Losing a tug of war with my faucet.

April 22, 2008 9:49 AM

We're in the middle of a big kitchen remodel and have been stymied by (of all things!) the kitchen faucet decision. We've been looking at models with integrated sprayer heads that pull out from the faucet but just received a warning about that style of faucet. As a result, I find myself querying the hive mind looking for people who have this style faucet.

Our current faucet is the kind with a seperate sprayer attachment, which we hate because (1) it doesn't like to return to its spot without wrestling it and (2) it doesn't divert that much water and the spray is a bit anemic. We were looking at one where the sprayer pulls out and doubles as the main faucet.

However, one of our friends advised us that he had a Delta faucet of this design and he hated it. He reported that the sprayer wouldn't stay put when in the retracted position and that the pull out didn't like to return to the original position without a fight.

He thought it may have been a result of his tendency to go for the lowest price at all decision points, but the fact that we had essentially this problem already made us nervous. If you have purchased a "pull-out spray" faucet, we'd love to hear if you like it or hate it.

Here is an example of the type

posted by Lame_username to shopping (27 comments total)

Ours works fine, the only issue is keeping clearance for the hose under the sink- it occasionally seems to get hung up on a knob or other plumbing down there. This is an issue when pulling it out, not putting it back in.

We didn't have any issue with the sprayer not sitting in the right place, but we got the midrange model, not the cheapest- I'd recommend the same; there's no such things as cheap haircuts or cheap plumbing, for many of the same reasons.
posted by jenkinsEar at 9:54 AM on April 22

I've had one of these, a Delta, for eight years. It works fine. After about 7 years it developed a leak. Delta replaced it for free. I think I spent about $150, a bit pricey but worth it.
posted by Wet Spot at 10:02 AM on April 22

My parents have one, though I don't know what type it is, and it works exactly as it should. Stays put just fine and returns happily when we're done with it.
posted by Tomorrowful at 10:03 AM on April 22

I don't like ours - it's a Moen. Sometimes it doesn't retract correctly and just sort of dangles there. Looks quite sloppy. And even when it is retracted fully, it still lacks that sleek seamless look. Also, the "buttons" to switch it from spray to regular tend to be very difficult to engage and so you have to really put muscle in to it to move from one spray function to the other.

This is what we have.
posted by Sassyfras at 10:06 AM on April 22

I've had two of these faucets so far and will be buying a third for our new house. They are great and I've never had either of the problems your friend experienced. Both have been Moen faucets at the low end of the price range The removable section of the tap was held into the stationary section by a pair of o-rings; maybe his were wore out?

The hoses need to be weighted (supplied with the taps I've bought) and routed correctly, difficulty with retraction is usually either an installation problem or caused by interference from items stowed under the sink preventing the hose from coming down.
posted by Mitheral at 10:07 AM on April 22

As a Realtor, I see a lot of houses with those faucets and often see them broken or not sitting properly. For something that gets used as much, and often roughly, as a kitchen sink I don't like plastic parts - which all of the ones I saw for under $200 had.

That said, I wanted a hose but didn't want to cut a fourth hole in my sink and went with a newer Moen design that has a single lever and spout in the middle hole, a hose on the left and a soap dispenser on the right.
posted by jeffmik at 10:08 AM on April 22

I stayed in a condo-cum-hotel room in Canada which had an absolutely marvelous one of these. I want to say it was a Delta fixture but I don't completely trust that recollection. It was very solidly constructed (i.e. metal) and a joy to use. They do exist and I'm shopping for one now as a matter of fact. Check plumbing supply stores, they have a much more balanced range versus the somewhat sparse selection in your average Home Depot or similar.
posted by Skorgu at 10:15 AM on April 22

Mine is a Grohe and has worked fine for years.
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:25 AM on April 22

My parents have this delta faucet and they haven't had any problems with it. Theirs always goes right back where its supposed to with out any trouble.
posted by lilkeith07 at 10:25 AM on April 22

Our current faucet is the kind with a seperate sprayer attachment, which we hate because (1) it doesn't like to return to its spot without wrestling it and (2) it doesn't divert that much water and the spray is a bit anemic.

Just FYI, on your second point, that's easily fixed. Check out the diverter valve and spray head aerator for mineral deposits or other clogs. Soak both, or even the whole sprayer/hose/valve assembly, in vinegar overnight if it looks crusty.

You can also just replace some or all of the sprayer parts. Your first point sounds like an issue with the stiffness of the hose. I'd look for a more flexible one at a hardware store and see if that helps. All of this would probably be cheaper than a $200 replacement faucet.

Lowe's has this visual guide to these repairs. It's pretty simple.
posted by autojack at 10:28 AM on April 22

We have one similar to the Moen up above, and like it just fine. What we hate about our sink, though, is that it is split down the middle in such a fashion that it is impossible to wash a skillet or large pot. I will also say that although our faucet can switch from a constant stream from the middle into little streams in a circle (I have no idea what the right term for this is) we never ever switch it.
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:30 AM on April 22

I went through the same decision making process recently. In fact, our kitchen will have two sinks (one main, one prep) so I had to decide twice. I really wanted a separate sprayer for the same reasons you mention but it was really hard to find a decent one in my price range. I did end up with two faucet/sprayer combo units. They haven’t been installed yet but I’ll mention why I came up with the models I did.

For the main sink, the one we’d be doing dishes in, I knew the sprayer would get constant use. I went with a Hansegrohe Allegro. I liked this one because the sprayer doesn’t hang from the sink like it does in a lot of faucets, instead it “sits” in a socket. This way I’m not relying on the weight of the hose to keep it in place. I also liked the clean lines of this model.

For the prep sink I went with a Grohe Ladylux Pro. This one the sprayer hangs down but I didn’t think it would get as much use on this sink. I wanted a sprayer for washing veggies and cleaning the sink but I liked that it was sort of hidden on this one. It's not obvious there's a sprayer.

For both sinks I liked the fact that we’ll only have one hole cut in the counters. I like things neat and tidy.

Also, I had a great experience buying from Faucetdepot.com. Decent prices and very fast shipping. Avoid buyplumbing.net at all costs. They had the lowest prices on Amazon.com but it seems they don't actually like to ship their products once you buy them.
posted by bondcliff at 10:30 AM on April 22

Not quite what you're asking, but I'll toss this out there. You can buy little sprayer attachments for a regular style faucet. Look for a screw on aerator with an adjustable head. I have one that's similar to this. It depends on the size of your sink/faucet height if that'll be a good solution for you. Home depot has a good selection of them and they're really cheap. Do think about installing an aerator though, they'll help you to use less water.
posted by Craig at 10:30 AM on April 22

We have had one very similar to this for over a year now with absolutely no problems. In fact, we had problems with the old, separate, spray head getting its hose tangled up beneath the sink that have disappeared with the new faucet. I didn't think we paid that much for it, but looking at the Lowe's website (where we actually bought it, although I have done business with Faucet Direct in the past and like them) it looks like we did. I am having to install a reducing valve because my water presssure is too high, but the new faucet handles it just fine, so I have tested it on at least one durability factor.
posted by TedW at 10:33 AM on April 22

I just replaced the sprayer part of my delta one because I failed to clean the mineral deposits off as autojack describes, above - when the sprayer holes became clogged, water ran down the faucet and dripped down through the pull-out connection hole. If you have hard water, you might look for a different kind of sprayer design.
posted by zepheria at 10:40 AM on April 22

We have a pull-out faucet/hose and I love it. It was there when we moved in, so I don't know what brand it is, though I'm almost certain it was from Ikea. I can't find it on the Ikea web site, but it's very similar to this design. I don't have any problems getting it to sit right in the base - maybe because ours is at a different angle and the base is below the lever, compared to the one you were considering?

The only complaint I have about ours is that it has a big crack in the handle, which trickles water all over the place. But if you get a quality (maybe metal?) one, that shouldn't be a problem.
posted by LolaGeek at 10:57 AM on April 22

We have one that's been in place for @ 4 years, and we pull the faucet out VERY regularly to fill pots and stuff. It's a fairly cheap model from Lowe's and we've never had a speck of trouble with it.
posted by ersatzkat at 11:48 AM on April 22

Just FYI, on your second point, that's easily fixed. Check out the diverter valve and spray head aerator for mineral deposits or other clogs. Soak both, or even the whole sprayer/hose/valve assembly, in vinegar overnight if it looks crusty.

You can also just replace some or all of the sprayer parts. Your first point sounds like an issue with the stiffness of the hose. I'd look for a more flexible one at a hardware store and see if that helps. All of this would probably be cheaper than a $200 replacement faucet.

I hear you and I am quite certain that you are right. However, I should have asked you to have this conversation with us before we replaced the cabinets and countertops. At this point a few hundred for a faucet seems like nothing. I have lost all sense of proportion now. I shall be lighting my cigars with hundreds now (at least I will if I learn to tolerate the stench).
posted by Lame_username at 12:20 PM on April 22 [1 favorite]

For the main sink, the one we’d be doing dishes in, I knew the sprayer would get constant use. I went with a Hansegrohe Allegro. I liked this one because the sprayer doesn’t hang from the sink like it does in a lot of faucets, instead it “sits” in a socket. This way I’m not relying on the weight of the hose to keep it in place. I also liked the clean lines of this model.

This very model is on the short list of three, I believe. My lovely bride likes the mod styling.
posted by Lame_username at 12:31 PM on April 22

I have this faucet which seems to work well though I have only had it a few years.
posted by jadepearl at 12:40 PM on April 22

I have a Delta that has worked fine. The only problem I've ever had is that the sprayer/faucet will occasionally come unscrewed and spray water all over the place. I'm almost sure that I, rather than the faucet, am to blame. Never bothered to use any plumber's tape or loctite.
posted by Carbolic at 12:47 PM on April 22

This very model is on the short list of three, I believe. My lovely bride likes the mod styling.

As I said, I haven't installed it yet so I can't vouch for how it works. It has been delivered though, and I've held it in my hands and caressed it the way one might caress a new baby or handgun, and it feels incredibly solid, much different from the el-cheapo faucets they have hanging on the wall at Home Depot. It feels like it will last a lifetime.
posted by bondcliff at 1:47 PM on April 22 [1 favorite]

I would bet that the people with problems are people whose faucets weren't installed properly. If there is junk in the way of the hose under the counter, or if the hose was tightened with the hose not being "straight up", it will never work right.
posted by gjc at 3:27 PM on April 22

Our WR from Costco (an absoute bargain and quite well-made) works perfectly.
posted by JMOZ at 3:58 PM on April 22

We just finished a remodel and put in the Grohe Ladylux Pro that bondcliff mentioned. It was one of our big splurge items, and I absolutely love it. The temperature/pressure control/handle thing is very nice, and I love the attached sprayer nozzle.

Something to keep in mind is that the hose portion of the sprayer is adjustable when it is installed, so make sure your plumber makes it as long as you would like. Ours was initially a bit short and had to be corrected. Also, there is an adjustment period when switching to a faucet with a higher arm. The first couple of times I used it, there was a lot of splatter, but I don't seem to have that problem anyone. I must be holding things lower in the sink, but it isn't something I notice. Overall, fantastic faucet.
posted by defreckled at 7:10 PM on April 22

Back in the pre-history of my life, I used to be responsible for this Swiss faucet brand in Mexico City. I was involved with importing, sales, distribution and, most importantly for this conversation, service of installed products. I got to see them in pristine, brand-new condition, inspect them after six years of daily use, and everything in between.

After my experience, I would not hesitate for a second to get one of those faucets, but I would make sure to get one of the high-end brands. Make sure the body and moving parts in the faucet are solid metal and it'll work flawlessly for years and years. Service is limited to changing the hose every couple of years and that's it. Good luck with your remodel.
posted by Cobalt at 8:38 PM on April 22

We've had a Price Pfister Parisa for a couple years and have no complaints to report. We were worried that water might leak back under the sink when the hose was pulled out and water sprays about, but that has never happened. The pull-out faucets are at least 100% more handy than the fixed faucets and make washing bigger pots and pans easier.

We installed our faucet ourselves and we are only moderately handy people. We had originally chosen a Moen faucet that sat slightly higher, but after 2 trips to return boxes missing vital parts we went with the Price Pfister and have been very satisfied with its performance and lower profile. Since it pulls out the height doesn't really matter and we are pleased that we didn't go with a faucet that would have blocked the view of our backyard.
posted by wherever, whatever at 11:58 PM on April 22