Help! Who made this?!? How can I get one?!?

**Baldensperger** · 02-05-2008, 11:12 PM

Hi! This is quite a well-viewed forum!
Nice Work Terry!

Although, I scanned through 4 pages of the forum index, I didn't see anything promising, relative to my problem...

I have a leaky kitchen faucet problem:

I am a fairly capable Do-it-yerselfer, and so when this 8-10 year-old Pull-out Sprayer-Faucet started leaking at the base, I was all over it!

I called (what I though was) the Manufacturer (we had a warranty paper, etc.), and they cooperatively sent out a new ceramic disc cartridge.

Unfortunately, as I discovered when I dissembled the faucet, they did not send me the right one. When I sent them pix of the one that came out, they said it was not theirs.

SO, I am in a jamb!

(We really, REALLY thought it was theirs, but we might have made an error - there was a purchase & return phase in the original selection & installation process)

I don't see any logo-graphic on the outside of the faucet; the only thing I see is a logo molded into the cartridge.

Hopefully, this will be the key to all this, if someone can perhaps recognize, and respond here.
(of course it may STILL be a challenge to track it down even if I DO know what it is, so please feel free to recommend sourcing!)

Thank you!!!

Chris in Minn!

**Mikey** · 02-06-2008, 04:47 AM

Looks identical to a Moen I had a while ago, and the little red/blue logo fits. Don't remember the name of it.

**Baldensperger** · 02-06-2008, 05:47 AM

Originally Posted by Mikey

Looks identical to a Moen I had a while ago, and the little red/blue logo fits. Don't remember the name of it.

Well, it's really the logo on the cartridge I am interested in;

I think it's pretty common to put a little red & blue plug to fill the access hole for the handle's set screw...I have seen them on at least on other brand.

But thanks, I'll check it out...

**Dunbar Plumbing** · 02-06-2008, 05:52 AM

Possibly a Wolverine Brass, American Standard, Eljer, Price Pfister.

**Cass** · 02-06-2008, 06:01 AM

Just for fun try taking the gasget off, gently clean it with vinegar, turn it 180 degrees and replace it in the cartridge and reinstall the cartridge with just a touch of silicone grease and see if it doesn't buy you some time.

hj · 02-06-2008, 06:12 AM

I would guess American Standard, and those indexing hubs will not allow it to rotate 180 degrees and if it did, the faucet would work backwards.

**jimbo** · 02-06-2008, 07:30 AM

Check this website to see if you can find your cartridge>>
http://www.alfanoplumbingparts.com/pdf/single.pdf

Tel: 718.899.6500

**Baldensperger** · 02-06-2008, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by jimbo

Check this website to see if you can find your cartridge>>
http://www.alfanoplumbingparts.com/pdf/single.pdf

Thanks!
This was fairly informative.

Next time I recommend giving a guy a little 'heads up' on the file size - I am still on cheap dial-up service with a dodgy connector to boot!

It was quite a download!

**master plumber mark** · 02-06-2008, 05:56 PM

loooks like it was made in china by one of these fellows

their ought ot be a special place in hell for the people that cant even
put their name on the product that they sell.....

**Mikebarone** · 02-07-2008, 07:02 AM

Have you looked in the back of the faucet down by the base, for the brand name? Sometimes you have to use a mirror.

**Baldensperger** · 02-07-2008, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by Mikebarone

Have you looked in the back of the faucet down by the base, for the brand name? Sometimes you have to use a mirror.

Yes, it just so happens I did that this morning!

The thing has been in place about 8 years, and had a bit of built up scum & scale in the hard to reach places. (it's actually my mother's, and on top of being 82, she's only 5'0" tall, so it's pretty tough for her to get at some places...). The was a small area with laser-etching, right where you said, indicating, in very tiny font, the manufacturer, and design number, as well as a couple other things, and I just hadn't seen it under the film...PLUS, I was sort of expecting something on the front and/or the sprayer handle (which would have been misleading, apparently, they buy that component, and just pack it in.)

ANYWAY, (despite this confusion over house-branding at Home Depot - who keeps the packaging 8 weeks, let alone 8 years? 8 days, maybe...), I was able to track down a toll-free number for their US support desk, and (although the guy was a little prickly about the model number - all the unit said was "576" - literally, the quotes are etched in, as well. Apparently, he needed pre-fixes and suffices - USCR576-HG, where US = U.S.; CR = Chrome; and HG stands for the design grouping it was marketed under - apparently several models they make are bundled into different marketing schemes, which may involve different outlets, and/or policies...) I got him to set me up with a new cartridge.

Thanks, again for everyone who helped!

Great Forum!

I am sure I'll be back!!!

**Herk** · 02-08-2008, 07:00 AM

So - what brand is it?

MG · 02-08-2008, 09:55 AM

A search on USCR576 says Pegasus.

**esachica** · 02-08-2008, 01:57 PM

Hi Chris - here are my thoughts until a resident expert chimes in.

I'm no expert, but we just replaced the cartridge in a kitchen sink faucet. It cracked when a pipe froze during a cold spell in a vacant rental. Yours look just about IDENTICAL to ours in design, if my memory serves me well, although the colors of yours vary from ours. Ours is a Kohler.

Try calling their customer service: 1-800-4-KOHLER (1-800-456-4537). Maybe they have an email where you can send them the picture?

Our valve assembly had a part number stamped on the side. Does yours?

Koehler gave us excellent service. The faucet was about a year old (marked down special order clearance from HD) but used very little. I didn't have the purchase receipt handy, in case there was a 1-year limit on the warrantee. They didn't ask me for it. They didn't ask me why it broke. They just sent me the part -for FREE! They were very polite & pleasant. They must be the LLBean of faucets, lol.

Have you tried looking under the sink to see if you can see the manufacturer's name stamped on the underside of the faucet plate? If not, you might find it by pulling the faucet out (a small pain, I know). Maybe your warrantee paperwork was for another faucet & that's why they said it wasn't theirs? A mixup in your records?

Do you have a plumbing parts store in your area? Check the yellow pages. If you show them the component, they may be able to hep you track down the replacement. Our large, local independent plumbing supply store (not HD/Lowe's) was very helpful with that.

EC

**Baldensperger** · 02-08-2008, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by Herk

So - what brand is it?

Sorry!

THe original manufacturer is Paini.
THey are Italian.

I am not sure what brand name it was marketed under;
Like I said I thought it was purchased at Home Depot, but I didn't install it; there may have been a return, and reselection, so I can't say for sure...

Thanks again, all!