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Can a mini-widespread 3-hole sink faucet with 4-inch spread be replaced by centerset or widespread?

Home Improvement Asked by A L on March 13, 2021

We have bathroom sink faucets where the centers of the hot and cold handles are 4 inches apart, which means it is a mini widespread faucet. They need to be replaced. There are fewer good choices for affordable mini widespread faucets, so can they be replaced alternatively by a regular widespread or a centerset faucet instead? Centersets are made with both handles and the spout all mounted on the same flat bottom metal piece, and the sink the holes are cut into is slightly curved (see photo), however we do have another similar sink which does have a centerset faucet working fine.

Alternatively we may be interested in a widespread fixture. They typically say to use them for a range of 6 to 12 inches (sometimes explicitly saying not to use it for a 4-inch spread). But would it still work? The sink is over a cabinet, and the hoses are typically flexible, so I don’t know what the reason would be that it couldn’t work, but I’d like to check before ending up with an unusable faucet.

I found that according to a post on Faucet Shower Guide:

[Y]ou can replace a centerset faucet with widespread faucet. If you have proper space in the bathroom sink then do three holes for the widespread faucet and now you can easily replace the faucet. At the time of replacement measure faucet size, it is 4-inch or 8-inch. Replace it with the same so you don’t need to do any extra work for installation.

However I was confused by that and am not sure what it’s saying.

Sink faucet
Old mini widespread sink faucet with ruler

One Answer

The problem with a traditional widespread faucet would normally be the sheer physical size. You will probably find that the girth of the spout where it meets the deck will interfere with the handle escutcheons/trim. However, if you find one that fits there should not be a problem.

Centerset lavs are typically fine to use where a mini-widespread was installed. In fact, the mini-widespreads are a (relatively) new type of product to give consumers a more decorative option for sinks originally designed for the formerly "standard" 4" centerset lav.

Correct answer by Jimmy Fix-it on March 13, 2021

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