Faucet sometimes refuses to flow: is this because of diverter valve, or sprayer hose?
Sometimes my kitchen sink faucet won't work. Usually this happens when I turn the water on quickly instead of gently - there may be a moment of water, but then it's cut off immediately, and then nothing I do with the faucet handle will make it start again. If I let it sit for a few minutes, the faucet suddenly starts working again.
When it does this, I can get water (sometimes strong, sometimes weak) from the sprayer head. So I think it's a problem with the diverter valve. Unfortunately, Home Depot doesn't carry new diverter valves for Kohler faucets (this one was installed in 2001); they want me to buy a whole new faucet!
Here's a twist to the tale, though - a literal twist! If I pull the sprayer hose all the way out, sometimes that makes the faucet work again. Or, after I've pulled it all the way out, if I grip the hose where it comes out of the sink and I twist it with my fist, that also makes the faucet work again all of a sudden! There's no reduced flow about it - either the faucet works normally, or else there's no water at all. The mesh at the end of the faucet where the water comes out is clean; I've unscrewed that and checked it.
I'm going to try taking it apart tonight to see what I see. But based on what I've described, does this sound like a problem with the diverter valve, or with the sprayer hose?
Also, can someone guide me to your favorite set of instructions for how to take the faucet apart enough to get to the diverter valve? I couldn't find any maintenance information on the Kohler web site.
Thanks for any help!