A retirement house we built got several brand-new, out of the box, faucets
(one for kitchen, hot & cold levers), several for baths & sinks. The
kitchen unit developed a leak after 1-1/2 years. We could "fix" the leak
by wiggleing the lever arm into some fairly sensitive position! As time
went by, this got more difficult to do.

In an attempt to fix this, a trip to the hardware store showed a large
number of these new and very very complex plastic inserts. None of the
ones at the store matched what I had (and, I was out of warranty, no
manual, no receipt situation).

Another faucet (bathtub, also new) is also leaking. Can't do any wiggling
at all to stop it. Still another faucet is leaking about one drop every
ten minutes.

All of the above are Pfister faucets. (their motto: pforever [I say:
fooey])

Now, in talking with a friend, he tells me he has a new sink faucet only 3
years old and it's leaking. He took his apart, went to the store, got a
new _insert_ and he says guess what, it leaks. Brand new insert! He
returned it for a refund. Then he goes to one of the big box home
improvement places, buys a new faucet, and, guess what, it leaks. I didn't
ask him the brand.

Now, is this coincidence or are the manufacturers making defective
products these days (in addition to all that stuff that breaks down
sometime just after the warranty expires)?

Oh, yes, I did get a new faucet, and it looks like it drips about one drip
per 10-15 minutes (I suppose this is the new technical specification of
what the definition is of "faucet turned off"?).

And, this time I read the warranty, which requires that you save the
coupon, save the original receipt, and something else that makes life
difficult, and you have to send in the parts, too.

Straydog wrote:

A retirement house we built got several brand-new, out of the box,
faucets (one for kitchen, hot & cold levers), several for baths & sinks.
The kitchen unit developed a leak after 1-1/2 years. We could "fix" the
leak by wiggleing the lever arm into some fairly sensitive position! As
time went by, this got more difficult to do.

In an attempt to fix this, a trip to the hardware store showed a large
number of these new and very very complex plastic inserts. None of the
ones at the store matched what I had (and, I was out of warranty, no
manual, no receipt situation).

Another faucet (bathtub, also new) is also leaking. Can't do any
wiggling at all to stop it. Still another faucet is leaking about one
drop every ten minutes.

All of the above are Pfister faucets. (their motto: pforever [I say:
fooey])

Now, in talking with a friend, he tells me he has a new sink faucet only
3 years old and it's leaking. He took his apart, went to the store, got
a new _insert_ and he says guess what, it leaks. Brand new insert! He
returned it for a refund. Then he goes to one of the big box home
improvement places, buys a new faucet, and, guess what, it leaks. I
didn't ask him the brand.

Now, is this coincidence or are the manufacturers making defective
products these days (in addition to all that stuff that breaks down
sometime just after the warranty expires)?

Oh, yes, I did get a new faucet, and it looks like it drips about one
drip per 10-15 minutes (I suppose this is the new technical
specification of what the definition is of "faucet turned off"?).

And, this time I read the warranty, which requires that you save the
coupon, save the original receipt, and something else that makes life
difficult, and you have to send in the parts, too.


A new faucet should not leak even a drop. Does your water pressure seem
to be what it should, and not too low ? I assume you are getting the
washerless type faucets ? If everything is OK, then take it back for a
replacement.

J

Straydog wrote:

A retirement house we built got several brand-new, out of the box,
faucets (one for kitchen, hot & cold levers), several for baths & sinks.
The kitchen unit developed a leak after 1-1/2 years. We could "fix" the
leak by wiggleing the lever arm into some fairly sensitive position! As
time went by, this got more difficult to do.

In an attempt to fix this, a trip to the hardware store showed a large
number of these new and very very complex plastic inserts. None of the
ones at the store matched what I had (and, I was out of warranty, no
manual, no receipt situation).

Another faucet (bathtub, also new) is also leaking. Can't do any
wiggling at all to stop it. Still another faucet is leaking about one
drop every ten minutes.

All of the above are Pfister faucets. (their motto: pforever [I say:
fooey])

Now, in talking with a friend, he tells me he has a new sink faucet only
3 years old and it's leaking. He took his apart, went to the store, got
a new _insert_ and he says guess what, it leaks. Brand new insert! He
returned it for a refund. Then he goes to one of the big box home
improvement places, buys a new faucet, and, guess what, it leaks. I
didn't ask him the brand.

Now, is this coincidence or are the manufacturers making defective
products these days (in addition to all that stuff that breaks down
sometime just after the warranty expires)?

Oh, yes, I did get a new faucet, and it looks like it drips about one
drip per 10-15 minutes (I suppose this is the new technical
specification of what the definition is of "faucet turned off"?).

And, this time I read the warranty, which requires that you save the
coupon, save the original receipt, and something else that makes life
difficult, and you have to send in the parts, too.


Hi,
Are they made in China or India?

I work next door to a plumbing supplier who is also open to the public. In
his opinion, any faucet under $600 is junk and won't last more than a few
years. Really he said that. That appears to be your case though.

Go to a plumbing supply house to get your insert replaced, and talk with
them about your other problems, they'll be able to help more than a hardware
store. Otherwise you might have to bite the bullet and get a plumber.

S

mrsgator88 wrote:
I work next door to a plumbing supplier who is also open to the public. In
his opinion, any faucet under $600 is junk and won't last more than a few
years. Really he said that. That appears to be your case though.

Go to a plumbing supply house to get your insert replaced, and talk with
them about your other problems, they'll be able to help more than a hardware
store. Otherwise you might have to bite the bullet and get a plumber.

S


I've bought faucets ranging from Moen to Glacier Bay (HD Cheapo). I've
never had one leak right out of the box. Nor have any developed leaks
for very long periods of time, like 10 years+. Most of the faucets in
my current home are now 18 years old. I did replace the kitchen sink
faucet (Groeh) at about 14 years, because the spray section was shot
and I didn;'t like the design. Also, about the same time had one ASTD
bath sink faucet that was dripping. It was a cheapo, and didn't look
that great, so replaced it with the Glacier Bay, which looks great and
works fine.

The OP's failing faucets are under warranty. If they leaked out of the
box, I would have taken them back. Now, I'd contact the manufacturer.
Many times they will send out free parts, even if not under warranty.
To have this experience, IMO, is very unusual.

I didn't mean to imply that you HAD to buy a $600 faucet. I've never spent
more than $50 on a faucet and probably never will. No leaks yet either!

S

In article , Joey wrote:
Straydog wrote:
[tale of multiple leaky faucets snipped]
A new faucet should not leak even a drop. Does your water pressure seem
to be what it should, and not too low ?

All those leaks, and you're wondering if his pressure is too *low*? My first
thought is that the pressure is way too *high*.

To the OP: If you have a private well, check the settings on your pressure
switch. If the system's running at much over 60psi, reduce the cut-off
pressure to 60 and see if that makes a difference. If you're on city water,
call the water company and ask what their supply pressure is. If it's much
over 60psi, consider installing a pressure reducer. You can buy these at any
home center or hardware store for around $40, and installation should take
less than an hour.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

I had one Kohler bath faucet leak right out of the box. The internal
valve mechanism was not something std available at a hardware store --
I had to call Kohler. BTW, most manufacturers have parts
diagrams/lists on their websites. Kohler sent me a new part, no
questions asked. If Pfister gives you a hard time, don't buy their
product again.

A retirement house we built got several brand-new, out of the box,
faucets (one for kitchen, hot & cold levers), several for baths &
sinks. The kitchen unit developed a leak after 1-1/2 years. We could
"fix" the leak by wiggleing the lever arm into some fairly sensitive
position! As time went by, this got more difficult to do.

In an attempt to fix this, a trip to the hardware store showed a large
number of these new and very very complex plastic inserts. None of the
ones at the store matched what I had (and, I was out of warranty, no
manual, no receipt situation).

Another faucet (bathtub, also new) is also leaking. Can't do any
wiggling at all to stop it. Still another faucet is leaking about one
drop every ten minutes.

All of the above are Pfister faucets. (their motto: pforever [I say:
fooey])

Now, in talking with a friend, he tells me he has a new sink faucet
only 3 years old and it's leaking. He took his apart, went to the
store, got a new _insert_ and he says guess what, it leaks. Brand new
insert! He returned it for a refund. Then he goes to one of the big
box home improvement places, buys a new faucet, and, guess what, it
leaks. I didn't ask him the brand.

Now, is this coincidence or are the manufacturers making defective
products these days (in addition to all that stuff that breaks down
sometime just after the warranty expires)?

Oh, yes, I did get a new faucet, and it looks like it drips about one
drip per 10-15 minutes (I suppose this is the new technical
specification of what the definition is of "faucet turned off"?).

And, this time I read the warranty, which requires that you save the
coupon, save the original receipt, and something else that makes life
difficult, and you have to send in the parts, too.

This is an interesting thread. Pfister is considered a
good, decent faucet, as is Delta. My recollection is that
Pfister has a lifetime warranty and that you can call them
and get any replacement part that has failed. Here is their
forever warranty page:
http://www.pricepfister.com/website/...p_Warranty.asp

A faucet should not leak for years with normal usage. Water
pressure might be a problem. Go to a hardware store and buy
a $6 pressure gauge that you can connect to an outside
faucet. I don't like more than 75psi, though some folks
prefer even less.

We had some of the ultra high end Hans Grohe faucets at a
second home we owned and I have to admit that the "feel" of
the hardware was nice. However, there's what's called the
80% rule that applies to about anything in life: 20% of the
cost, time or effort will result in 80% of the desired
outcome. The remaining 20% is what runs up the price. In
the case of faucets, I still prefer Delta, even though it's
not considered posh. Our present house has Delta throughout
and the main benefit is that when (not if) a drip occurs, I
can go to Home Depot, Lowe's or any plumbing supply store
and get a rebuild kit. Recently, a seldom used tub
developed a drip. I went to Lowe's and got rebuild kits for
ALL the tubs and vanitites and even the kitchen sink.
Within a couple hours, I'd replaced the cup washers and
spring throughout the house and am now set for another ten
years or so.

Mark

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , Joey wrote:

Straydog wrote:

[tale of multiple leaky faucets snipped]

A new faucet should not leak even a drop. Does your water pressure seem
to be what it should, and not too low ?


All those leaks, and you're wondering if his pressure is too *low*? My first
thought is that the pressure is way too *high*.

To the OP: If you have a private well, check the settings on your pressure
switch. If the system's running at much over 60psi, reduce the cut-off
pressure to 60 and see if that makes a difference. If you're on city water,
call the water company and ask what their supply pressure is. If it's much
over 60psi, consider installing a pressure reducer. You can buy these at any
home center or hardware store for around $40, and installation should take
less than an hour.

Doug,

The newer washerless porcelin faucets require a certain amount of
pressure to work correctly. Lower pressure weakens the seal. It's not
like the old days you're thinking about.

J

Remember the feds no require all faucets to leak under high pressure
like a freezing situation to prevent burst pipes.

some leaks might be caused by this requirement

On Sat, 22 Apr 2006, Joey wrote:

Straydog wrote:

A retirement house we built got several brand-new, out of the box, faucets
(one for kitchen, hot & cold levers), several for baths & sinks. The
kitchen unit developed a leak after 1-1/2 years. We could "fix" the leak by
wiggleing the lever arm into some fairly sensitive position! As time went
by, this got more difficult to do.

In an attempt to fix this, a trip to the hardware store showed a large
number of these new and very very complex plastic inserts. None of the ones
at the store matched what I had (and, I was out of warranty, no manual, no
receipt situation).

Another faucet (bathtub, also new) is also leaking. Can't do any wiggling
at all to stop it. Still another faucet is leaking about one drop every ten
minutes.

All of the above are Pfister faucets. (their motto: pforever [I say:
fooey])

Now, in talking with a friend, he tells me he has a new sink faucet only 3
years old and it's leaking. He took his apart, went to the store, got a new
_insert_ and he says guess what, it leaks. Brand new insert! He returned it
for a refund. Then he goes to one of the big box home improvement places,
buys a new faucet, and, guess what, it leaks. I didn't ask him the brand.

Now, is this coincidence or are the manufacturers making defective products
these days (in addition to all that stuff that breaks down sometime just
after the warranty expires)?

Oh, yes, I did get a new faucet, and it looks like it drips about one drip
per 10-15 minutes (I suppose this is the new technical specification of
what the definition is of "faucet turned off"?).

And, this time I read the warranty, which requires that you save the
coupon, save the original receipt, and something else that makes life
difficult, and you have to send in the parts, too.


A new faucet should not leak even a drop. Does your water pressure seem to
be what it should, and not too low ? I assume you are getting the washerless
type faucets ? If everything is OK, then take it back for a replacement.

J


Thanks for the comments. Water pressure is OK. Yep, washerless faucets.

On Sun, 23 Apr 2006, mrsgator88 wrote:

I work next door to a plumbing supplier who is also open to the public. In
his opinion, any faucet under $600 is junk and won't last more than a few
years. Really he said that. That appears to be your case though.

Go to a plumbing supply house to get your insert replaced, and talk with
them about your other problems, they'll be able to help more than a hardware
store. Otherwise you might have to bite the bullet and get a plumber.

S





OK, thanks for your comments.

On Sun, 23 Apr 2006, Mark and Gloria Hagwood wrote:


A retirement house we built got several brand-new, out of the box, faucets
(one for kitchen, hot & cold levers), several for baths & sinks. The
kitchen unit developed a leak after 1-1/2 years. We could "fix" the leak
by wiggleing the lever arm into some fairly sensitive position! As time
went by, this got more difficult to do.

In an attempt to fix this, a trip to the hardware store showed a large
number of these new and very very complex plastic inserts. None of the
ones at the store matched what I had (and, I was out of warranty, no
manual, no receipt situation).

Another faucet (bathtub, also new) is also leaking. Can't do any wiggling
at all to stop it. Still another faucet is leaking about one drop every
ten minutes.

All of the above are Pfister faucets. (their motto: pforever [I say:
fooey])

Now, in talking with a friend, he tells me he has a new sink faucet only 3
years old and it's leaking. He took his apart, went to the store, got a
new _insert_ and he says guess what, it leaks. Brand new insert! He
returned it for a refund. Then he goes to one of the big box home
improvement places, buys a new faucet, and, guess what, it leaks. I didn't
ask him the brand.

Now, is this coincidence or are the manufacturers making defective
products these days (in addition to all that stuff that breaks down
sometime just after the warranty expires)?

Oh, yes, I did get a new faucet, and it looks like it drips about one drip
per 10-15 minutes (I suppose this is the new technical specification of
what the definition is of "faucet turned off"?).

And, this time I read the warranty, which requires that you save the
coupon, save the original receipt, and something else that makes life
difficult, and you have to send in the parts, too.

This is an interesting thread. Pfister is considered a good, decent faucet,
as is Delta. My recollection is that Pfister has a lifetime warranty and that
you can call them and get any replacement part that has failed. Here is their
forever warranty page:
http://www.pricepfister.com/website/...p_Warranty.asp

A faucet should not leak for years with normal usage. Water pressure might
be a problem. Go to a hardware store and buy a $6 pressure gauge that you
can connect to an outside faucet. I don't like more than 75psi, though some
folks prefer even less.

We had some of the ultra high end Hans Grohe faucets at a second home we
owned and I have to admit that the "feel" of the hardware was nice. However,
there's what's called the 80% rule that applies to about anything in life:
20% of the cost, time or effort will result in 80% of the desired outcome.
The remaining 20% is what runs up the price. In the case of faucets, I still
prefer Delta, even though it's not considered posh. Our present house has
Delta throughout and the main benefit is that when (not if) a drip occurs, I
can go to Home Depot, Lowe's or any plumbing supply store and get a rebuild
kit. Recently, a seldom used tub developed a drip. I went to Lowe's and got
rebuild kits for ALL the tubs and vanitites and even the kitchen sink. Within
a couple hours, I'd replaced the cup washers and spring throughout the house
and am now set for another ten years or so.

Mark


Thanks for your comments. Up to now, I've never had any problems with
faucets of any kind. And, since my friend had identical experience, I was
wondering if this was some new kind of scam going on.

On Sun, 23 Apr 2006, Joey wrote:

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , Joey
wrote:

Straydog wrote:

[tale of multiple leaky faucets snipped]

A new faucet should not leak even a drop. Does your water pressure seem
to be what it should, and not too low ?


All those leaks, and you're wondering if his pressure is too *low*? My
first thought is that the pressure is way too *high*.

To the OP: If you have a private well, check the settings on your pressure
switch. If the system's running at much over 60psi, reduce the cut-off
pressure to 60 and see if that makes a difference. If you're on city water,
call the water company and ask what their supply pressure is. If it's much
over 60psi, consider installing a pressure reducer. You can buy these at
any home center or hardware store for around $40, and installation should
take less than an hour.

Doug,

The newer washerless porcelin faucets require a certain amount of pressure to
work correctly. Lower pressure weakens the seal. It's not like the old days
you're thinking about.

J


Thanks for your comments. I was wondering if there was a pressure
specification, or band, within which you must operate the faucet. A lot of
this stuff coming out today seems to have requirements, considerations,
caveats, whatever. However, I do have a well and the pressure switch (has
its own gauge, too) is set around 45 lbs.

posted for all of us...
I don't top post - see either inline or at bottom.

Remember the feds no require all faucets to leak under high pressure
like a freezing situation to prevent burst pipes.

some leaks might be caused by this requirement


Huh???
--
My boss said I was dumb and apathetic.
I said I don't know and I don't care...

Tekkie

again its a federal requirement that new faucets leak under high
pressure, to prevent a frozen pipe from bursting. this might lead to
leaks in new faucets...

anyone buy a gasoline can lately? the pour spouts, vapor child proof,
highly safe get the can marked not for motor vehicles. its insane, and
nearly impossible to get gas out of the can for my lawn mower. i find
myself taking off the entire lid pour spout, and slobberinmg gasoline
everywhere.

thanks feds

posted for all of us...
I don't top post - see either inline or at bottom.

again its a federal requirement that new faucets leak under high
pressure, to prevent a frozen pipe from bursting. this might lead to
leaks in new faucets...

anyone buy a gasoline can lately? the pour spouts, vapor child proof,
highly safe get the can marked not for motor vehicles. its insane, and
nearly impossible to get gas out of the can for my lawn mower. i find
myself taking off the entire lid pour spout, and slobberinmg gasoline
everywhere.

thanks feds


Well Halliburton, I contacted the folks at Moen. My messagw: Comments: A person
on the news groups is insisting that faucets be able to leak. His quote; "
again its a federal requirement that new faucets leak under high pressure, to
prevent a frozen pipe from bursting. this might lead to leaks in new
faucets..." Is this true?

Their reply by phone from a rep named Phil was essentially "Never heard of ANY
code like that" stated further the conditions where they MAY leak - low/high
pressure. So unless you can quote CFR of what you speak then retract your
statement or prepare to fight for every post and mistatement you make.

If you wish to accept a collect call I will forward his voice mail to you.
--
Tekkie