Comparison ZEGOR Z63-PUD3-A045 vs Zenta Sunon Z0403

— Feather. Single-lever faucets, in which the joystick lever for controlling the flow of water is made in the form of a small narrow stick. It resembles a pen in shape and structurally enters directly into the cartridge (unlike conventional models, where such a lever is part of a plate that is attached to the cartridge). The pen can be placed both vertically and horizontally (depending on the design of the mixer). At a minimum, these products have an unusual appearance, and for some users, a joystick pen may be more convenient to use. On the other hand, such joysticks are found mainly among premium mixers.

— Elbow (medical). Taps with a water regulation lever of an unusual shape, easy to use with your elbow. Such models are especially in demand in medical institutions, when the hands of a medical employee must always be clean and close the tap with them — already a violation of hygiene standards.

— Joystick with a hole. The characteristic hole in the handle of single-lever taps plays both a decorative role and a practical one. For some models, it serves as a design element of the tap, and in general, the hole can be used to conveniently adjust the pressure and temperature of the water (by prying with a finger and then turning or raising/lowering the lever).

Possibility to turn spout from side to side. In this way, you can change the location of the water jet, which can be useful in a variety of cases. This feature of the swivel spout is most popular in two varieties. The first is bath and washbasin devices, where one spout serves both the bathtub and the washbasin. The second is kitchen taps: the ability to rotate the spout is important in order to place large dishes in the sink.

Distance from the fixing point (for vertically mounted taps) or from the centre of the mounting hole (for horizontally mounted taps) to the middle of the spout. It is a characteristic that determines the "reach zone" of the tap.

In most cases, this is not one accessory, but a whole set that allows you to use the tap for showering. A mandatory element of the shower set is a shower head, in most cases it is supplemented with its own hose. In addition, the design may provide a mount for a watering can — on the wall or directly on the tap's body (for the second option, see below). But the purpose and functionality of the shower set may be different, depending on the specialization of the tap itself (see "Suitable for"). So, in bath and shower models, water can be supplied either through a spout or through a shower set, and an appropriate switch is provided for selection (sometimes automatic, see below). Shower-only taps do not have this switch. In models for washbasins, the shower set is designed for the so-called hygienic shower — washing certain parts of the body (primarily the groin area, etc.); the watering can for such a shower is small in size and is equipped with its own button that turns the water on and off. There are even kitchen taps with this function — the shower performs the same function as the pull-out spout. And the number of modes may not be limited to one. Several hand shower modes allow you to get a shower water jet of your favour — from classic small streams to one continuous stream, with all sorts of variations. The more settings provided, the wider the choice.

A diverter is a device that switches a water flow between spout and shower head. The design of such a device and the way it is controlled can be different, in modern taps you can mainly find the following options:

— Button. Diverters of this type have the form of a button; but its design depends on the characteristics of a particular tap. In relatively simple mechanical models (most of them), the button is also made mechanical, and to switch from spout to shower, you need to pull it up. And switching in the opposite direction — from a shower to a spout — can often be carried out not only manually, but also automatically, when the water is turned off (see "Features — Shower / bath auto switch"). In some taps, auto-switching can also be blocked by the user (usually by turning the button in the up position).
In turn, in advanced electronic devices, such a diverter is made in the form of an electric button that closes the contacts that control the valve.

— Lever. Diverter in the form of a rotary lever. Most often, this lever directly controls the valve that switches the flow of water. This design is considered somewhat less reliable than push-button, but it is much simpler and cheaper, which makes it very popular — especially in relatively inexpensive taps. But in premium devices, this type of diverter can operate according to other, more advanced principles — for example, a lever can work as an electronic switch.

— Turning the spout. A r...ather rare and specific option: the role of the lever that controls the flow of water is performed directly by the spout, to the base of which a shower hose is connected. Such a control, usually, works as follows: while the spout is perpendicular to the tap body, water flows through it, and to switch to the shower, the spout turns, being under the tap. Such devices look interesting, and are convenient to use. On the other hand, they are quite complex and expensive, and the spout itself, for a number of reasons, is typically made quite short. Therefore, this variant has not gained popularity.

— Removable. A diverter located outside the body — usually between the tap itself and the spout. Typically, on one side of such a device there is a control element (most often a small lever or a rotary tap), and on the other, a pipe for connecting a shower hose. And the name "removable" suggests that this part can be easily removed if needed — unlike, for example, push-button or lever solutions, which are usually built directly into the tap body and are very difficult to dismantle or replace. Accordingly, after removal, the diverter can either be replaced with another one, or removed altogether by connecting the spout directly to the tap. This is the main advantage of this option: in case of malfunctions in the diverter, it can be removed without any problems for repair or replacement, while the tap (with the exception of the “shower part”) remains fully operational.

— Brass. Alloy based on copper and zinc; at a relatively low price, it has good strength and corrosion resistance, due to which it has become widespread.

— Silumin. An alloy based on a combination of aluminium and silicon; it has good hardness and oxidation resistance, but it is rather brittle, and therefore it is used mainly in inexpensive models.

— Stainless steel. The most common material for inexpensive models. Steel is inexpensive and at the same time has high strength. Its disadvantage is a certain tendency to corrosion (especially with processing defects, even small ones), which practically does not affect everyday use, but can affect the durability of the tap.

— Zinc. Zinc products are similar in their main properties to the silumin products described above: on the one hand, they are inexpensive, on the other hand, they are quite fragile and not particularly durable. In addition, zinc is believed to be prone to corrosion, which can eventually degrade the properties of the water coming from such a tap and make this material unsuitable for kitchen use. Therefore, zinc bodies are not common, mainly among inexpensive bath and shower taps.

— Plastic. The simplest material used in the manufacture of taps. Due to its weak strength, it is not durable, but it does not rust. It is appropriate to use for sinks of rare use — for example, for a country house.

Type of additional finishing provided in the tap. This item can specify several options — this means that this model is available in different design options. And if the finishing material coincides with the body material, this means that there is virtually no additional coating; this is found, in particular, among taps made of stainless steel, which itself is quite resistant to corrosion.

In modern taps, the following types of finishing are used: granite, chrome, chrome with granite, chrome with gold, matte chrome, stainless steel (glossy or brushed), brass, nickel, copper, bronze, gold, as well as brushed in one color or another. Here are the features of each option:

— Granite. Granite is characterized by a pleasant appearance, moreover, it is available in an abundance of different colours, allowing you to choose a tap for the design of the kitchen. Of its advantages, it is worth noting high durability, absolute resistance to corrosion and good sanitary characteristics (prevents the growth of bacteria). The main disadvantage is the high...price.

— Chrome. Chrome plating is applied to metal surfaces primarily for corrosion protection; it has a characteristic shiny (almost mirror-like) appearance. Chrome provides high resistance to oxidation and damage, yet looks good and is inexpensive — as a result, it is one of the most widely used coating materials. Its main disadvantage is the tendency to get imprints on it over time; their removal is associated with certain troubles.

— Chrome/granite. The combination of chrome and granite finish in one product. See above for more details about the features of each of these materials, but here we note that their combination implies the presence of different types of finish in different parts of the tap. Thus, the design acquires a more original and stylish appearance, greater hygiene and resistance to contamination than pure chrome, while being cheaper than pure granite. And from the point of view of the overall design of a bathroom or kitchen, it is this combination that in some cases turns out to be the best option.

— Chrome/gold. The combination of chrome finish with individual "gold" sections. The features of chrome are described above, and the "gold" elements give the product a rich appearance, while a fairly large number of buyers prefer this combination to the “solid gold” finish.

— Matte chrome. A matte variation of chrome finish (see above). On such a surface, dirt, and prints are much less noticeable than on a classic glossy; in addition, it may be more suitable in design or simply more pleasing to the eye than glossy. At the same time, the creation of matte surfaces is associated with certain difficulties, and therefore they are relatively uncommon.

— Stainless steel (glossy). Stainless steel finish is generally similar in characteristics to chrome — it is durable and resistant to corrosion. However, such a surface is somewhat different in appearance and for a number of reasons it is used mainly in premium-class models — including taps made entirely of "stainless steel" (such models, in fact, have no finish).

— Stainless steel (brushed). Similar to matte chrome, such steel is more resistant to dirt than glossy (see above), otherwise it is completely identical to it.

— Brass. Brass coating is most often combined with a body made of the same material (that is, there is actually no special finish in such a tap). One of the advantages of such a surface is a pleasant golden hue, which is especially suitable for retro-style taps. At the same time, the cost of such products for a number of reasons turns out to be quite high, besides, they are prone to the appearance of hard-to-remove prints. Therefore, they are quite rare.

— Nickel. In terms of characteristics, nickel finish is similar to chrome and is used for the same purposes, however, for a number of reasons, it is much less common than chrome.

— Copper. Finish of characteristic reddish color. Copper can give an “old” look even to a modern product, and for retro-style taps, it can be simply irreplaceable. On the other hand, this material is expensive, in part because it is difficult for copper to provide sufficient corrosion resistance.

— Bronze. Bronze is an alloy based on the copper described above and is used similarly — mainly to provide an authentic look to retro-style taps. The main difference between the two materials is the color — the bronze is somewhat darker, and the red colour is not as pronounced in it (although specific shades in different models can also be different). In addition, this material is easier to make resistant to corrosion, so bronze products are much more common than copper ones.

— Gold. Yellow alloy finish to imitate the look of gold. It is used to give the tap a rich appearance, while at the same time it is expensive in itself, as a result of which it is used mainly in premium models — in order to emphasize the level of the product even brighter. On the practical side, like any material of this level, it is characterized by high resistance to oxidation, but resistance to pollution and ease of cleaning can be different (although in most cases these indicators are also on top).

— Brushed. A brushed finish that is applied specifically to give the product a certain color — most often black or white, but other options are also found. Accordingly, the main advantage of this option is a non-standard appearance: with paint, you can achieve colors that are not available with other types of finish. At the same time, any paint perfectly resists corrosion, and the differences between different models of taps with such a finish are mainly in durability and scratch resistance. These characteristics, usually, directly depend on the price category of the product.

Country of origin of the brand under which the tap is marketed. Usually, it is indicated by the "homeland" of the manufacturing company or by the location of its headquarters. The brands under which modern mixers are produced come mainly from the following countries (in alphabetical order): Austria, Belgium, Germany, India, Spain, Italy, China, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Sweden.

There are many stereotypes associated with the “nationality” of brands and products, but most of them have no basis nowadays. First, the actual place of production is often different from the brand's country of origin. Secondly, the quality of the goods depends not so much on geography, but on the policy of a particular company and how carefully this very quality is controlled in it. Therefore, you should pay attention to the country of origin of the brand only if you fundamentally want or (do not want) to support a manufacturer from a certain state. Quality is best judged by the reputation of a particular...brand and the overall price category of the tap.