Recommend me a new kitchen faucet, please
June 28, 2013 8:00 PM   Subscribe

I have a four-hole sink with a gooseneck Moen. The cartridges seem to leak quickly in my experience and are expensive to replace. Is there a plumber here who agrees? I'm sick of dealing with this endlessly leaky nightmare, and I'm about ready to replace the whole faucet. Does anybody make a good faucet with simple washers anymore? I don't mind replacing those! Short question: I want a recommendation for the simplest and most sensible faucet there is. My absolute top price is $200. Must be gooseneck and must not be Moen. I'd prefer to pay $100. Or explain to why Moens are actually okay and that I should just tough it out.
posted by Camofrog to Home & Garden (6 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
I've had decent luck with Moen faucets, although I slightly prefer Delta hardware. Most Delta faucets can be fixed for eventual dripping with a $3 kit, consisting of a couple O-rings, and a little flat metal blade, that forms the actual valve and seat interface.

But I've also found that the real secret to getting good service from either replacement Moen or Delta kits is to apply just the tiniest amount of silicone grease, sold separately, to the rubber parts that contact metal. Without this "lubrication," even minor defects in the metal to rubber part surfaces become leaks, fairly quickly, especially if your water pressure is high. And with Moen hardware, you do need to carefully check the bore that the cartridge goes in for mineral buildup, and general smoothness, before installing a new cartridge. If there is any mineral buildup, or bore imperfection, you have to deal with that before installing a new cartridge, if your repair is going to last.
posted by paulsc at 10:07 PM on June 28, 2013 [3 favorites]


My former landlord, who has maintained many properties, has warned me away from Moen and recommends Grohe most highly, followed by Delta and Chicago.
posted by slidell at 11:28 PM on June 28, 2013 [1 favorite]


I actually got a great setup from ikea for super cheap.
posted by greta simone at 4:35 AM on June 29, 2013


If you really want to avoid cartridges, most cheap laundry sink faucets are old-school stem/seat valves with simple washers and o-rings. They're solid brass too, unlike even expensive kitchen faucets these days. They aren't typically gooseneck, though. You might also try to find a laboratory or medical faucet through salvage channels (new they are very $$$). They also have simple valves and are very repairable, and are always gooseneck. If it's a lab faucet it may have a hose barb, but that can be removed.
posted by werkzeuger at 4:48 AM on June 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Also, paulsc's advice re: silicone grease is spot on. It does wonders.
posted by werkzeuger at 4:50 AM on June 29, 2013


I prefer a pull-out faucet for the kitchen sink. Mine actually is a Moen and has been fine. Get whatever brand you want though. Moen faucets on bathroom sinks have the flaw that there are plastic parts connecting the metal handle to the metal cartridge and sometimes the plastic breaks. You can buy the part cheaply though and it's easy to change.
posted by w0mbat at 9:14 AM on June 29, 2013


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