Which material for the mixer is better - silumin or brass: features of silumin and brass

In a new state, brass and silumin mixers practically do not differ from each other, and both at first can become an adornment of your design. However, a mistake in the choice can become decisive and affect the reliability and durability of the product.

Features of brass faucets

This material is a mixture of copper and zinc alloy, while the latter imparts better machinability, making the crane much cheaper than its pure copper counterpart. In addition, it endows brass with increased corrosion resistance and the ability to withstand sudden temperature changes, therefore, such mixers can serve stably for a long period of time without losing their operational properties.

Initially, brass has a light golden color (due to which it is used in the jewelry industry), but in most cases, the taps are coated with a different material: nickel, bronze or chrome, the latter most often.

The chrome-plated surface is endowed with a mirror-like shine, but stains and fingerprints remain on it, so it needs to be cleaned more often than matte. Nickel-plated mixers have it.

Reference. There are also faucets with a coating that is analogous to bronze, the characteristic brown tint is given to it by the epoxy resins contained in the composition. This option is much better and more reliable than pure bronze products.

There are also elite gold-plated or silver-plated models that will look luxurious in rich interiors.

Brass faucets are durable, easy to repair (and European plumbing manufacturers tend to use the same sizes) and durable (their service life reaches 5 years and longer), but they also have drawbacks, for example, they are not too resistant to scratches and chips, but this is not affects.

If you purchase a brass faucet without a surface coating, keep in mind that over time, a greenish coating will form on it, which, however, can be easily removed with improvised means. In addition, brass taps are often overpriced.

Reference. Now a trend has emerged among interior designers - multi-colored faucets. The required color or pattern is given to them using powder application.

Brass taps are used absolutely everywhere: in apartments and public places, in kitchens and bathrooms. Depending on the design and finish, they can be integrated into the interior in any style: from classic to modern.

Sometimes manufacturers, wanting to save money, make brass mixer handles from plastic. This is an unreliable option and should be avoided as much as possible.

Characteristics of silumin faucets

This material consists of about 90% aluminum and 10-15% silicon (or, in more complex alloys, contains other alloying elements). It was invented in the 20th century and, in addition to plumbing, was used in aircraft production, as well as in shipbuilding and space industrial activities. Plumbing devices from it began to be made relatively recently.

Reference. At the moment, silumin occupies about 55% of the sanitary ware market.

Due to the properties of silumin, the crane is characterized by lightness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. In addition, it is distinguished by its plasticity and ease of processing, therefore there are a huge number of design solutions for such products. On the plumbing market, you can find silumin mixers for every taste.

But they have disadvantages, and more significant than advantages. This is a very short service life, which takes no more than a year and a half. After that, users of such mixers complain about leaks and breakdowns, moreover, repairs in this case does not save: when replacing the gasket or repairing cracks, the leak occurs after a short time in another place. Therefore, only a complete replacement of the device will cost less and more efficiently.

In addition, silumin faucets very quickly lose their presentation, becoming covered with scratches and abrasions. The inside of the tap quickly becomes covered with limescale, which can lead to blockages.

Silumin mixers are also incredibly fragile: they can literally be broken with bare hands.

The question may arise - what is such plumbing for? Usually, silumin cranes are bought for summer cottages, because they are not used as often there as in houses, and therefore they last longer. Moreover, they usually have the lowest price of all materials.

Reference. For the same reason, they are purchased for temporary housing.

How to distinguish brass from silumin

Outwardly, they do not differ in any way from each other - both can have both a shiny and matte surface, as well as a wide variety of designs. But there are some details.

First of all, it is cost. In a silumin mixer, it will always be lower than in a brass one. So you will have to pay more for durability, but in this case, the benefit is 100% payback.

Another nuance is weight. Silumin is lighter. However, this was until recently, now manufacturers have learned to add heavy metals to it in order to pass it off as a different material.

Be sure to check the technical documentation of the product: it must be marked "Al". If you see the letter "L", then most likely you are dealing with silumin.

Which material is better

Definitely brass. Silumin wins only by cost. However, after a year and a half, when numerous repairs are required, up to a complete replacement of the mixer, you still have to spend money.

As already mentioned, this moment does not matter when your main goal is to save money. If a long service life is important for you, brass is in the lead by a huge margin.

So we figured out how these materials differ from each other and which one is better according to different criteria. But which of this is more important - you decide for yourself.