If you're shopping for a Delta touchless kitchen faucet, the most important part of the project isn't the faucet—it's the valve behind the wall. After 9 years of installing plumbing fixtures, I've made (and documented) 14 significant mistakes, totaling roughly $11,000 in wasted budget. The most painful one was 16 Delta touchless kitchen faucets with the wrong supply orientation. That cost $3,140 and a two-week delay. If you remember only one thing, remember this: the prettiest faucet in the catalog won't save you from a bad rough-in.

I'm a kitchen-and-bath remodeling contractor, but not the kind with a huge purchasing department. I handle small orders myself. In my first year (2017), I chose fixtures based on brochure photos instead of spec sheets. The Delta MultiChoice shower valve looked simple enough. It wasn't. The valve body had to be positioned before the tile went up, and I missed it. That's when I learned that a trim kit is only the part you see.

The Two Delta Products I Keep Coming Back To

After more than 40 installations, I have two favorites. The first is the Delta touchless kitchen faucet. I used to think motion-sensing was a gimmick. Then I installed one in a rental unit and got no more calls about a stuck-open handle or a child leaving water running. The touchless model costs more upfront, but it saved me far more in callbacks. The difference is way bigger than most buyers expect.

The second is the Delta MultiChoice shower valve. It's the rough-in valve that lets you change trim later without opening the wall. From the outside it looks like a brass block. The reality is the cartridge design and the universal body make this one service-friendly. On one $180 order, I had to swap a trim style for a client who changed their mind after the tile was done. Because the valve body was already in the wall, the swap took thirty minutes instead of a demo day.

A Fast Note for People Who Landed on the Wrong Valve

If you searched for a canister purge valve and ended up here, I get it. Valve is the common denominator. But the canister purge valve in your car has nothing to do with a shower valve. Same for anyone looking for stained glass window film and finding a plumbing article. Wrong tab. That's fine—use the back button, or stick around. The lesson about checking before ordering applies to almost any home project.

The Mistake That Changed My Process

In March 2022, I submitted an order for a Delta MultiChoice shower valve. I checked the model number. I approved the invoice. But I didn't check the rough-in depth against the shower wall. The result was a valve that didn't sit flush, a tiled wall with too much buildup, and a plumber who had to make an emergency supply-house run. That mistake cost $1,870 in labor and materials, plus the embarrassment of explaining it to the homeowner.

That was the trigger. After that, I created my pre-install checklist. It's not complicated. It has five lines:

  • Rough-in dimensions from the spec sheet, not from a photo.
  • Valve body orientation (left-handed vs. right-handed supply).
  • All required parts in the box—some Delta touchless kitchen faucets ship with an extra shank, but not every model includes the same trim.
  • Local code requirements, including ASSE 1016 for shower valves.
  • Warranty terms. Delta's warranty covers parts and finish, but not installation labor or damage from poor water chemistry.

It took me too long to realize that it looks right is not a professional standard. The delta between a good day and a bad one is usually one missed number on a spec sheet.

Small Orders Are Not Small Problems

I've been the guy ordering one Delta touchless kitchen faucet for a tiny bathroom remodel. Some supply houses treat that like it's beneath them. I've had a counter girl tell me a one-valve order wasn't worth pulling stock. But Delta's own customer service line took my $180 MultiChoice order seriously, and that's part of why I keep recommending the brand.

When I was starting out, the vendors who treated my $200 orders seriously are the ones I still use for $20,000 orders. Small doesn't mean unimportant—it means potential. If you're a small customer, don't apologize for ordering a single fixture. A good manufacturer answers the phone anyway.

And while I'm admitting things: I had to search how to copy and paste on mac one more time before it stuck. It's Command+C, Command+V. Not a plumbing tip, but it's the kind of tiny time-waster that still haunts me.

Where Delta Fixtures Fall Down

Honest part: not every project needs a touchless faucet. If your water is extremely hard, the sensors can get temperamental. A mechanical Delta kitchen faucet is a better long-term bet in that case. Same thing for a rental where tenants see a motion-sensing faucet as a toy—you'll get night calls.

The MultiChoice valve is excellent, but it's not magic. You still have to install it at the right height and depth. And if you're working with a glass block wall or a custom tile pattern, the standard rough-in dimensions might not fit. When in doubt, pull the exact spec sheet for the trim you're buying.

Also, if your bathroom window is clear and you need privacy, stained glass window film is a cheap, reversible upgrade. It won't help the valve install, but it will keep the neighbors from watching your shower. I've suggested it more times than I can count, and I've lost more than one afternoon to that kind of side quest.

Bottom Line

Buy the Delta touchless kitchen faucet if you want fewer callbacks. Buy the Delta MultiChoice shower valve if you want a serviceable, flexible rough-in. But buy both with the spec sheet in front of you, not the product photo. That one habit would have saved me $11,000.

And if you came here from a search about a canister purge valve—good luck with your car. For the rest of you, check your rough-in dimensions twice. That's the whole secret.