OT: Kitchen Faucets (Brad White)

John Starcher_4

I have had just the opposite experience with Kohler. I order the parts through my wholesaler, and it's almost always 2 - 3 weeks until I get them.

What is your secret????

Brad White_198

Sorry to bug you guys but

I replaced our kitchen faucet set last fall, (Grohe I believe, but that is not necessarily a factor. Not the cheapest one, being about $100-125 IIRC). Ceramic seats. Worked great for a few months then the drips started, hot water side only.

The problem went away, now it is back as a constant trickle despite flushing and back flushing.

Can these seats be repaired/re-ground or should they even need to be? Should I be going with a different make?

What brand and model would you recommend or put in your own house which will last longer than the age of a Chinese Olympic gymnast?

Thanks!

Mike T., Swampeast MO

I have lots of Grohe faucets in my house in use for 6+ years. Only one leaked after some debris got caught in the cartridge breaking a number of the tiny little ceramic "fingers" inside--I actually heard them break. Just replace the cartridge. Very easy job. All mine are two-handle models. Most of the handles are a very firm press fit--if you don't see an Allen head in the handle, just pull--hard.

Those ceramic cartridges are [supposed] to be self-cleaning. If you ever get a drip--or even a stream--just move the handle back and forth a number of times and it should stop. If it doesn't you can bet that some especially large piece of debris got lodged and caused permanent damage to the cartridge.

ScottMP

Brad

The ceramics can break and can get scratched. By a new stem, it should be easy, even for an engineer

A Grohe kitchen faucet is usually more than a hundred.

Scott


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Ruthe Jubinville_2

GROHE

inmy kitchen but it was more like $400 Lady lux pull out faucet/spray. Jerry put in many of them Smoothest pull out faucet that I have ever seen. Love it. Ruthe

jim_94

When I change out my Kohler fairfax, I plan on putting in a Franke, not sure of the model yet. We've put in a few, I want to say the six hundred or four hundred series. It's not the cheap one granite counter tops "give" you for free. Best k-faucet I've ever seen. Pricey though, I think retail is $6-700. Worth it in my opinion.

Don \"Grumpy\" Walsh

Expansion tank?

Every time I get a hot side only leak on a faucet, it tells me that my expansion tank bladder has gone to pot. I replace the tank, the dripping stops. Just and idea of somethinf else to consider IF you have an expansion tank on your system.

tim smith

Brad, I think you need to calculate the life cycle of the seal

1st then calculate the net effect of drip loss rate vs mental anguish of replacing it vs the the chinese water torture effect. This will give you a value that only an engineer will understand and or care about. Only after this can you replace with a clear mind... PS, I was going to give you this calculation but I think you should come up with it yourself.

Brad White_198

Mental Anguish

Chinese water torture aside, it is not my mental anguish at issue here... I will seek the new cartridge but also see if I did not toss that warranty card...

On the expansion tank issue that Don raised, this is an interesting condition, second question if you would:

We do not have an expansion tank and no check valve so there should be no dead-ended issue to speak of. I had originally thought that, but the city pressure is just under 80 lbs. and residual under flow is about the mid 60's.

BUT, the dripping started again a couple of months ago only when the tub or shower upstairs was being run (!). That to me would indicate a DROP in pressure, a form of relief at the very least. When the tub stops, so does the drip, or it did.

Paul Fredricks_9

If not your Mental Anguish...

One must assume it's the wife's? Her anguish is yours, and yours is yours. Welcome to married life.

Steamhead (in transit)

Domestic Water Pressure

"Just under 80 psi"? That might be a bit too high even so. 80 psi is the legal max limit under most codes, as you know. Do you have a pressure reducing valve on your system? I like to keep the pressure no more than 65 psi. using a PRV and expansion tank. Faucets etc. seem to last longer at lower pressures. In the watches of the night, the pressures may climb higher than 80 psi.

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Steamhead (in transit)

Delta!

They've had the same good basic design since the 1960s. I've seen some that were in use for 10 years without leaks. And you can find parts for them anywhere.

"Steamhead"

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Jack_44

alternative brand

We've used T&S Brass for years. You'll see these products in restaurants, labs, hospitals.

We're happy with the products - not the most stylish, unless you're looking for industrial style. Solid, well-made, relatively expensive, compared to the stuff available in big boxes. (A disclaimer: my wife produces a lot of their catalogs, etc.) They have a line or two made off-shore, but the top end products are made here in SC.

Steverino

call 'em...

Give Grohe a call. They warrant against defects for 1 year. They'll replace the cartridge free of charge.

bob young

chicago or symnnons

fine engineering both. made to last a lifetime. case closed

ScottMP

Delta ??

I don't know Frank, I've been a plumber for 30 years and I would'nt install them. Matter of fact none of the suppliers around here carry them.

Plenty of them at Home Depot though !!

Scott

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Ruthe Jubinville_2

Delta

Just packed a Delta in my bathroom that Jerry put in 20 years ago. have several in the house and he put in many of them over the years. Thank heavens I learned something from him so I could do it. Still look good and works well. Just my opinion. House has only Grohe and delta. Some extremes huh? Ruthe

bob young

faucets & junk

DELTA = plastic garbage grohe = over rated overpriced & decorator junk ........ symnnons = best buy for quality & engineering ..... chicago superior product , always was

Steamhead (in transit)

Well, well

in Baltimore our suppliers still carry Delta faucets. We don't get them in the Orange Box.

Not only can we find parts for Delta faucets anywhere, but you can fix most Deltas with the same seats and springs. Cuts down on inventory. Once in a while one will need a cartridge, but they're easy to find too.

If there's a lot of grit in the water, no faucet will go for long between repairs.

What amazes me is that some companies still sell faucets that use washers. Unless they're mounted on Jenkins discs, washers simply don't last.

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ScottMP

I agree with washers.

Everyone has their opinion, I just wanted to make mine known. They must sell alot cause their still in busines/ I like Grohe their stuff lasts ..

Does Anyone still make a faucet with washer ???

Scott

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Steamhead (in transit)

Gerber still does

and many Chicago and T&S units still have washers. Also much of the ultra-cheap home center stuff.



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Larry Weingarten

and/or...

... Try Chicago Faucets. Get new old stock off E-bay. Found $35 for a kitchen faucet. They tell me it's covered the life of the house, so I'm hoping for 200 years ;~)

Yours, Larry

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

I Vote Kohler

They ship replacement parts to your door in a few days, for no charge, and they never asked me for a receipt or warantee card.

Thanks, Bob Gagnon

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Steamhead (in transit)

I've been waiting for someone to ask

what a Jenkins disc is...... ;-)

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Ray_14

Try American Standard

American Standard makes a fantastic cermacic cartridge faucet. It is self cleaning and very hard to scratch the cartridge. Try one and you will see the difference. But as all the manufacturers are doing, they are selling to the " Big Boxes". And as always, they are not the same faucets as our wholesalers are selling.

Ray

mtfallsmikey

Delta \"junk\"?

Dad sold Delta, A/S, Kohler, Crane....might be plastic junk now, but the 100/400 series of single levers were our best seller, easy to maintain, ball design goes back to the mid 50's...Brad, I run 85 psi in both my buildings, use 2/ 130 GPM booster pumps per building, 175 gal. exp. tank on the 6th floor of each building...some buildings in my area run 90-100 psi.

gerry gill

Brad

Grohe's are warrantied for life..call the rep and they will send you a new part free..i love Grohe and they do sometimes have issues just like everyones..but when i've put them to task on the warranty they send the part out every time..and quickly..even an areator was sent once and we all know that its crap in the water that screws up areators..they sent it free anyways..their support is so good that i now push there faucets over all others and the selling feature i use is my experiances with warranty issues..people want to know things are backed..my 2cents

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drew_13

I agree with gerry. Grohe is a quality faucet, and has a great warrentee. As for Delta being junk thats Bull. For the money I dont think you can get better. In the north east it would be hard to find a supply shop with out delta parts because they use the same parts in all there faucets, not like other manufactures. Kohler looks nice but with the hard water in this area, i find a lot of problems with them & it takes me some time to get parts from them. Dont think your dripping faucet is related to the tub upstairs or the pressure in the house. The pressure will wear out the faucet faster, but the faucet is not going to stop leaking with less pressure. Change the cartridge.

Rich Kontny_3

faucets

The best I have ever seen are Dornbracht and yes they are very expensive. Grohe are fine yet I have to agee with the Chicago recommendation. Pound for pound one of the best faucets on the market.

You have to be very gentle with Deltas as they are often slammed shut and leak around the ball seal.moen has lifetime cartridges yet they have definitely had their problems with pullouts etc.

Kohler is over rated and over engineered (too many parts)
American Standard actually has a decent cartridge type kitchen sink faucet that has a lifetime warranty.

Ceramic Kohlers work fine yet they are also over priced.