We purchased a beautiful used pullout kitchen faucet, spent $34.00 for additional parts and installed it in a vacation home. It looks great, works fine and no leaks. However, after installing it we fine out it is a low flow faucet. How can we convert it to a regular flow faucet.

PLEASE HELP US.

Margie & Larry

Most low flow faucets are restricted at the aerator, (see image) on the spout.
Remove yours and see if the flow increases. If it does then purchase a regular aerator and install it. Good luck, tom

Hi Marge and Larry...

Remove the aerator (see image) at the end of the faucet and then run the water without the aerator in place. Is water volume improved without the aerator in place? If so, if you look inside the aerator you should see a black O-RING in place under a plastic screen. Pop the screen up and out and then remove the O-RING (I use a needle or the tip of a knife). That should allow maximum water to flow out the faucet after that.

Reassemble and see how much of an improvement is made.

Let us know how you make out.

MARK

PS: HI TOM...posted while you were posting...;) I'm still gonna leave it because I think that most aerators today have the ORING and want them to try that!

No problem Mark! You just gave a better answer then I did.

I removed the aerator from my kitchen faucet, still a water saver. Would changing the cartridge in the stem help with increasing the water flow. The water pressure before installing this faucet was good. We don't have the brand name of the faucet. We bought it at a flea market. It works great other than the water flow.

Please help.

Margie & Larry

The brand name should be on there somewhere. Are you quite sure that you didn't dislodge some minerals built up in the pipe walls that's now clogging the inlet ports of the cartridge? Try this, Shut the water off to the faucet, open it up and remove the cartridge. Now hold a pan over the open valve and turn the water back on full. You should have a strong stream. If not click on back and tell me about it. We still need a brand name so we can help. Good luck, Tom

Of course, try what Tom has recommended, but I also just reread this post and this is a pull-out spray handle... right?

Unscrew the spray spout from the hose and turn on the water... how is the flow without the pull out spray handle on? If improved without it in place, then turn the spray handle upside down... you should see a vacuum breaker restricting the flow... use a screw and remove it... that should restore full flow.

Otherwise, last thing to check is to be sure the shutoffs are open full and/or that the hoses underneath have not gotten kinked.

Let us know...

MARK

Finally figured out the problem. I had replaced a flat washer with an o-ring (couldn't find a washer that small) and when I tightened it down the o-ring wound up blocking the threaded tube that feeds water into the pull-out. Now the faucet works great. Thanks for your help!

And we thank you for the update. Regards, Tom