I'm replacing my bathroom faucet. What does it mean to center measure ? How exactly do I do this?

Question

I find faucets described as 4" center and 8" center...what does this mean?

Answer 1

The center measure is just that... it is the distance from the center of the hot water supply connection to the center of the cold water supply connection.

The 4" and 8" centers are the standard for kitchen and bath connections.  The 4" being the bath and the 8" being the kitchen.  Some sinks do not come predrilled so that you can do whatever you want with the faucet, but these are rare.

As the previous answer suggested... you measure from the center of one hole to the center of the other hole.  If you have a standard bath fixture now it will be 4" centers.  If you measure it and it is slightly more or less don't worry about it.  The holes are big enough to allow for some amount of variance in manufacturing facilities.

Don't forget to shut off the water before you start... and follow the directions carefully.  They usually have a reason for the sequence of events they set out for you to follow... and skipping one could mean a poor installation as far as looks or function.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 2

The measurement is from the exact center of one hole in the sink to the exact center of the other hole.

It can also be done by measuring the left edge of one the the left edge of the other.

Either way, faucet sizes are pretty standard.