Kitchen faucet problem

I was referred to this forum from peeps on HGTV in hopes that someone out there can help solve my problem. We have lived in our house 18+ years (original owners). Every year for the first 6-7 yrs we would blow out our hot water tank and have to have it replaced. In addition, we continually blew out the valves in our toilets. The last water tank we had replaced the plumber noticed that we had a high pressure regulator on this line and that was causing the continual problem. He installed the proper regulator and ever since then (11 yrs) we have not had to replace the hot water tank and no longer blow out toilet valves. However, since then I no longer have any water pressure to my kitchen sink, neither hot or cold. The water only dribbles out. Now, let me state that we have checked the aerators many times and in the past year we have replaced the entire faucet and cut off valves but still the problem exists. In addition, we have no pressure problem either hot or cold anywhere else in the house, only the kitchen sink. Also, my sink sprayer while it never worked before the regulator was replaced (because of too much pressure) now works great. My thought is that there is a pinched line to the kitchen but if that was the case the sprayer should not work either. Please help!!!!!!!!

Have you removed the supply lines to the kitchen faucet and run them into a bucket?

If you have good pressure there, then the outlet from the valve may be plugged to the spout of the faucet.

Good idea. I have not tried that but I will. One thought, is the valve seperate from the faucet because it was doing the same thing with my old faucet? Thanks for your help

faucet

Your description of the problem does not correspond to the normal situations. IF the sprayer is working but the spout is not, THEN the problem is obviously at the spout and about the only thing that could cause the symptoms would either be the aerator or the spray diverter. HIGH pressure does NOT blow out hot water tanks. They are designed to withstand TWICE the normal maximum pressure of 150 psi, and toilet valves can also operate up to 150 psi. What is a "high pressure regulator valve"? That would normally be a common pressure regulating valve, just like the one he installed.

Thanks for your reply. The sprayer comment is just an afterthought because prior to changing out the regulator the sprayer would not work because too much pressure was going to it but now that the pressure into the house was corrected the kitchen faucet only dribbles but the sprayer works great now. This is a brand new faucet however the same thing was going on with the old faucet. The high pressure gauge was like what I have at the street from the water company. Yes, in fact it was blowing out the hot water tank and toilet valves continually. Since putting on the correct regulator this problem has stopped. If you visit hgtv.com and look at my thread there is someone that explained it quite well but offered only the same solutions such as checking the aerators which we have done many times. It is such an odd and unique problem. I have been pulling my hair out for years trying to get answers but so far not much luck. I was hoping these forums would have someone that could offer a more substantial approach to correcting the problem or at least put me in a direction to solve it.

Terry gave you very good advice to quickly narrow down the problem to your piping system or your actual faucet. I suggest you follow it before looking for any other answers.

I couldn't agree with you more and that is exactly what I am going to do tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates on how it turned out. Thanks

My first move would be to invest about $10 in a cheap pressure testing gauge that screws onto a hose pipe bib. Normal good pressure on a water line should be between 35 and 75 psi. That would remove doubt about water pressure. Then do as Terry advised to check flow and make sure there is no blockage in supply valves or supply lines. If all that checks out then obviously it is a problem with the fixture. Just because it's a new fixture doesn't mean it can't have a problem....

Thanks for your help. The only reason I don't think it is the faucet is because it was doing the same thing with my old faucet. What and where is the supply valve? After I have my morning coffee I am going to check the supply lines suggested by Terry. Stay tuned for the results. I'm sure I will have more questions regardless what I find such as....If the water just trickles out the supply lines then what?......If the water comes out fine from the supply lines then what?

Thanks to all and this website. I have received more true help and suggestions than I ever had with the plumbers that have been to my house!!

Kitchen fauct problem

Ok....I have checked the hot and cold water supply lines and there is plenty of water and pressure coming from them. If only the water came out of my faucet like that. What baffles me is that we have replaced the sink and the faucet within the past year......in addition, I was having this same problem with my old sink and faucet. What gives????????

pressure

Your description of your problems AND your diagnosis and cure for them does not jibe with reality. High pressure, at least below the standard operating pressure of 150 psi, DOES NOT blow out water tanks, (that is why they have a pressure relief valve on the top of them to prevent destructive pressures), and sink sprayers work regardless of the pressure. From the little information we have, it appears your spray diverter is malfunctioning, but it has NOTHING to do with the water pressure.

Ok, lets put everything aside and start over. Since I have confirmed that there is plenty of pressure going to my hot and cold water lines for the sink then that is obviously not the problem. Forget the hot water tank, forget the pressure regulator and lets refocus to the kitchen faucet that just dribbles water out of the spicket. In addition forget the aerator because I checked that on another faucet in the house and it works fine. The sink and faucet are apprx 1 1/2 years old. I realize it could be the faucet but it seems awfully coincidental that it was doing the same thing with my old faucet. My new faucet is of a totally different make and design. I have taken off the spicket and there is nothing clogging it so it is not the spicket itself. I believe something is going on between the spicket and the sprayer but why would it be having the same problem with both the old and new faucet and sprayer?

There is a huge difference in how many faucets are made yet they all are basically the same. Some have a small plastic valve on the inside of the mixer (the tubes that make up the faucet). The valve is pressure operated and functions to shut off the water to the faucet spout when the sprayer valve is depressed. This valve could be clogged, not installed properly or simply malfunctioning. I've taken the faucet valve apart, removed this little gizmo and put it all back together which resulted in everything working fine except that the water to the faucet spout would not completely shut off when the sprayer is operated. In that particular case the home owner told me to just leave it out since the sprayer worked fine without the valve.

If I were to disconnect the sprayer water supply line how would I cap this off and would this be a way to test if in fact the sprayer was causing the problem? I noticed when I took everything apart and took the spicket and valve off there was something that appeared to be a mechanism like a flat head screw that turned back and forth but did not come out. Is this the sprayer mechanism? If I replace the faucet again and it continues what could be the possible problem? This will be the 3rd faucet.

I want to thank all who responded to my problem and all the suggestions. Turns out it was the faucet. After checking the lines and determining the pressure was fine I tried a different faucet and OMG I have water!!!!!! Just weird that my older faucet had the same problem. I have been dealing with this for years...............I will recommend this website to everyone I know. Thanks again

I had the same problem when I bought my house. I replaced the faucet with a Price Pfister branded one and it was no better. I took it back and exchanged it for a Delta, and now it works great.

There definitely IS a difference between the various faucets on the market.

When I bought this place, it had a Costco brand faucet.
It was horrible.