets sold in California to the state's standards.
Testing & Certification
Comparable Faucets
Faucets comparable to Elkay include
Conclusions
We rate Elkay faucets a fair value on a scale of very poor, poor, fair, good, very good, and excellent. Its prices are high compared to competing faucets of equal quality, and especially high for what are now, with a few exceptions, Asian-made faucets
In the old days, when Elkay still made its own faucets, its higher prices could be justified by the extraordinary heavy-duty commercial construction of its products. Today, that distinction no longer exists.
Elkay faucets are still well designed and well made but not any better designed or made than the high-quality residential faucets offered by such diverse companies as yet Elkay faucets still sell for prices 30% to 50% higher than these competing brands. The sole saving factor is Elkay's excellent warranty and exceptional warranty service.
As a consequence of Elkay's merger with Zurn, we expect significant changes to occur.
Zurn Elkay has already started to back off from it push to capture more of the consumer market. To advance that objective, Elkay has closed Mr Direct, the internet retailer it purchased in 1016.
MR Direct, founded in 2004, sold sinks, faucets, and accessories. It's Sir brand faucets were hight rated and reasonably priced. After being acquired by Elkay, more Elkay-branded products were featured on the site, but it otherwise remained unchanged.
We suspect that Zurn Elkay may reduce its presence in the retail market or even withdraw from the market entirely to concentrate on commercial plumbing which has always been Zurn's bread and butter. We also expect facilties closures as the two companies consolidate operations. It has already announced downsizing in its domestic manufacturing and has begun laying-off employees.
We are continuing to research the company. If you have experience with Elkay faucets, good, bad, or indifferent, we would like to hear about it, so please contact us or post a comment below.