seeking kitchen faucet advice: are "pulldowns" OK?

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bertamax

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My search for a kitchen faucet replacement introduced me to the pulldown variety which seemed very nice indeed. But then I get to thinking about the hose part and whether or not I want all the water I consume delivered that way. We have metal supply lines and I started wondering about what the faucet hoses are made of. Online searches don't offer much except for some discussion of Moen hose issues several years ago.

So, what is the verdict on these guys? Are people happy or do they have water quality (taste) issues with the hoses? I used to work in a water quality lab so I'm a little weird about it, I know.

I found Chicago Faucets, made in USA, so that made me happy. They are industrial but can be used residential. What do you think of this brand? I also found some Moens and Kohlers made in the USA.

Are ceramic cartridges the way to go?

Thank you.
 

hj

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1. I have have had pulldown/pullout faucets in my homes for the past 30 years and think they are the best way to go. You will have a hard time finding a modern faucet that is not ceramic sealed. You can become paranoid if you start worrying about every material that comes in contact with your water. Hoses are inert.
 

Asktom

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Chicago Faucets are excellent quality and if you get quaturn cartridges they are not ceramic. But, if you want pull-down listen to HJ.
 

Jadnashua

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I've had a Grohe pulldown going on 10-years...works fine, no unusual smells. One thing I would caution you about, if you let the head sit in water, you could risk contaminating things. IOW, don't pull it out, let it sit in the sink, and fill it up, or something similar. A 'normal' faucet can't let that happen, and the pull-downs have a vacuum breaker in them, but still not a great idea. As in most sprayer functions, they don't always stay in sprayer mode unless the flow rate is near max. Mine will switch back to stream mode...my mother has a Delta, and that one does not switch back automatically, so it's not a universal characteristic. Some of them use a spring to help return the hose, some use a sliding weight. If you have a bunch of stuff underneath, the sliding weight may get hung up and not always make it easy to get it to return - depends on your pipe layout (something you can plan for, if you think of it!).
 

bertamax

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1. I have have had pulldown/pullout faucets in my homes for the past 30 years and think they are the best way to go. You will have a hard time finding a modern faucet that is not ceramic sealed. You can become paranoid if you start worrying about every material that comes in contact with your water. Hoses are inert.

Thanks. I didn't know they've been around so long. I hadn't looked at kitchen faucets for at least 8 yrs and now they seem to be everywhere. I see where the pullouts can have the metal hose, similar to supply lines. If I go with a pulldown I'll just have to contact the mfg. to ask what the hose is :)
 

bertamax

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I've had a Grohe pulldown going on 10-years...works fine, no unusual smells. One thing I would caution you about, if you let the head sit in water, you could risk contaminating things. IOW, don't pull it out, let it sit in the sink, and fill it up, or something similar. A 'normal' faucet can't let that happen, and the pull-downs have a vacuum breaker in them, but still not a great idea. As in most sprayer functions, they don't always stay in sprayer mode unless the flow rate is near max. Mine will switch back to stream mode...my mother has a Delta, and that one does not switch back automatically, so it's not a universal characteristic. Some of them use a spring to help return the hose, some use a sliding weight. If you have a bunch of stuff underneath, the sliding weight may get hung up and not always make it easy to get it to return - depends on your pipe layout (something you can plan for, if you think of it!).

I understand and appreciate you mentioning it. I've heard to be aware about the spray switching but I'm not sure it will matter to me; I'll think about it more. Then there's the ones with magnets in the head so it reseats properly. I'm bad with so many new things to consider. :eek: I'll be sure to take a look in the cabinet to make sure there's space, I think there is but better now than during installation.
 

Jadnashua

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FWIW, neither my mother's Delta nor my Grohe have magnets, and both seem to stay in place just fine. That may or may not be the case on all designs...I just have not had any experience with others.
 

hj

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quote; I see where the pullouts can have the metal hose, similar to supply lines

NONE have "metal hoses", although SOME have a hose with a metal cover and a surgical rubber "hose" inside it.
 

hj

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Stuff inside the cabinet can keep the weight from retracting the hose, but the hose can also get caught on the water valves and not pull out.

moen-hose-weight.jpg
 
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