# New kitchen faucet, water pressure gradually getting less and less, now a trickle...



## rickandcindy23 (Aug 4, 2011)

We just got new quartz countertops and an undermount SS sink, and Rick had a heck of a time getting the new faucet mounted underneath, but I doubt that is the reason for the problem.  We aren't at all sure.

Rick took out the restricter that was easy to get out, and it was going great, lots of pressure like our old faucet.  But now it's barely coming out.  We have no leaks, and all of the other faucets are working fine.  Even the reverse osmosis is much faster than the faucet.  

It's been a gradual decrease of pressure, so that I was getting somewhat used to it, and Rick was shocked by it tonight.  The sprayer on the faucet won't even stay on now, because there isn't enough pressure.  It''s one of those pullout ones we bought at Costco, where the sprayer is the faucet, and there is a handle on the top.  

Is there another governor somewhere else on faucets to slow the flow?  Rick is about ready to rip the thing out of there and buy a new one, but I don't know if that is going to help.  And installing it with the minimal space under the sink was very difficult.  He won't enjoy doing it all over again.


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## geoand (Aug 4, 2011)

You do realize what happened to the thread that asked about someone mailing a new showerhead?  Just a friendly warning.  LOL


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 4, 2011)

geoand said:


> You do realize what happened to the thread that asked about someone mailing a new showerhead?  Just a friendly warning.  LOL



I haven't been following Ride's thread.  Is this the same basic thing?  I am trying to figure out why this faucet gets less and less water pressure, practially by the day.  It's just weird.


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## pjrose (Aug 5, 2011)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I haven't been following Ride's thread.  Is this the same basic thing?  I am trying to figure out why this faucet gets less and less water pressure, practially by the day.  It's just weird.



I'm laughing out loud  

Uh, no.....his morphed into a thread about his relationship problems.....

(Sorry about your water problems, can't help there.)


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## Rose Pink (Aug 5, 2011)

Is the strainer clogged?  That can sometimes happen if you have hard water or if you knocked hardwater deposits loose when changing the plumbing.


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## bobcat (Aug 5, 2011)

rickandcindy23 said:


> We just got new quartz countertops and an undermount SS sink, and Rick had a heck of a time getting the new faucet mounted underneath, but I doubt that is the reason for the problem.  We aren't at all sure.
> 
> Rick took out the restricter that was easy to get out, and it was going great, lots of pressure like our old faucet.  But now it's barely coming out.  We have no leaks, and all of the other faucets are working fine.  Even the reverse osmosis is much faster than the faucet.
> 
> ...



Is the hose kinked. Did you go back to the store where you purchased it ?,  Maybe, you need a new one.


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## Passepartout (Aug 5, 2011)

If you are blessed with hard water, it might well be calcuim build-up at the aerator- where the water comes out of it. Try to disassemble the 'outlet' Remember how it goes together! Once it's all apart, try the water pressure- more? If there's whiteish build-up around the holes, boil the parts in white vinegar. The white stuff should go away- reassemble and you are good to go until next time.

Jim Ricks


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 5, 2011)

pjrose said:


> I'm laughing out loud
> 
> Uh, no.....his morphed into a thread about his relationship problems.....
> 
> (Sorry about your water problems, can't help there.)





bobcat said:


> Is the hose kinked. Did you go back to the store where you purchased it ?,  Maybe, you need a new one.



Ooohhhh  - kinky.  We didn't get that in the other thread!!!! :ignore: :ignore: 

******

Getting back to the Cindy's post though, the pattern of steady decline in water pressure sounds like a buildup of a deposit somewhere that's restricting the flow.  The first place that I would look is at the aerator.  

As far as other places where they could be something restricting flow, where the hot and cold water pipes come out of the wall there should be shut off valves on each line.  Make sure those are all the way open.   While someone is down there, that's a good time to check for kinks in the line.


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## davhu1 (Aug 5, 2011)

Depends on the type of faucet.  It could be the catridge going bad.  If it is has a lifetime warranty, call the manufacturer for a replacement.  We replace ours twice in the last 5 years.  Don't know if you can find a replacement part in Home Depot.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 5, 2011)

The aerator is okay.  Rick checked that last night.  His immediate concern last night was, "Is there a leak somewhere in the sprinkler system, reducing pressure?"  He went into the basement to check for leaks, too.  He is baffled by this problem.  We have low water pressure to start, but the bathtub filled fine, and the shower is the same.  

Rick is the one that turned the water back on for the faucet.  He installed the faucet after the company put in the countertops and sink.  He is also the one that disconnected and took out the old sink and faucet (which always worked very well).  When he gets home from the firehouse tomorrow, he will crawl under there and see what's up. 

Any other ideas?  

Thanks for your help.  Maybe we will have to get a different faucet.  I think I will call my plumber nephew and see what his thoughts are.


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## Elan (Aug 5, 2011)

Maybe it got reassembled or installed incorrectly such that a gasket or O-ring is impeding the flow as the faucet gets used.


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## davhu1 (Aug 5, 2011)

The faucet catridge is not the same as the aerator.  See picture here:

http://bathroom-kitchen-faucets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/cartridge-faucet.jpg?77d4aa

another thing to check:  If you disconnect the faucet connection at the shutoff valve under the sink (I assume you have one), and water is flow is fine, then the problem is with the faucet.


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## Don (Aug 5, 2011)

That or hard water debris clogging it would be my guess.  It happened to us in our shower.  A gasket deteriorated and plugged up the hose to the shower head.  Flow died to barely a trickle, but with our problem it was immediate.  I would suggest taking the hose loose and checking it.


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## Rose Pink (Aug 5, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Ooohhhh  - kinky.  We didn't get that in the other thread!!!! :ignore: :ignore:
> 
> ******


Kinky, no; creepy, yes. Ride said things got "creepy" in one of his posts.

Don't you just love TUG?


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## Ken555 (Aug 5, 2011)

Cindy,

I had the exact same problem a couple weeks ago. I have a new kitchen and the contractor installed a temporary faucet as the one I ordered wasn't yet approved to install. Within two or three days the temporary faucet (also a nice faucet, which I believe was new) lost almost all water pressure. 

Unfortunately, I don't have the answer for you, but next time I see my contractor I'll ask. They simply replaced the faucet with the one I ordered, and it's been fine ever since. But, you're not alone, so thought I'd chime in on this thread. It was really strange... I looked under the sink adjusted valves, verified the hoses looked good, no leaks (after all, that was a huge concern since I have a new kitchen due to water damage in the first place!), etc. I saw nothing wrong. 

Good luck.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 5, 2011)

Thanks, Ken.  I am happy to know this has happened to someone else.  Rick can always put the old faucet back on to check.  It's just an odd thing, when it was working so well after Rick took that restricter out.  For it to slow again is just baffling.  The aerator is not clogged.  Rick checked that first.  And there are no kinks in the hose, I checked that today.  

Rick has so much going on with re-siding painting my stepdad's house, he hasn't had much time to mess with the darned thing.


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## "Roger" (Aug 5, 2011)

If you had new piping installed, sometimes shaving get into the pipe.  Just a thought.

Hard water seems like a stretch given the rapidity which this apparently happened.


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## Rose Pink (Aug 5, 2011)

"Roger" said:


> If you had new piping installed, sometimes shaving get into the pipe.  Just a thought.
> 
> Hard water seems like a stretch given the rapidity which this apparently happened.


Not if the hard water build up was in the pipes which got knocked loose during the installation.


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## Ridewithme38 (Aug 5, 2011)

copper can expand and contract with warmth and cold....Do you have a seperate dining room and kitchen? I'd try having a dinner in which everyone sits around the table together and truely talks about whats going in in their lives....The warmth that eminates from a loving family meal should warm up the whole house


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 5, 2011)

Ridewithme38 said:


> copper can expand and contract with warmth and cold....Do you have a seperate dining room and kitchen? I'd try having a dinner in which everyone sits around the table together and truely talks about whats going in in their lives....The warmth that eminates from a loving family meal should warm up the whole house



*RIDE!* No hijacking RickandCindy23's thread. Or corrupting it, either.  Cindy was posting about Rick crawling under the sink at night to fix the plumbing. :ignore:


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## bogey21 (Aug 6, 2011)

would it help to run the dishwasher?  It would seem to me that if water flows normally into the dishwasher, you don't have a water pressure problem.

George


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## easyrider (Aug 6, 2011)

davhu1 said:


> Depends on the type of faucet.  It could be the catridge going bad.  If it is has a lifetime warranty, call the manufacturer for a replacement.  We replace ours twice in the last 5 years.  Don't know if you can find a replacement part in Home Depot.





davhu1 said:


> The faucet catridge is not the same as the aerator.  See picture here:
> 
> http://bathroom-kitchen-faucets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/cartridge-faucet.jpg?77d4aa
> 
> another thing to check:  If you disconnect the faucet connection at the shutoff valve under the sink (I assume you have one), and water is flow is fine, then the problem is with the faucet.



davue1 is absolutly right. The way I check a slow faucet is to first remove the areator or screen. If this isn't the problem I then disconect a water supply hose , hold the open end into a bucket, turn the valve on to see if there is presure. If there is presure I then rebuild or replace the faucet.


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## pjrose (Aug 6, 2011)

"Roger" said:


> If you had new piping installed, sometimes shaving get into the pipe.  Just a thought.
> 
> Hard water seems like a stretch given the rapidity which this apparently happened.



Do people shave over a pipe?


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## pjrose (Aug 6, 2011)

vacationhopeful said:


> *RIDE!* No hijacking RickandCindy23's thread. Or corrupting it, either.  Cindy was posting about Rick crawling under the sink at night to fix the plumbing. :ignore:



:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:


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