Rule of thumb is, a faucet spray is suppose to hit the drain and not the sink itself. There are plenty of faucets on the market that have a 9" spout reach, just check out the specs on the faucet before you buy.

I might have to go higher than a 9" reach then!

finding one I like, can afford, that isn't over 12" in total height and has a good reach isn't that easy!

most with a good 'reach' also have a spout height of about the same. that also concerns me.

thx for your reply - at least I know I'm right in wanting a longer 'reach'.

I also don't want a really high arched faucet - trying to stick to around 10" in height.

Do you want an arched faucet at all? To get less than 10" height, I think you are looking at a pull-out style or one with a separate sprayer. Which style are you thinking of?

angie - arched would be ok... side sprayer ok also (my sink has 3 holes).

I've narrowed it to about 4 that I like, could deal with and are w/in range in price. I'm now trying to decide on spout hght and reach. They are all w/in 1- 1.5" in measurement for those. I've nixed any under 8" in the 'reach' area.

2 have a pull out and have the handle on the side of the faucet (attached to it). 1 is curved/arched and 1 is more an upside down L shape. 1 or 2 are a bit over the 10" in hght. I could deal with one up to about 12" high. the taller the faucet tho, the more distance between the spout and counter level.

If the sprayer and handle are separate then the sprayer will have to be to the left of the faucet - I'm right handed. I'm not sure if it'll be very usable in that position tho.

What I DO want is a 1 handle SS faucet. I don't think I want the handle on top (back area) of the faucet tho. Not sure how I'd like that. maybe I should attach a wire to my 'now' faucet and pretend it is the handle on top/in back of it. Being only 5' and as tall as faucets are these days I don't want to have to stretch to reach the handle. A lot of arm movement causes my back to hurt more.

I'm tending toward the 3 pc kohler that is 11.5" high w/9" reach and spout hght. The others have 10" reach and spout hght but are 12.5 and 13" total hght. Tomorrow I'll go back over and check the distance to the drain/'reach' on that old faucet. It's a low faucet and I do want one higher than it is. The spout hght on it is only about 5" - no splash problems with it!

Desertsteph,

Just wanted to mention, some people prefer the longer reach--in the 10" range--because you don't have to lean forward/strain your upper back when washing dishes. 1" can make a huge difference when you're standing there for a long time. It brings the spray towards you enough to comfortably wash heavy pots and pans, but 10" with a standard setup and 22" sink shouldn't be too close to create a splashing issue.

I used to have a side sprayer on the left (I'm right handed) and it was really pretty awkward. I didn't use it much, now I have a pull-out.

Good luck!

rococogurl - that is a great article! I'll be rereading it and doing more measuring of my sink and space. Everyone getting a new sink and faucet should read that. It gives a lot more info than I ever thought I needed to know about a faucet. It'll be a lot better to work thru it all now than find out these things later - after buying the faucet and paying someone to install it.

Madeline616 - thx so much for your input on the faucet 'reach' and leaning forward/strain on the back. I'll check what's there now and go thru the motions of cleaning veggies - and I do have dishes there already that need washed, so I'll do that and see how comfortable it feels to me. I don't have heavy pots anymore because when filled with anything they are too heavy for me to be lifting (even to move from the stove to the counter or table).

also, your input on the sprayer on the left confirms my thinking of it. The one faucet I have on my list actually pictures it with the sprayer on the left and it even looks awkward! I've mentally gone thru the motion of crossing my right arm /hand over to that side to pull it out and my mind keeps rejecting it.

those w/ the pulldown sprayers also have the 10" reach - so maybe that's what I need to get. Less leaning in and less arm movement (crossing to the left) will mean less strain on my back.

I've tried to gear most things like this that I'll be changing to ease of use for my hands, arms, back and ease of cleaning. All of the faucets on my list are very simple/streamlined - no fussy twists, turns or designs.

Rocco - you rock - thanks for the article!

There is some controversy on whether the faucet should shoot directly into the drain. I have seen some info that says more splash when hits the drain than the sink proper.

You have different measurements - the reach (center to center) which will identify how far our the faucet will reach.

You also want to look at the "drop" of the water - how far from the sink bottom to the tip of the faucet...

Rocco's article should be helpful.

I mocked up a sink and faucet from a box and hanger and playing with different locations for the faucet. Initially thought I wanted centered, then at the divider, and now leaning towards in line with the drain.

2 weeks to decide!

Desertsteph,

FWIW, I have the Hansgrohe Allegro E. It's not the world's most gorgeous faucet, but it has a 10+" reach and a pullout sprayer. I had to go with function over form on this subject :)

Madeline616 - I'll look that one up. will need to do more looking anyway. Was trying to stick to Kohler or Delta but... maybe not.

I just got back from checking my sink. It'd need a 13" reach to hit the drain. It isn't hitting the drain now and doesn't splash tho.

I definitely want function - that includes things that will make it easier for me with my arms and back. Wanting SS is mostly for cleaning reasons. I need to have things as easy as possible to clean since my movement is often so limited.

the reviews I've read aren't really that great for the faucets with the handle attached to the side of it.

I'm really tired of looking at faucets - lol! oh my, so many faucets... the search continues!

We have the Allegro E and its long reach was one of the factors.

Another way to reduce the functional reach to water (which you also use just for handwashing if you don't also have a prep sink in the kitchen) is to make the front lip before the sink starts as small as possible (this assumes a faucet mounted behind the sink):

Stick drawing is poor, in real life you belly up to the sink/counter edge, so the actual stretch to water starts at either the countertop edge or apron front, depending on sink type.

I agree with Madeline616 that even an inch can make a big ergonomic difference and some front lips can be as much as 5 inches -- if you have an overmount or undermount sink (rather than a front apron) then you also need to count the countertop cabinet overhang distance. But you can see that if one is putting the faucet behind the sink and if you need a specific usable sink distance front to back, that every extra inch of front lip makes the stretch to water that much more.

This is one of the reasons we went with custom sink, since the only other sinks that met our needs at the time had wide front lips. Our sink is an apron front with a front lip of 1.5 inches, a usable interior of 16.5 inches and overall front to back distance of 19 inches. Even with the Allegro E faucet which has a faucet reach of 11", measuring to center of water, I'd love the water to be another inch closer to me so as to do even less leaning to reach water.

If it fits your kitchen design and budget, the articulated Kohler Karbon faucet is a real winner for ergonomics, since it can adjust out to 13"!

zaremis - thx for you input! no, I won't have a prep sink. not much prep goes on in my kitchen anymore - lol! it's just me and making a grilled cheese or omelet is major cooking for me these days!

The Kohler karbon is much too modern for me and I'm sure beyond my budget. I looked up the Allegro E - most were too high for me. I did see a prep faucet that wasn't too high really - it was a bit more than I wanted to spend tho. I'm going to add it to my other list just in case I don't find another that will fit my needs. I did like the style of it. Do you like having the handle attached to it?

I've noticed a few kitchens on here with the sink set back more than I normally see them. I wondered - WHY? lol! my sink is a total of 22" front to back with a 5" back deck where the faucet would be and 16" f to b inside of the sink. that leaves a 1" lip on the front. I don't see any reason to have more than absolutely necessary on the front edge of counter.

I do have to remind myself about not having the spout too far back from me. I'm short - and evidently also have short arms!

You might also want to think about a pull-down with the attached handle positioned forward over the sink. That would give you even less distance to turn on/off than reaching over a pull-out faucet.

Here's a link discussing the pros and cons of that very topic.

Hope That Helps

Here is a link that might be useful: other thread on faucet control

One thing if the cabinets are still in the planning stage. My sink base is bumped out 4 inches and it's hugely comfortable as a result. No leaning in. Something to ponder if the layout permits.

Sink bumpout doesn't change the reach, it just means there is more room behind the sink or space for an even bigger sink (and an even bigger sink, front to back, would make the reach worse).

For a given size of sink, front lip, and specific faucet mounted behind the sink, the reach to the water or faucet controls is exactly the same no matter how deep the sink the cabinet is.

I do like those. I was following that thread... just went back to catch new posts on it.

I've been looking for one around 10-12" high. so far all of the faucets I've found like that are 13-15" tall - or more! I have 2 like that on my list (Kohler or Delta) but will have to track down more reviews on them. The few I've read so far aren't real encouraging.

thx!