One of the most meaningful driving forces in the improvement of our lifestyles is the continuing evolution of technology. Probably the most fascinating aspect of this evolution is the way it tends to follow a precise pattern each time: meeting the need, overcoming unforeseen issues and allowing people a retroactive fix. The perfect example of this happening right now is the way people are moving away from the traditional style of shower spigots and reaping the benefits of mixer showers.

The need that traditional showers met was that of blending water from a water heater with the general household water supply to create a warm shower. This need was met by running separate water lines with separate controls for hot and cold to allow the person taking a shower to choose how hot the shower should be. This worked well for generations.

After happily using traditional showers for ages, a new challenge arose. It arose from a good thing – people were living longer than ever. This challenge was the simple fact that people living longer meant that more and more suffered from crippling conditions that came with those extra years, conditions like arthritis. For those who suffered from severe arthritis, working the traditional rotary knobs on showers was painful at best and impossible at worst.

The new solution to deal with this issue is mixer showers. These showers use a special valve to create a single point where the hot and cold water are mixed. By combining this valve with modern ergonomic thinking, a simple to use interface was developed which allowed even sufferers of crippling conditions to use the mixer showers easily and painlessly.

Thanks to modern engineering, the retrofit of traditional shower systems to more effective mixer showers is also less painful than such conversions would have been in the past. People contemplating a change in shower types often picture a huge renovation project that results in walls being destroyed and tiles being replaced. The clean and nondestructive installation of a mixer shower is just another of its benefits. In a simple bolt on solution, an antiquated shower can be updated to the far more accessible mixer shower.

An easy transition to a superior product that makes its use both better and more convenient is the dream result from any new technology, and exactly the result people are discovering with mixer showers.

When people get a new faucet, they generally have three options: chrome, stainless, or nickel. Below, we will explore some of the pros and cons of a chrome finish versus a stainless faucet.

First, let us look at how they are different. A chrome faucet is generally made of a lower quality steel which is then coated with a veneer of chrome. A stainless faucet is usually made of stainless steel all the way through. In terms of functionality, there is virtually no difference between the two.

Cost

Generally speaking, a chrome faucet will be less expensive than a stainless version of the same item. Made mostly of a lesser quality material, it is easy to understand why.

Appearance

This one is pure taste. Most chrome faucets are very shiny. The finish is much like a mirror that when clean and polished, shines beautifully. The run of the mill stainless faucet has a brushed finish that is more of a matte finish than a really shiny one. The shiny chrome finish tends to collect fingerprints more readily than the matte stainless, so more cleaning may be required.

Another aspect of appearance that is worth considering is how well the faucet fits the room. For decades, virtually all faucets were chrome finish. Because of this, assuming its shape is appropriate, to most, a chrome faucet will not look out of place in any building from hovel to castle. Stainless faucets, on the other hand, have a more modern appearance to most people. Some may find stainless a jarring contrast in a more traditional setting.

Durability

In pure terms, stainless is definitely more durable than chrome finished faucets. The steel of which it is comprised is harder than the steel that usually comprises chrome faucets. In practical terms, though, there is really no difference. With normal use, there is no way anyone is actually going to break either type. The mechanisms that control the water flow are almost always the problem when a faucet actually fails and that is a function of how high the quality of manufacture is, not the material of the faucet itself.

The difference in cost between chrome and stainless faucets is small enough to consider negligible when dealing with a product that will often last decades. Every other aspect is a matter of taste. Neither is inherently better, so getting the right fit is simply a matter of choosing what looks best.