We understand the urge to pick a more affordable, unbranded no-name plumbing fixture over a more expensive, brand name one. It’s cheaper, and it looks the same—so why not, right? Well, what may be a smaller cost upfront can lead to a costlier expense down the road, as unbranded fixtures—from sink faucets to shower heads—can lead to a variety of issues for a myriad of reasons. If you need additional convincing, below we’ve listed a few points on why you should go with a brand name fixture.

Quality Means Durability

First and foremost, a quality, branded plumbing fixture will last longer than a cheaper, unbranded one. This is due to a variety of factors, with the primary reasons being the materials used in the production process. Branded fixtures are typically made with metal—brass or stainless steel—instead of plastic, which cheaper products tend to be built of. If you pick up a branded and unbranded appliance, you can literally feel the difference in quality just based on their weight, with branded fixtures often being heavier due to their better build quality.

Since most branded fixtures are made by leading names in the plumbing industry, they also go through much more rigorous testing and quality assurance compared to unbranded products. So, customers who go with brand name fixtures are much less likely to have a faulty product when they get home and go through the trouble of installing the appliance. But, ultimately, the overall build quality of branded products will mean your fixture will be working better, for longer, and require less maintenance and troubleshooting than an unbranded, more cheaply made counterpart.

Replacement Parts and Warranty

When the time does come to repair or get work done on your branded fixture, one of the best things about them is that it’s easy to find replacement parts. Because big name brands are often connected with a network of dealers and suppliers, replacement parts are easy to find for plumbing professionals, and there’s less of a chance that you’ll have to completely replace the fixture compared to nonbranded appliances. Branded fixtures also tend to come with long, inclusive warranties, while many cheaper options may not even have warranties at all for customers.

While you may assume that nonbranded, cheap appliances will be compatible with replacement parts for branded fixture, it unfortunately does not work that way. More often than naught, you’ll have to replace unbranded fixtures entirely as many do not have longstanding relationships with suppliers, meaning replacement parts are hard to come by—if they even exist. And of course, replacing the fixture outright means homeowners will have a larger fiscal expense compared to if they could simply repair the product with new parts.

The Name Brand

While unbranded products don’t have a reputation to uphold, name brands do. Companies like Moen, Delta and Kohler have been around for a while, and have stayed around because people have grown to trust the products sold by these companies over a long period of time. So while a no-name, third-party manufacturer on Amazon or at Home Depot can get away with selling you a poorly performing appliance—and not providing quality support or replacement parts afterwards—the businesses mentioned above, as well as other brand name plumbing appliance companies, cannot.

So, while it’s tempting to go with the cheaper option upfront, hopefully we’ve convinced you otherwise. And if you’re ever curious on which brand to go with, you can always ask a plumbing professional, like the ones at 535 Plumbing, what they recommend. There’s no one more trustworthy than a plumber who works day-in and day-out with these fixtures to tell you which ones will last you the longest and which will be the easiest to repair when the time comes.

535 Plumbing – Your Plumbing Fixture Experts

If you live on Oahu and are in need of a licensed plumber, choose 535 Plumbing for the job! Our team of professional Oahu plumbers are highly skilled and our excellent customer support representatives will work with you to schedule your appointments at a time you most convenient. Learn more and schedule an appointment by calling (808) 300-0535, or Visit Our Contact Us Page. Mahalo!