Pull Down Kitchen Faucets

How to choose pull down kitchen faucets

Measure the space above the sink first. The high arc that makes this style useful is also what collides with a window sash or a shelf behind the sink. Note the height from the deck to the underside of whatever is above it, then compare that with the spout height on the product page. A 16 inch spout under a sill at 15 inches is a problem you find out about after the counter is drilled.

Then count the holes in the sink or the counter. A single hole installation takes one fitting, and where the deck already has three holes an escutcheon plate covers the outer two. A three hole deck is drilled on 8 inch centers as standard. Cast iron and fireclay sinks are drilled at the factory and cannot be altered, so the deck decides the faucet rather than the other way around.

The last comparison is how the spray head docks and what it does once it is out. A magnetic dock pulls the head back into the spout and holds it aligned for years. A plain gravity weight depends on the hose sliding smoothly through its guide and tends to leave the head sitting slightly proud over time. Spray modes range from a stream and spray toggle to a pause button built into the head.

Hole spacing and sink clearance for pull down kitchen faucets

These are the standard North American figures a plumber works to.

Single hole: 1 3/8 inch diameter, the common size for a one piece installation.
Three hole deck: 8 inches between the outer hole centers, covered by an escutcheon if unused.
Spout height: 15 to 18 inches from the deck on most high arc bodies.
Spout reach: 8 to 10 inches, so the stream lands near the center of the bowl.
Deck thickness: check the mounting shank range against thick stone or butcher block.

Reach is the measurement people forget. A tall faucet with a short reach pours against the back of the bowl and splashes off the sink wall, and a farmhouse sink with a wide front apron makes that worse. Check the hose length as well on a double bowl, because the head has to travel to the far corner of the second bowl and out past the counter edge for filling a pot standing beside the sink.

How each spray head is controlled

Control	Best in	What it does	Price here
Single lever	Any kitchen sink, a utility sink	One handle sets flow and heat, nothing to learn	$100 to $250
Touch to start	A busy family kitchen	A tap of the wrist starts it, hands stay dirty	$200
Motion sensor	A kitchen where raw meat is handled	Nothing is touched at all, so nothing is marked	$150
Readout on the body	A kitchen where water heat matters	Shows the temperature before you fill a pot	$140 to $260
Two spouts	A sink with a filter line	Keeps a filtered stream apart from the main one	$140 to $180
Swivel spout with a hose	A double bowl, a sink near a window	Spout turns and the head still pulls out	$130 to $180

Terms on pull down kitchen faucets

Pull down spray head: A pull down head sits in the spout and comes toward you on a hose. It reaches the far corner of a double bowl and the inside of a tall pot, then returns to the spout when you let it go.
Single hole mount: Most faucets here fit one hole in the counter or the sink deck. If the old faucet used three holes, you need a cover plate, since the outer holes stay open once the old body comes off.
Stainless steel body: More faucets here are stainless steel than plated brass. Stainless does not flake at the spout joint and it holds its color under hard water, though it reads cooler than brass against warm wood.
Sensor faucet: A sensor faucet starts the flow when a hand comes near, which keeps raw meat off the handle. It needs power, so plan for a socket under the sink or a battery pack you can reach without emptying the cupboard.
Brushed nickel: Brushed nickel is a matte gray plating and the most common finish in this group. The brushed grain hides water spots better than polished chrome, which counts on a faucet used with wet hands all day.

Questions about pull down faucet installation

What is the difference between pull down and pull out?

The direction the head travels. A pull down head drops vertically into the bowl from a high arc spout. A pull out head draws horizontally toward you from a lower spout. Pull down suits deep bowls and tall pots, while pull out suits shallow sinks and short counters.

Will one of these fit a three hole sink?

Usually, using the escutcheon plate supplied with a single hole body to cover the outer two holes. Standard spacing is 8 inches between the outer centers. Check the plate width on the product page against that spread before committing to anything for a drilled deck.

How tall can the spout be under a window?

Measure from the counter to the underside of the sash and subtract two inches for clearance. Most high arc bodies stand 15 to 18 inches tall. Where the window opens inward, check the swing of the sash as well as the resting height of the glass.

Does the spray head stay docked?

A magnetic dock holds it firmly and keeps the head aligned with the spout. A gravity weight relies on the hose running smoothly through its guide, and the head can sit slightly out of line as the hose ages. The docking method is stated in the specifications.

Can one be installed without a plumber?

On an existing deck with reachable shutoffs it is a straightforward swap: close the valves, disconnect the supply lines, unbolt the old body and reverse the sequence. Drilling a new hole in stone, or moving a disposal at the same time, is where it stops being straightforward.

Nearby in the range: Bathroom Faucets, Kitchen Faucets, Single Hole Bathroom Faucets and Touchless Kitchen Faucets. The parent category is Faucets.

What is a gooseneck faucet?

A faucet whose spout rises in a tall curve, like the neck of a bird, before turning down over the sink. The point is clearance: a gooseneck leaves room to fill a stockpot or wash a sheet pan under the spout, where a low arc faucet does not. The tradeoffs are splashing, since water falls further into the basin, and sightlines, since a tall faucet in front of a window sits in the view. A high arc pull down faucet is a gooseneck with a spray head in the spout.

How much does a pull down kitchen faucet cost on this page?

The 18 faucets here span $100 to $260. The median is $180, and $250 covers nine out of ten. This is one of the tightest ranges on the site. Shipping is free and installation is not included.

Are kitchen faucets reversible or handed?

The body is not handed, and the handle usually is not either: a single lever faucet mounts in any rotation, so the handle can finish on the left, the right or the back depending on how the body is turned in the hole. What is fixed is the supply connection, which comes out of the base, and the hot and cold sides of the valve, which follow the standard of hot on the left. A left handed faucet in the sense of a mirrored body is not a product category.

Buying guide reviewed October 2026 by the OroDwell editorial team.