drinks are how they make their money. at movie theaters it is popcorn. this is stuff that costs pennies but has a very high mark up percentage. It allows a lower percentage of mark-up for other items, which would not tolerate a larger mark-up.
I am sure some of our business marketing gurus could add more.
I ended up at Lowes. (didn't even know we had one) no great deals. Found better stuff at Costco - so I returned most of it less than 2 hours later... Saved over $75 and got better quality product at Costco.
I replaced mine a few months ago... I did a lot of comparison shopping, and ended up getting one from the local plumbing supply shop... the cost was comparable to Home Depot and Sears (no lowes near me) and the warranty was phenomenal in comparison.
Might be worth it to expand your search.
This is one of those items that I feel the investment is worth it because:
It should last a LONG time
I can't fix it myself if it breaks
We can't live without one (for a few days if there was a problem...)
It can make a He!! of a mess if there is a problem
Oh, now I can't find it. I know it was there. This is the only board I post on.... I know I posted about it... and I was responding, I was not the thread starter... sometimes I really feel like I am losing my mind.