Vessel Sinks - How to avoid the splash

A common concern or misconception about having a vessel sink is that the water splash will end up all over your countertop.  Sometimes this is true but the splash rarely is because of the vessel sink.  The major contributors to water splash are the position of the faucet and high water flow rate.  Other contributors to splash include the depth and width of the vessel sink.  Vessel sinks that are less than 16 inches in diameter and less than 4 inches deep are more likely to have splash issues.

The most common culprit contributing to splash is high water velocity. Your bathroom sink water flow rate should be somewhere around 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm). Make sure your faucet is intended for a bathroom sink and not a bathtub or kitchen sink. Bathtub and kitchen faucets have higher flow rates and would definitely cause splashing in a vessel sink. Also make sure your faucet has an aerator. An aerator is a devise at the tip of the faucet that causes air to be mixed with water as it leaves the spout. Aerators help slow the flow of water and reduce your chances of splash.

Improper positioning of your water faucet is another factor leading to splash. There are many faucets that are made specifically for vessel sinks. Some faucets are extremely tall and are positioned too high above the rim of the vessel sink. You want to make sure the height of the faucet is not more than a couple inches above the rim of the sink. You also want to make sure that the faucet spout is as close to the center of the vessel as possible.

Don't let the fear of splash keep you from having a beautiful vessel sink.  Keep your countertops dry by following the simple advice provided above.