Plumbing fixture manufacturers offer a dizzying array of faucet spout styles, colors and designs. Despite the myriad of choices, all faucets are derived from the few basic types of faucet spouts. For kitchen fixtures, the most common types of faucet spouts are standard, goose neck and pot filler. Among bathroom fixtures, the basic types of spouts are standard tub filler, waterfall and Roman.
The most common of all faucet spouts is the standard spout. This spout, common in apartments and in budget remodels, rises only a little from the faucet base and does not have any pull-out spray mechanism incorporated into the spout. This spout might have two handles but commonly has a single handle to dually control the hot and cold water supply. The standard spout is the least expensive because of its very basic design and rather plain appearance.
The goose neck spout, or long loop spout, boasts an extremely high, rounded spout that swivels at least 180 degrees. The high rise of the faucet spout allows for easy filling of large pots and serves as a stunning focal point for the kitchen. Bar fixtures utilize the high loop spout but are much smaller to accommodate for the smaller size of bar sinks. Many modern goose neck faucet spouts have integrated, retractable sprayers. New touch system technology for high-end faucets turns the water supply on and off when the faucet spout is touched.
A pot filler faucet spout, a unique type of faucet spout, is very convenient for filling large stock pots. This faucet spout folds in and out from its place like an accordion. The pot filler faucet spout is installed on the wall, generally above a stove or cooktop area. Rather than filling a large pot at the sink and hauling the heavy pot to the stove, the long reach spout of the pot filler fills the pot directly at the stove with minimal effort. When the faucet is no longer needed, the spout folds back against the wall behind the stove cooktop.
For the bathroom, the standard tub filler remains the most common spout. The tub filler spout is a traditional, free-standing spout installed on the wall of the tub surround. The water supply to this spout might be controlled with one handle or two, but the water supply handle and the tub filler spout are installed separately.
The waterfall bathroom spout is an attractive spout, providing water as well as beauty to the bathroom. The spout features an angled spray and nozzle, diverting the water into a thick stream resembling a miniature waterfall. These faucet spouts are constructed of metal flattened into a boxy shape, or they might feature a glass disk or plate from which water sprays.
The Roman faucet spout is very similar to the basic design of the standard tub filler spout in that the water supply is controlled by separate supply handles. Unlike the standard faucet that is installed on the tub wall, the Roman faucet is installed on the deck surrounding the tub. The Roman faucet spout might rise in height like the goose neck faucet spouts or might extend into a luxurious waterfall spout.