KJinNC
Member
I registered on this forum to ask this question:
A few months ago, I hired a small company to install quartz countertops in my kitchen. They also replaced the sink, and this more or less required a new faucet. They asked if I wanted them to install the faucet or if I wanted to hire a plumber to install the faucet. Thinking I was saving a step and would have less downtime with a non-functional kitchen, I had them install the faucet. The one they use is an American Standard, with a high arc, a pull-down head, spray/stream toggle, and a button to turn the waterflow off while you hold the button down. It's a nice faucet!
Meanwhile, the installer used a mismatched piece of quartz for part of my kitchen, and became confrontational when I asked about it, to the point that I thought they might threaten to attack me (seriously). After some back and forth, they replaced the quartz, and I left the situation thinking I never want to talk to those people again.
An issue I kind of ignored at first but can't ignore forever is that the water flow in the new faucet is very low. Water pressure elsewhere in the house is good. The screen on the pull-down head is clean. I thought they used tiny supply lines (maybe complying with some kind of low water use regulation) and had a plumber come by the house today to check. I thought we'd be able to resolve it with larger supply lines. (I know very little about plumbing.) But, this is what the plumber said:
The problem is that they didn't bleed the water line, so when they connected it, it filled the cartridge with calcium deposits etc. I asked if it could be cleaned. He advised me against doing that, and recommended replacing the faucet. He quoted me a price of around $500 for labor, if I supply the new faucet. To be fair, this includes installing a hot water recirculator valve (labor only). Which means, I am looking at $650-$700 or so in total depending what faucet I buy, when my issue is a clogged cartridge.
If that is what it takes, I will pay it, but I wanted some additional opinions before coughing up the cash. Could I replace the cartridge? Is that a DIY project for someone who is not experienced with plumbing? Is this plumber telling me the unpleasant truth or should I call another plumber first? Thanks for any insight.
A few months ago, I hired a small company to install quartz countertops in my kitchen. They also replaced the sink, and this more or less required a new faucet. They asked if I wanted them to install the faucet or if I wanted to hire a plumber to install the faucet. Thinking I was saving a step and would have less downtime with a non-functional kitchen, I had them install the faucet. The one they use is an American Standard, with a high arc, a pull-down head, spray/stream toggle, and a button to turn the waterflow off while you hold the button down. It's a nice faucet!
Meanwhile, the installer used a mismatched piece of quartz for part of my kitchen, and became confrontational when I asked about it, to the point that I thought they might threaten to attack me (seriously). After some back and forth, they replaced the quartz, and I left the situation thinking I never want to talk to those people again.
An issue I kind of ignored at first but can't ignore forever is that the water flow in the new faucet is very low. Water pressure elsewhere in the house is good. The screen on the pull-down head is clean. I thought they used tiny supply lines (maybe complying with some kind of low water use regulation) and had a plumber come by the house today to check. I thought we'd be able to resolve it with larger supply lines. (I know very little about plumbing.) But, this is what the plumber said:
The problem is that they didn't bleed the water line, so when they connected it, it filled the cartridge with calcium deposits etc. I asked if it could be cleaned. He advised me against doing that, and recommended replacing the faucet. He quoted me a price of around $500 for labor, if I supply the new faucet. To be fair, this includes installing a hot water recirculator valve (labor only). Which means, I am looking at $650-$700 or so in total depending what faucet I buy, when my issue is a clogged cartridge.
If that is what it takes, I will pay it, but I wanted some additional opinions before coughing up the cash. Could I replace the cartridge? Is that a DIY project for someone who is not experienced with plumbing? Is this plumber telling me the unpleasant truth or should I call another plumber first? Thanks for any insight.
Last edited: