@Renee C If you see a Rubinet you like, I'd be interested in a report back. Yes, the Texas dealers of In2Aqua tried to talk me out of ordering because they said they didn't know how and kept trying to refer me to other locations in other cities that also had never ordered In2Aqua for anyone, or so they said. I'm not sure how they became dealers or are keeping their dealerships. Texas is a large state to only have these as the only distributors representing In2Aqua according to the list on the website of distributors by region. The Oklahoma place was fantastic, knew the product, and had ordered it for many customers.

Dear Belaria, I am quite impressed with all your research. An industry contact directed me to this post and as I wanted to respond personally to you. Yes, the metal hose is louder than a synthetic hose. As previously noted here....silicon spray or olive oil reduces noise but personally, I think the quality features are worth the trade-off regardless. The hose we install is more expensive than a plastic hose and our logic is simple at in2aqua. We use the best components we can buy or make for use in all our products even if they cost more. I really think once the faucet is in use the "noise" topic becomes forgotten. I can honestly say I get a lot of positive feedback about our products and customer service and I am in this industry because I love it. At in2aqua we are really passionate about making the best possible faucet in the industry. While cost is important, it is the quality that ultimately drives our engineering decisions. Thanks again for all your valuable insight. Stay safe during these challenging times and all the best to you and the houzz community. Without professionals and consumers like you who care about quality and user experience, in2aqua would be just another brand among many, many good ones. Best regards from in2aqua Stuttgart, Germany. Chris M

@in2aqua GmbH Thank you, Chris M, for taking time to address the noise issue with your pull-down and pull-out hoses. I should clarify that I'm an unusual consumer due to being almost entirely deaf in one ear and having reduced hearing in the other due to a series of accidents and events that occurred early in my life. My hearing is highly sensitive to noise now, so there is a valid concern that a loudly-operating hose could be a non-starter for me. My husband suggested last night after we saw @StarCraft Custom Builders suggestion to spray the hose with silicone about asking the showroom if they might be open to us doing that to see how much the sound would be reduced before committing to a purchase.

I do not believe that it is the hose itself that may necessarily be the problem to address but rather whatever the hose is scraping against on the interior. I realize that installing a non-metal part on the interior would introduce wear issues that could shorten the life of the faucet, but surely there are other consumers in the market for a quality faucet who also have sensitive hearing whether due to hearing loss such as myself or due to being emotionally "driven crazy" by annoying noises. I'm sure we have a few people in our lives who may seem to be overly reactive to being startled or to certain noises.

As someone who is passionate about protecting the hearing I have left, I wear earplugs and ear protection headphones for many activities during the day. Noises above 80 or 85 decibels begin to fall into the risk range for damaging hearing over long times of exposure, and I feel sure that the un-lubricated In2Aqua hose would meet this criteria for the loud level, though not the prolonged noise perhaps as people aren't using the hose constantly. I find it interesting that the reviewer who worked with @StarCraft Custom Builders by having an In2Aqua faucet installed in-home for about 2 years had that complaint of noise. I walked into the showroom ready to purchase 2 of the In2Aqua faucets for our kitchen remodel and walked out without a purchase the day I handled the faucets in person simply knowing the noise would never work for me. We may consider, as I mentioned, asking the showroom if they'd be willing to lubricate their samples on site to see if this solves the problem. Thanks again for responding!

Dear Belaria,

Thanks again for your feedback. While we don't have a decibel reading we estimate it is around 20-30 dBA. Greg our sales manager put a little olive oil on the hose and this is the sound thereafter. (see link) The pull-downs are bent brass tubes so you can expect it to be a little louder but I would guesstimate it would be more quite than the water splashing on the dishes. Regardless, you may have to live with our products for a lifetime so we respect your decision.

Let us know if we can further assist you. Thanks again for your insight and all the best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITMckP5Ujg4

@in2aqua GmbH Thanks for the video. I did watch it and will leave future forum browsers to decide for themselves if the sound seems between the levels of a leaf falling and someone whispering, which is what the 20 to 30 decibel range is that you estimated. It's a bit hard to tell noise levels via computer due to varying speaker capacities on different devices, but I do really appreciate your taking time to make and post the video.

My estimate from the showroom with an unoiled hose is that the pull-down easily exceeds the sound of normal conversation at the height of the sound burst, merely a microsecond of time during which the hose is pulled forward. I'll try to take a decibel meter with me if I have occasion to visit the showroom again. To be honest, I don't think any reviewer including the one from @StarCraft Custom Builders mentioned above would have complained about the noise had it been similar to that of running water, but only hard data from a decibel meter would provide further clarity. Just for fun, I used a sound meter app to measure my current Delta kitchen faucet pull-down noise, and it comes in right around 70 decibels at the height of the sound burst. It is quiet enough that I'd never really noticed it. The In2Aqua's unoiled sound was far different, and I think you might be surprised if you measured even with oiling. From the Mayo Clinic, here is a decibel level chart:

Decibels/Noise source

Safe range

30 Whisper

40 Refrigerator

60 Normal conversation

75 Dishwasher

Risk range

85 Heavy city traffic, school cafeteria

95 Motorcycle

100 Snowmobile

110 Chain saw, jackhammer, rock concert, symphony

115 Sandblasting

120 Ambulance siren, thunder

140-165 Firecracker, firearms

Trust me, guys, I'd really love to buy an In2Aqua faucet. I may still try to get the showroom to put silicone on the hose for me so I can test and measure the sound. I'm concerned about olive oil congealing, coloring, or going rancid in time. I have used Protek CLP to lubricate working piano parts, a high-tech polymer lubricant that resists corrosion, so that might be something to try.

Thanks for constructive feedback...regardless of your purchase choice I hope you find the best choice you!

Hi Belaria, one a side note, I have passed this on to our engineering team with the goal of making our hose retraction/pull out even more quite. Best to you.

@in2aqua GmbH Thanks! I appreciate your response. Please also note that as I mentioned above, different devices replay YouTube sound differently. For fun, I just tested the decibel levels of the oiled hose video you posted today. I used 3 devices: my Asus tablet, Samsung Galaxy Note8 phone, and Dell desktop computer with generic speakers. All the volumes were set at 100%. Your video peaked around 40 decibels on the tablet, 60 decibels on the phone, and 80 decibels on the desktop. So, you see how hard it is to tell true sound levels from a video. If you could do your own decibel readings and post them, that would help. Many apps including free ones are available for this, and an accurate decibel meter isn't that expensive. My tablet has weak sound in general and cannot play anything at a loud volume. My phone is mid-range on volume capacity--sometimes I use it at full volume, and sometimes I reduce the volume. The computer's speakers are always too loud, so I leave them turned down except in instances like this test I just did. Going off of this generally, it's probably the phone that is closer to the true sound level, but who really knows without an on-site meter reading.

My personal opinion is that it may not be necessary to re-engineer the hose functions. It may be something so simple as applying your own lubricant to the hoses as a final step of manufacturing and then shipping with instructions to re-lubricate as needed. As it is, I'm relying on my showroom to possibly allow me to lubricate their sample to see the level of noise reduction unless you perhaps posted a numeric decibel reading from an on-site meter to verify the potential for lubrication. Anything approaching or exceeding 80 decibels is a real problem for almost any consumer. Some people's ears won't hurt or ring from bursts of noise like my sensitive ears would, but those levels will be annoying at best. Thanks again for your input!

Just came back from the showroom and what they have on display were pretty much same rubinet style with different finishes. Not too crazy of handle lever style but felt that it is made of quality stuff.

Had I read your sensitivity on noise before I went, I would have paid more attention but with style put off, I really disinterested pay too much attention to it. They were definitely noisier than plastic ones. The showroom had KWC and their metal version had a similar noise level who GC didn’t bother me. But then I’m not really sensitive.

What I found though after seeing all different finishes in same setting that I like polished nickel, specially from California faucet. Unfortunately what I saw it was with plastic inside.

Went to in2aqua right after thinking I’ll place an order since what I saw at the first showroom, I wasn’t falling for any of them strong enough. Once I was at the dealer, they couldn’t honor what I was told over the phone yesterday.

If I were paying a full price, I’d rather bring my business to non bait-and-switch company.

Below pics are all from Rubinet.

@Renee C Thanks so much for the Rubinet pictures! Looks like their hoses are fiber, which would be quieter albeit less durable, but the styling isn't as sleek as In2Aqua. I think KWC and In2Aqua look so similar because the latter was founded by an executive of the former. If they are bait-and-switch on pricing, call Robert at Architectural Hardware Designs in Oklahoma, and I'm sure they'll ship In2Aqua to you.

Hi Belaria,

I know the pictures that I took are misleading but they definitely had one with metal hose, but like you said, overall their styles are bit stocky and missing sleekness that i like in other brands..

I still have times since the stone hasn't even been ordered, drywall up tomorrow until sometime next week then cabinets so I do have quite a time to think it over. I'll give Robert a call tomorrow though. Hope they have one in stock as I haven't heard any from in2aqua what the lead time will be if the showroom/dealer had to place an order.

@Renee C I'm looking over your photos again and want to thank you so much for those Rubinet images. I'm thinking they look too retro in style for me, so I'm crossing them off. If I had a vintage kitchen, they might be just the thing, but I don't. Also, it's unclear what that button on their spray heads is supposed to do--whether it must be depressed for spray at all times or whether or not it stays on spray once the faucet is turned off--just too many unanswered questions, lack of information, and older styling with that brand. Your photos are better and more close up than the ones on their own website, so thanks!

If you're really thinking about California Faucets, read up on the chipping with their finishes. It has been a real problem for some consumers. I think some of their finishes wear better than others, but their warranty servicing isn't always that great if you read reviews. No question they have some beautiful products, though.

@in2aqua GmbH If you missed my reply above, I measured with a decibel meter your YouTube video on 3 electronic devices and got decibel readings around 40, 60, and 80 on the different devices with sound set at 100% on each, so the sound demonstration would be of much greater value if you could give us an on-site decibel meter reading. I'm hoping to head to the showroom at my next opportunity and do my own decibel measurement if they will allow me to use silicone on their sample, so we'll see.

Renee C

Would you share the name of the bait-and-switch dealer? If you would like to do it privately, my e-mail is jime@starcraftcustombuilders.com.

@Renee C Look at these neat faucets. They are from from Hydrology which @StarCraft Custom Builders hasn't reviewed yet. The founder of Hydrology, David Kotowsky, is the designer of The Galley Tap, so these faucets are probably at least similar in cost and thus verging on too expensive for a "mere mortal," as StarCraft might say.

@Aglitter,

I had a last minute drywall proejct happened today and me being "trusty but verify" perspective based on previous experienece with any home improvement trades professionals, sure enugh, there were bit of do-over that I had to be overseeing since I'm sorta wearing a GC hat on my kitchen project. I could vent on and on but I won't. :) man.. I don't know if things would've been different if I had a DH/or any man in the houshold. I'm just happened to be single female who owns the house. .......anywyas,

Due to the the job taken good part of whole day, I coudn't contact Rober. But.... I'm liking what I see on your post. Eventhough my house is 110 years old typical craftsamn house, I need to stop being too purist. Initially, I was going to keep the laths on my plaster demoed kitchen wall where new cabinets will be in, with tradiitioanl old school pasters but I got laughed at, lol. I'm atually glad that I've decided to put drywall with insulation inbetween. Obivously I'd like my interior to be respectufl toward age of the house but I don't want my house to look like literally 110 years old on everything. with that being said, i can toally see my kitchen with one of hydrology faucet. will do more readings on thier website.

You are totally right about Ribnet. That was exactly what I felt when I saw the lever and just overall design, Just like thier website, there is nothing "sexy" about the products that I saw at the showroom. I was surprised that the showroom who carries pretty much every fancy faucet lines that anyone can think of, they have Rubinet lines displayed in the center of whole arrays of faucets, Of course more fancy ones, Donbracht got their own little section and so does Rohl and some other fancy names I wasn't familiar with. They are NOT the only manufacturer that has metal hose one. I don't feel like I have to settle on what * I think* a dated design.

Thanks for heads up on California Faucet. I'm keep telling myself dont be too taken by exterior. READ the specs and technical details.

@StarCraft Custom Builders

Hi Jim,

I'll send you the name of the dealer directly to your email.

Now I have to decide wheter i want to hire somebody else to do the mud job on the drywall or I'll take on it. I was admant about studs being straight since thise wall will take a cabinets and i don't want the wall to be wavy. Apparently I am being perfectionist even thought what I asked him to do is add already bought draywall shims.

We all have our share of horro stories, don' we? :D

Balaria...those two faucets are from MGS out of Italy. Good luck cleaning the top one :-) They have other offerings though...

https://mgstaps.com/de/portfolio/kitchen-collections/

Looked them up because I kind of like the bottom photo but the warranty is only 2-5 years depending on finish

Warranty

MGS products are covered by a warranty of 5 years from purchasing date on all stainless steel parts and of 2 years on all other components. During this period, parts with construction defects in materials or workmanship will be replaced free of charge. This warranty will not respond in the case of faults caused by unsuitable or improper use, wrong installation, natural wear, improper or careless treatment, wrong usage of cleaning or maintenance products.

MGS will not assume liability for labor expended, freight cost or damages accruing from the use of the material purchased from us. If material is defective, the limit of damage is the price of the defective material.

Proof of purchase (original sales receipt) from the original consumer purchaser must be made available to MGS for all warranty claims. The warranty is not transferable and is extended solely to the original purchaser of the product.

@Asha Those are Hydrology faucets. I didn't find these at the link you provided. These faucets are designed by David Kotowsky of Chicago, USA, and may be seen at the link I provided above. Here the link to Hydrology again: http://www.hydrologychicago.com/products/kitchen-faucets-sinks

As we are all working from home office at the moment we had to conduct a little research internally. Luigi Tuti, our accounting manager has had his in2aqua Edge kitchen faucet in his house for four year now and kindly sent me this film. He wrote, Silenzioso, semplice e nonostante molto bello ( bellissimo) Not as technical as we'd normally do testing but who can resist such a beautiful language!

https://youtu.be/cT2RMJe_TJo

Thank you, @in2aqua GmbH and Luigi Tuti. Here's a possible translation, "Quiet, simple, and that notwithstanding, very beautiful."

sure....https://mgstaps.com/kitchen-catalog/

@Asha OK, I see it now, the second of the pics I posted is produced by MGS. That's helpful, thanks. I'll look into it. I actually like the first faucet photo I posted a bit better. Do you recognize it from any place? Hydrology also has a faucet produced by The Galley Tap, so it's possible they work with multiple manufacturers.

It is also MGS. It is on the first faucet picture you uploaded. I don't know where they buy things but I would think they have a lot of companies to chose from....never heard of gallery tap.

@Asha Thanks so much! I see that now that it says MGS. Hydrology was founded by someone who is a fixtures designer who has done work for a company called The Galley. It's odd he wouldn't have his own line to sell on his website. I wondered if perhaps he has done design work for MGS, also. I am looking up pricing and specifications on the MGS faucets and find them to be on the small side, with around a 9-inch center-to-center reach, some a little under and some over that reach. The cost is roughly double what an In2Aqua faucet would cost. I used an MGS pro-style faucet in a showroom last year, one with a docking spray head, and found it to be clunky in operation, hardly able to re-dock without concentrated effort. When I heard the price, I wasn't impressed. Maybe their pull-down faucets operate better than their docking ones, but it's not a brand that is widely available in most USA showrooms. Hansgrohe has a larger reach as far as European brands in the USA, but plenty of consumers have complained of splashing with Hansgrohe faucets because of the lack of an aerator in some models. Thanks for your help!

@ Belaria

Hydrology in Chicago is a showroom and retailer of high end faucets. It does not design, manufacture or distribute faucets as far as I know.

The faucets are from MGS Progetti, an italian company that makes really good stainless steel faucets. MGS has its own stable of in-house designers who are very good. I am not aware of any contribution to these designs by David Kotowsky, but I am prepared to be wrong about that.

The MGS Velo collection often gets confused with faucets from Vola A/S of Denmark simply because the look a lot alike. Vola faucets are quite expensive, but the designs, based on some original work by famed modernist designer, Arne Jacobsen in 1968, may interest you.

Watermark's Elan Vital collection was designed in collaboration with the Fredman Design Group and David Kotowsky. So, this may be a collection that interests you.

Thanks for the information, @StarCraft Custom Builders. David Kotowsky is the owner of Hydrology and also the designer of The Galley Tap according to The Galley's own printed marketing material.

I know of Mr. Kotowsky. He has quite the reputation as a kitchen designer.

Update: I'm still considering a purchase of In2Aqua kitchen faucets and am seeking clarification as to the function of the button on the pull-down faucet heads. The specification sheet states, "Locking push button control to switch from regular flow to spray." I am assuming this means that the button "locks" into spray mode while the faucet is on so that you don't need to hold the button down the whole time you are using it. Then, when the faucet is turned off, the button auto-releases and reverts to stream for the next time the faucet is turned on, correct? Meaning, the button must be re-locked to spray once the faucet is turned on again if spray is desired. I think this is standard for European faucets. @StarCraft Custom Builders or @in2aqua GmbH can you confirm? Thanks!

Belaria, your assumption is correct. The default spray on the pull-down spray head is the regular flow. The button “locks” the head in spray mode while the faucet is turned on, so you don’t have to hold the button down while you are using the faucet head.

When the faucet is turned off, the button auto-releases and reverts the water stream back to the regular flow for the next time the faucet is turned on.

The pull-down spray head was designed this way because the regular flow is the mode used most frequently by homeowners, rather than the spray mode.

@Greg Thanks so much for the reply and confirmation! I appreciate your taking time to respond with such a detailed message.

Hi Belaria,

I bought in2aqua Edge style from loca authorized dealer but haven't installed it yet to tell you any user experience. it feels sturdy and very well made. I accidentally bought Chicago facuet goose neck deck mount facuet as well from Ebay seller as "best offer" being accepted ( it had been a while that I bought any from Ebay so I forgot the rule on best offer, oops:). It is another really beautiful, heavy, well made faucet. I could go with Chicago facuet easily butI didn't want a side sprayer and my sink being single bowl 31" wide and 10" deep, I know pull down faucet with concealed sprayer will be more practical. With single pull down faucet option, I know I made a best choice( although no hands on experience as yet).given its spec.

@in2aqua GmbH or @Greg can you confirm if the stainless steel finish on In2Aqua kitchen faucets is applied via PVD? There is a discussion going on about In2Aqua finishes at this thread. The word there from @StarCraft Custom Builders is that your chrome finishes are plated but that the stainless steel is possibly PVD. I would appreciate knowing for sure. Thanks!

Belaria, yes, in2aqua's stainless steel coating is PVD. Our PVD process enables us to apply decorative finishes to most metals and many polymers. in2aqua's PVD finishes are scratch- and wear-resistant. Long term, PVD coatings improve corrosion resistance.

@Greg Thanks so much!

I was just getting ready to purchase a Brizo faucet and saw this thread - thank you ALL for the research and sharing your experiences. I would like to check out in2aqua faucets for our kitchen remodel. @in2aqua GmbH are there any authorized dealers around Portland, Oregon? From the map on your website it looks like Seattle is the closest. If that is the case, if I order from a dealer in Seattle, and it's installed by the plumber under our general contractor, will the faucet still be under warranty? In the meantime, I need to find some videos of the kitchen faucet Style SKU: 6009 1 80 2 in action since I'm not sure I can get up there anytime soon. Thanks so much!

Steph, I appreciate your interest in in2aqua. At this time we do not have an authorized showroom in Portland. Several were interested earlier in the year, but due to the coronavirus pandemic many showrooms temporarily locked down, so our discussions with them were put on hold. Yes, Seattle is the closest. If the faucet is ordered through an authorized dealer, and installed by a plumber under your general contractor, it will be under warranty. The Seattle showroom can also have the faucet dropshipped directly to your home address. If you need other info, please feel free to send a message to me. I'm happy to help.

Hi Steph, we sell In2aqua up here in Seattle. Our business name is Aurora Plumbing and Electric supply. We can do a drop ship for you since you live down in Portland. Please contact my showroom staff at 206-364-1140. Thank you for your interest in In2aqua.

Does anyone know what size hole is recommended in counter for in2aqua Edge Single-Lever Kitchen Faucet With Swivel Spout And Pull-Down Spray?

@Cindy Sesko It appears from the instruction sheet listed online at In2Aqua's website that the hole needs to be a minimum of 3/4" diameter plus some wiggle room to allow the plumbing parts to pass through. The base of the faucet itself is 2 3/16" wide, so would cover a hole larger than 3/4", obviously. The countertop cannot be thicker than 1 9/16" for proper installation, and an additional piece is provided for very thin countertops to help support the faucet if needed.

@Cindy Sesko The hole size needed for the Edge kitchen faucet is 1-3/8 inch diameter. This is the standard hole size required for all in2aqua kitchen and bath faucets.

My attention was drawn back to this thread by someone who liked an earlier post here, and I wanted to update to say that I did move forward with a Brizo articulating faucet purchase in the end and received excellent pricing during a sale at Quality Bath online. The issue with the articulating faucets falling forward has been fixed, so unless you were to order really old stock from a warehouse somewhere, all the new faucets for the last few years feature the fixed joints, and of course, Brizo faucets come with Delta's lifetime warranty. I ordered two of the Brizo faucets in the Brilliance Stainless finish which is PVD stainless steel and among the most durable of finishes available for faucets on the market today. Anything with "Brilliance" in front of the name from Brizo means that it is PVD. Note that Brizo's chrome faucets are merely electroplated, so you'd need to choose a finish that specifies "Brilliance" to get the PVD finish. The articulating faucets from Brizo that feature covered hoses, which is the style I purchased, are all newer releases and so would have the fixed joints no matter where you ordered them. Quality Bath does not stock Brizo in house, so any order you placed from them would come directly from the factory. I'm really happy with this choice and look forward to many years of longevity from the Brizo articulating faucets.

@ Silverlined

You made a good choice.

@StarCraft Custom Builders Couldn't have made the choice I did without your help. Your online repository of faucet information as well as other building-related information and your active presence to answer questions at Houzz has been invaluable assistance to my remodel. Thank you.

My experience with CalFaucets was not good. He is a review I put on the page.

Buyer Beware! If you have children, if you have house guest, if you don’t have a live-in maid, if you have little time in your day for cleaning and tidying up, the Living Finishes and Satin Nickel are not for you. My complaint is not about the company, California Faucets, it is about one of the products it offers. We purchased the Arpeggio Series, with the Satin NIckel Finish, and have been using it less than six months. It already shows signs of pitting and corrosion on all the fixtures installed. We are not happy customers. We don’t feel we were warned sufficiently about the amount of care this particular finish would require. Not only does it need special cleaning products, but each fixture that may get water splashed on it needs to be wiped off after every, and I mean EVERY, use to maintain its gorgeous finish. Instead of dealing with these fragile fixtures, I am using a bathroom in our house that has 30-year-old faucets, that are not corroded, which I don’t have to wipe down after every use.

This’s my California Faucet after 2 years, it lost mostly of the polish. 800$ , not cheap at all. They say lifetime warranty on the finish, but the costumer service just said they aren’t going to replace my tap handle. They agreed to send me just the cartridge for my shower column because is leaking. I didn’t expect such poor quality for such a price.

@Davide Teolis

Tell me about this faucet. What is the finish? Do you have a closeup pic of the defective area?

I have also pictures of the shower, I took the photos just after I cleaned and dried it.

All that I can definitely make out from your photos is a large amount of mineral deposits everywhere from your hard water. Consider getting a water softener or being prompt to wipe away excess water after use. I am not sure you can remove the deposits without damaging the finish. California Faucets has a spotty record for warranty fulfillment and customer service based on reviews I saw about two years ago when shopping for my own kitchen and bathroom remodels. That was the main reason I decided against purchasing from them even though they have stellar designs and a wide array of finishes.

@Aglitter Are you still happy with your Brizo purchase? I'm at the ppoint of knowing too much about faucets; I wish I would have started with this thread! I thought I landed on Brizo for Master bath and Rubino for 2 guests rooms...and so confused about kitchen! LOL Any insight is appreciated !

Yes, I have had 2 Brizo faucets with my 45" wide Havens Metal sink in my kitchen for almost 2 years now and continue to love the faucets. Going with Brizo articulating faucets was one of the best decisions I made with my kitchen renovation.