Copper Sink Buying Tips

Copper sinks are popular right now, and for good reason: they’re beautiful, durable and low maintenance. But like other products on the market, you can find inexpensive sinks and you can find sinks that cost more than all your kitchen appliances together.

Most buyers aren’t looking to spend a small fortune on a copper sink, so how do you get a high quality sink at a reasonable price? Here are some tips to consider as you look around.

Antique Copper Sink

GAUGE OR THICKNESS

The first tip for buying a copper sink: look for thick copper. You’ll find copper sinks between 14 and 20 gauge – and be careful: 20 gauge isn’t  the thickest, it’s the thinnest. For sinks you’ll want a 14-16 gauge copper. Of course the thicker the copper the high the price, so decide early how much you’re willing to spend and what gauge you want for your new sink.

Why a heavy gauge copper for your sink? The two biggest reasons:

1. You don’t want to hear a tinny sound when you run water in your copper sink.
2. Thin copper can actually dent, which would damage the beautiful looks of your sink.

100% COPPER

Another tip: make sure the sink is made of 100% copper, with no lead. Aha! Yes, some sinks are manufactured from copper mixed with lead. There can be two reasons for this. First, the copper isn’t purified so it still contains other natural byproducts like lead. Second, the copper is from recycled materials which also haven’t been cleaned up completely and contain lead. How can you assure your new sink is 100% copper? This is one of those basic know-who-you’re-buying-from answers: know who you’re buying from!

Also, check the manufacturing country of the sinks. India, Mexico and the US are the primary producers of copper sink and many manufacturers in these countries have excellent reputations.

WELDED SEAMS

Tip three: if there are seams on the unit make sure they’re welded, not soldered, for the greatest strength. And be sure they’re copper welds because other welding metals could change color over time, which could ruin the look of your sink.

Hammrd Copper Sink

The difference between welding and soldering? Welding actually melts the two metals together, and soldering just joins them by forming a seam. Makes sense that a welded seam is the stronger seam.

Okay, you’re ready to shop – take this information with you and start looking for your new, beautiful, low maintenance copper sink!