[Alarm Guy]

About two weeks ago our kitchen faucet started losing water pressure, especially the hot water pours pretty slow. I have a walter filter tied into the cold line, it is also lower than normal but the hot water is pathetic. All the other faucets in the house have OK pressure, they haven't changed, although there is considerably less water pressure in this home (12 years old 3500sq' versus our previous 30 year home at 1700sq'. Our Kitchen faucet has one handle with the retractable hose sprayer as the main nosle. Do you think the faucet (Price PFister - brand?) is bad and should be replaced?

Thanks,
Alarm Guy

[Milo Dolezal]

It is most likely clogged. Do this:

1. Remove pull-out handle. Run water through the hose only. See how much pressure you get. If a lot, than your handle is clogged. Look inside the handle (where the threads are ). There should be flow restrictor and / or filter screen. Take this handle outside, take garden hose and wash it well. Reinstall.

Also, handle has back flow preventer deep inside handle. It is very hard to clean. If that is clogged, we usually replace the entire handle (Home Depot, cost: about $24.00)


2. Remove aerator from tip of the pull-out handle. Clean it or replace it with new one.

3. If that doesn't help, than you will have to remove the cartridge and either clean it or replace it. You may have debris in hot water passages.

4. If that doesn't help, than go under the sink, turn hot water off. Remove flexible water supply line from angle stop valve. Blow air through the flex connector to maker sure there is no debris inside. Put towel over angle stop and slightly turn it on. Reinstall water flex line.



Let us know how you did...