If you want a separate drinking water faucet at your kitchen sink in St. Louis, the first question is not the filter. It is whether your sink already has a free hole for another faucet. Many kitchen sinks in St. Louis homes came with a few holes already cut into the sink deck, but the count and spacing vary from sink to sink. Older holes are sometimes covered with a plate, a rubber stopper, or a soap dispenser. Checking the deck before you shop prevents a lot of guessing later.
What the sink deck holes do
The sink deck is the flat surface around the basin where the main faucet mounts. Holes in that surface carry the faucet body, any sprayer hose, and sometimes a soap or lotion dispenser. A separate drinking water faucet needs its own hole, or it may share a hole with an accessory if the faucet design allows it. Some sinks have a single center hole, while others have holes already set for a faucet and sprayer. Your sink type tells you what is possible before you buy anything.
Checks to run before you buy
- Look at the sink deck from above and note every hole, including any that look plugged with a cover, a stopper, or a dispenser.
- Identify the sink style, such as single basin, double basin, or farmhouse, since the mounting surface changes with the design.
- Look for a counter edge, backsplash, or window ledge that could limit where a new faucet can sit and where its handle can swing.
- Check the countertop material, whether solid surface, stone, laminate, or stainless steel, because drilling and sealing work differently on each.
- Note whether the main faucet has a sprayer, since a sprayer already uses a hole and a second faucet may need a different spot.
Dealing with holes that are already filled
A hole filled with a cover plate is usually easy to reuse, but a cover that is glued, caulked, or pressed tightly in place may need careful removal first. Do not force a cover out with a tool that can scratch the finish. Lift it gently and inspect the edge underneath. Cracks, chips, or a loose seal around the hole are signs to slow down and get a professional opinion before you use it for a new faucet.
If no hole is free, a new one may be possible on some sink materials, but that is a job for a licensed plumber who knows what your sink is made of. Stainless steel, enameled cast iron, and stone each react differently to a drill bit. A poor cut can crack a sink or leave a rough edge that is hard to seal, so ask about the plan before any work starts.
Matching the faucet to the hole
Once you know what holes you have, match the faucet to the space. A single-hole faucet fits a single opening. Some drinking water faucets sit on a small base that needs a free hole and room for a tube running down under the counter. Check the mounting type listed for any faucet you consider. Confirm that the handle clears the backsplash and that the spout does not hit the window or a nearby cabinet when it turns.
Look under the sink before you drill
The hole you choose has to line up with open space under the cabinet. A new faucet with a tube coming down into a crowded cabinet can be hard to route and hard to service later. Look at what is already there before you pick a spot:
- The drain trap, supply lines, and any existing water filter housings
- The garbage disposal mount, if your home has one
- The cabinet back panel and shelf positions
- A clear path for the new tube and a clear route for the drain line
Questions to write down for your St. Louis plumber
Bring a short list so the visit goes smoothly. Ask what material the sink is made of, whether the existing holes can be reused, what the plan is if no hole is free, and how the new faucet will be sealed and supported. Ask how the work will be done around the existing sprayer and any soap dispenser. If the answers are unclear, that is useful information too.
Homeowners in St. Louis who take time with the deck first tend to have fewer surprises later. The goal is a clean, sealed opening that fits the faucet you chose and leaves the rest of the sink working the way it did before.