Kitchen faucet - best made???

jimbo said:

For BISON: feel free to reengineer faucets to your hearts content. You can probably fix your flow rate by replacing the aerator.

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That would be amazing since the flow doesn't improve noticeably with the aerator completely removed, and it doesn't get anywhere close to where it should with the whole head removed.

HOW do you know "where the full flow should be with the head removed", unless the flow is very wimpy. There is nothing in the cartridge that could restrict the flow. BUT, if you have a HD version, they had a very small "nonmetallic" hose which would restrict the flow to the federally mandated level. The "quality" of the HD and plumber's versions, are not always too different. The difference is usually in whether it is a defecive version or not.

I replaced my old Delta Kitchen Faucet with a new Moen and the flow rate went down a bunch.
Most noticeably when using the spray head.

Where is the flow restricted in these new ones ?

I bought a new spray nozzle to wash the automobiles and found out it has flow restriction. Talk about sucking...

I blame it on California, lol.

hj said:

HOW do you know "where the full flow should be with the head removed", unless the flow is very wimpy. There is nothing in the cartridge that could restrict the flow. BUT, if you have a HD version, they had a very small "nonmetallic" hose which would restrict the flow to the federally mandated level. The "quality" of the HD and plumber's versions, are not always too different. The difference is usually in whether it is a defecive version or not.

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Don't know if it is an HD version because I didn't buy it or install it.

1. I confirmed the design flow with the company--it is the same as printed on the aerator and is 2.2 gpm @ 60 psig, which happens to be within about 2 psi of what I'm getting after elevation head loss. Flow restrictors are typically designed to give close to nameplate along a wide pressure range.
2. I do timed bucket tests (actually 2 quart pitcher works with this lethargic flow.)
3. I also measured it when it first started to fall off several years ago, when it was still much higher flow than now.
4. I can measure some increase in flow with the head removed, but not anywhere close to what it should be and considerably less than what it was a few years ago.
5. I tried sprayer tests with aerator removed spray or normal stream. Same result.
6. Hot and cold give the same results.

If the restrictor is in the hose as you say, and it is failing in some fashion, then I'll see the same low flow before and after with the new cartridge. The fact that I've measured considerably more flow with the spout removed from the hose, but still only about 60% of design suggests there are multiple issues. This is particularly true since the original flow rate when we moved in appears to have been right around design. I tested it when the flow first declined and at the time it was about 76% of design. Accepted it and lived with it but it has continued to decline. Our water is soft enough that lime deposits have not been an issue.

And yes these level of flow changes are very easy to detect even without a stopwatch and bucket.

There are a few variable you have not eliminated...such as the supply line under the sink and the angle stop valve.

jimbo said:

There are a few variable you have not eliminated...such as the supply line under the sink and the angle stop valve.

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Hot and cold supply give the same results, so the straight run shutoff valves and supplies don't appear to have an issue.

Moen and American standard are the best. I soak my pull out of 12 years in some lime away - aerator and spout holes - to clear up minerals. But they keep sending whatever I ask for for free. You could pull the cartridge and do the same.

Received the new sprayhead/aerator. This included the "non-metallic" hose hj mentioned, my original is metallic. I went ahead and removed the old hose since I had the spare in hand.

This allowed me to examine the flow restrictor. In so doing I was able to confirm what I suspected, they had used an inappropriate black elastomer as part of the flow restriction. These will tend to creep/deform at pressures of even 75 psig from what I've seen. Over 2/3 of this one was gone--I had found flakes from it in the aerator before but didn't realize where they came from until I removed the hose. It is a material selection defect, and an expensive one for the manufacturer.

New hose has a tremendous flow with the head off, and is within design spec with the sprayhead on. EDIT: The flow ratio of these two conditions is about the same as with the old hose and old head test cases.

Doesn't look like I'll need the new cartridge immediately, but I do expect to need it later--the handle set screw seems to be causing slop and wear where it connects to the cartridge.