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dawnejoanne · Jan 24, 2008, 05:55 PM

Hello,

I am having a problem with low water pressure through my kitchen faucet but water pressure through the sprayer is fine. It is a Moen faucet don't know the model # but series # is 7400. The kitchen was recently renovated so the faucet is quite new maybe
2 years old. Wondering if anybody knows what might be causing this problem and how I might fix it.

hkstroud · Jan 24, 2008, 07:03 PM

Remove and clean or replace aerator

dawnejoanne · Jan 24, 2008, 07:15 PM

Is the aerator the screen that screws on the end of the faucet? If it is, then we have already done that and are still having the problem. We took the faucet apart and cleaned everything with CLR. Still have low water pressure even with the aerator (?) off.

massplumber2008 · Jan 24, 2008, 07:57 PM

OK... this is a single handle faucet... yes? AT this point, shut off the hot and cold water shutoffs under sink... remove allen screw from under colored plastic cap at single handle lever and remove cartridge assembly. Then with a cloth covering the faucet, pulse the cold and hot (be careful) water to see if there is full pressure and to clear lines of any debris... check cartridge for anything odd at this point as well.

Re-install cartridge and turn on water supply... re-install handle... turn on and see what happens. If this does not fix AND you have confirmed full/good pressure from hot and cold water will probably need to replace cartridge.\

Call 1-800-buy -moen and they will send a replacement cartridge at no cost to you at all... Moen faucets have a fantastic lifetime warranty that they take very serious! Good for you!

Hey , if my answer helped please RATE MY ANSWER by clicking on button below... thank you... and if this did not fix... let us know so we can see what else to do.

dawnejoanne · Jan 24, 2008, 11:42 PM

Thank you very much for your answer. We took the faucet apart further than we had the first time and found a strange white substance clogging the white plastic sleeve thingy with the holes in it (sorry, not familiar with the plumbing lingo), cleaned it out, pulsed the hot and cold like you said, put everything back together and now it works great! Wonder what that white stuff was. Any idea? Thanks again.

massplumber2008 · Jan 25, 2008, 05:24 AM

Hmmm... could be teflon tape used at anytime... from almost anywhere in the system... sometimes it just shows up and clogs things (just like your faucet).. doesn't happen tooooo often so do not worry too much about future issue. Glad it is fixed!!

hkstroud · Jan 25, 2008, 06:18 AM

Mass is probably correct, but if it happens again or if you find the white stuff in other faucet aerator's, look at your water heater. You could have a deteriorating dip tube.

speedball1 · Jan 25, 2008, 06:46 AM

Massplumber and hkstroud both have the same question. "What's that white stuff?" I wonder too. Does it crumble when you roll it around your fingers or does it stay hard? If it crumbles then it could be mineral build up,( calcium carbonate) from a water heater that has not been maintained properly. If it's a hard white plastic then you have a dip tube in the heater that's disintegrating and must be replaced.
I'm going to assume that you donot flush yourheater out on a regular basis. Let me show you how. For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run until the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) followed by white or yellow grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. Now flush out your hot water lines on ALL fixtures that are affected . Now pull each aerator and clean the screens. Be sure you put them back togather the same way you took them out. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it
Let me know if the white stuff crumbles or not. You're going to hafta flush that crud out of your system but first let's find out what it is. Regards, Tom

dawnejoanne · Jan 25, 2008, 10:28 AM

At first we thought the white stuff was maybe little chunks of plastic but then when I squished it between my fingers it sort of crumbled and was kind of grainy. It was quite hard to squish though. There was quite a lot of it too. Should we flush the hot water tank and replace the dip tube just to be safe? Is replacing a dip tube a difficult task or something that we might be capable of doing ourselves? Our house is only twelve years old so the hot water tank isn't as old as the hills. What is the typical life expectancy of a hot water tank or dip tube?

MOWERMAN2468 · Jan 25, 2008, 11:08 AM

Remove the screen from the faucet head and clean it out.

speedball1 · Jan 25, 2008, 11:54 AM

when I squished it between my fingers it sort of crumbled and was kind of grainy. It was quite hard to squish though. There was quite a lot of it too. Should we flush the hot water tank and replace the dip tube just to be safe?

This tells me that it's mineral, ( calcium carbonate) and not a piece of your dip tube. You won't have to replace the dip tube. Follow the directions from my earlier post and FLUSH the heater out. But that's just the begaining. You have drawn bthe mineral up into your system and the hot water main aqnd branche4s should be flushed out and the mineral removed or it will continue to clog other faucets. Good luck, Tom

gman60 · Jun 25, 2012, 02:42 PM

We replaced the aerator, the faucet cartridge and the pressure is still very weak. It is only this way in the kitchen sink. When everything was removed (cartridge) turned on water and held cup over it pressure was fine. Hoses under sink were cleaned, no debris. What's wrong?

hkstroud · Jun 25, 2012, 03:40 PM

Let's see, you have replaced the aerator and the cartridge, While you had the faucet disassembled you flushed the faucet and had good pressure and volume. Only things after the cartridge is the spout and possible a diverter valve for a side spray. Do you have a side spray? Did you check the spout it self? With aerator removed you should be able to run a small flexable wire through it to make sure it is clear.

gman60 · Jun 26, 2012, 12:41 PM

Yes we do have a side spray, where is the diverter valve located? The spray seems to have pressure, could be better. Yes ran a coat hanger through spout, clear. /We have a reverse osmosis system hooked up to separate spout but we don't use it anymore because of calcium buildup and blocking. Would like to take it out but what could that have to do with main faucet? Anything?