The #1 feature of the Perlick faucet is its forward sealing design. Why is that so important? An ordinary, rear-sealing faucet closes by pushing a shuttle against the faucet shank, at the rear of the faucet. So once the tap is closed the faucet is still full of beer that has to be drained out. There is actually a pin hole in the back of an ordinary faucet that allows beer to drain. Because of this design, leftover beer residue inside the faucet makes operation sticky and can harbor bacteria which harm your beer’s flavor as it flows through the faucet. In the Perlick faucet, with its Forward Sealing design, beer only has to drain from the short 1" nozzle section. This allows it to always operate smoothly (even when it was not cleaned between uses) and greatly reduces contamination!.