[czarate]

Our kitchen faucet started dripping about a year or so ago. We replaced the cartridge and it worked like a charm. However, now it's starting to drip again. At first it was only in the hot water position (this is a single lever faucet) but now it drips in any position. I know I can replace the cartridge again, but I'm wondering how long they're supposed to last? If it's supposed to last longer than a year or two, then what could be causing the leaking to return? I'm trying to figure out if I can fix it or if I should replace it.

Advice?

Thanks,
Catherine.

[Peter Vaughan]

If it's like the Price Pfister 533, it's a dead loss.
I had the same trouble, and PF replaced it, free, under warranty. But the handle on the replacement kept dropping and shutting off the flow. I asked PF for a new cartridge, but they ignored me. Twice.
I called a plumber, and he refused to look at PF faucets. He said they were little short of junk, and wouldn't come out to the house. He said the complaints were too many, and customers thought that HE was a cause of the next problem.
He said "Buy a Kohler". We did, and my wife is ecstatic about it. Expensive, but worth every penny. (The faucet, that is.)

[speedball1]

what could be causing the leaking to return? I'm trying to figure out if I can fix it or if I should replace it. Advice?

I'm a great one for repair. Try this. Shut the water off, open up the faucet and remove the cartridge. Check the inlet ports for trash and anything that don't belong. Now place a pan over the open valve body and turn on the hot and cold water to flush out the supplies and valve body. Reassemble and let me know if it's any better. Good luck, Tom

[czarate]

Our kitchen faucet started dripping about a year or so ago. We replaced the cartridge and it worked like a charm. However, now it's starting to drip again. At first it was only in the hot water position (this is a single lever faucet) but now it drips in any position. I know I can replace the cartridge again, but I'm wondering how long they're supposed to last? If it's supposed to last longer than a year or two, then what could be causing the leaking to return? I'm trying to figure out if I can fix it or if I should replace it.

Advice?

Thanks,
Catherine.

Well, I broke down and replaced the cartridge again. I didn't realize that the one that the guy sold me last time was a plastic one. My understanding is that those don't last long. I bought a brass one this time and (once again) it worked like a charm. Looking at the old cartridge... it was definitely in bad shape. Rather than just going into the closed position, it slid almost all the way through. Hopefully this brass one will last longer. If not, I'm an expert at replacing them now, though :)

Thanks for all the advice.

Catherine.