Can this drip be stopped?

[Mliu]

OP, what is your reason for posting here? You asked for help solving the problem, yet you stubbornly refuse to accept our diagnosis. You won't even make the minimal effort to troubleshoot as we've recommended. Instead, you insist that the problem is inherent in the design. If you are so fixated on your pre-determined conclusion, namely that the faucet design is flawed, then why are you asking for our help? We cannot change the design of the faucet, nor can we alter the laws of physics.

Moreover, why haven't you contacted Graff and discussed this with them?

 

[uscpsycho]

You may not be able to fix the issue. If it had a vacuum breaker in the design, when you shut the water off, that would open, and let all of the water flow out of the spout below it. Otherwise, as was said, it's like you put a finger over the end of a straw. It will likely seep out slowly, and faster if you help it with the towel you mentioned, but it needs air to get back into it. There are ways during the design that could have resolved that issue, but not sure any after the fact one will do it.

The mineral deposits are a result of your water hardness. Green usually means there's some copper involved which could be from the pipes, or in the water supply. IF it was the water supply, you'd be likely to see those stains elsewhere.

I have no issues anywhere else.

I've been watching this thread go back and forth about the physics of this faucet. Let me throw this out there. If the faucet only drops once an hour maybe the solution isn't to fix the faucet but to fix the water making the stain? It seems you may be stuck with the drip. If there wasn't anything in the water to stain the sink the problem will go away. I suspect even without the drip, by the looks of it, you're going to end up with a nasty mess at the end of this faucet and all your other faucets. No offense, but you've spent $3000.00 on a faucet but are willing to live with crappy water?

Why do you think I have crappy water? Does low pH mean the water is bad? I haven't tested it yet but I bought a pH tester and plan to test.

The water spot happens because there is always a tiny puddle of water pooled in the same spot and it is affecting the finish of the corian sink. I'm obviously no expert but wouldn't the same thing happen if there is standing water no matter what the pH or hardness of the water is? If I had "perfect" hardness and pH would that prevent the spot? (The sink isn't discolored, it's just like a big water spot.) Is there even such a thing as perfect hardness and pH?

If I don't have a serious water problem, I'd rather not take drastic measures just to prevent this spot.

OP, what is your reason for posting here? You asked for help solving the problem, yet you stubbornly refuse to accept our diagnosis. You won't even make the minimal effort to troubleshoot as we've recommended. Instead, you insist that the problem is inherent in the design. If you are so fixated on your pre-determined conclusion, namely that the faucet design is flawed, then why are you asking for our help? We cannot change the design of the faucet, nor can we alter the laws of physics.

Moreover, why haven't you contacted Graff and discussed this with them?

This is actually the opposite of what happened. I listened to what was said, I did some troubleshooting and if you read my last post you'll see that I completely ruled out a leak as the cause of this slow drip. If you disagree, I'd like to hear why you still think there might be a leak.

I called Graff and they were not helpful. My guess is that most people aren't as bothered by this slow drip as I am because usually the water goes right down the drain. But I have a modern sink with a flat panel over the drain, the water usually flows off the edges of the panel and into the drain below. But this very slow drip doesn't produce enough water for it to flow to the edges of the panel so it just pools up in one spot.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jadnashua]

The issue is this...you have a long tube of water. Any imperfection will allow the water to wick out until it's all gone. So, to fix this, I think, and this is a guess, you'd have to first clean all of the mineral deposits off of the end which is creating a rough surface that is allowing the water to weep out. If it were perfectly smooth, it probably would not.

So, the combination of your hard water and low pH is both eating/etching your pipes from the inside, and creating a less than smooth surface, then, the mineral deposits are making it rougher yet.

I'm guessing that it didn't leak when new. Things were all smooth and polished then. Soft water and a neutral pH would have probably kept it working okay longer. It may not be repairable.

 

[uscpsycho]

The issue is this...you have a long tube of water. Any imperfection will allow the water to wick out until it's all gone. So, to fix this, I think, and this is a guess, you'd have to first clean all of the mineral deposits off of the end which is creating a rough surface that is allowing the water to weep out. If it were perfectly smooth, it probably would not.

So, the combination of your hard water and low pH is both eating/etching your pipes from the inside, and creating a less than smooth surface, then, the mineral deposits are making it rougher yet.

I'm guessing that it didn't leak when new. Things were all smooth and polished then. Soft water and a neutral pH would have probably kept it working okay longer. It may not be repairable.

It actually did happen from the first day it was installed. My plumber was thinking along the lines of what some here are saying, and as a first step to troubleshoot he removed the aerator. I don't know if that would have solved the problem or not because the flow out of the faucet was unacceptable without it, so I had him put it right back in.

Thanks to everyone for your help but I am starting to feel like there is no way to stop this slow drip. It might be worthwhile to call Graff again since it has been quite some time since I called; maybe they have come up with a fix, or maybe I'll get someone else on the phone who is more knowledgeable about this fixture. It sounds like it's possible a different aerator design (perhaps less densely packed) might prevent this.

This thread has got me wondering about my water quality. I recently had the hardness tested and it is down to 6, was previously 7. And I have the pH tester but I just haven't had the time to test. Where do I want the pH to be?

 

[Terry]

When I take a shower in a bathtub where the diverter on the spout sends water upward to the tub spout, it takes a good 35 minutes for the tub spout to quit dripping until the entire 1/2" line to the shower head to dry out.
My solution is to leave the bathroom, close the door and get back to what I was doing before.

 

[Mliu]

It actually did happen from the first day it was installed.

Which strongly suggests a defect in your system. If I were a betting man, I'd put a $100 down that you have a very small leak in your system AFTER the faucet valves. Either the piping between the valves and the faucet spout are not sealed properly, or the plug at the top of the spout is not sealed properly. This leak is too small for you to see any water (especially if it's inside the wall), but it is enough to allow air into your faucet system. That air is breaking the vacuum which would normally hold the water inside the spout, thus causing the slow drip. It's also possible the plumber overtightened a nipple into the spout or into one of the valves and created a hairline crack in one of the fixture's threaded sockets, thus creating a leak path.

I would start with the plug at the top of the fixture since it's easy to get to without dismantling anything. Smear a little silicone caulk over the plug and let it cure. If air was leaking in past the plug, the silicone will seal it, even as a temporary fix. Test the faucet and see if the drip continues. If it does, you have two choices:

1. Dismantle the faucet from the wall, inspect for damage and/or leaks, and reassemble everything. Hairline cracks are very difficult to find: you may need to use a penetrating dye and UV light to check for them. Or you may what to just replace the entire fixture as a prophylactic measure. When assembling, I would use Loctite PST 565 on any threaded connections. Tighten until firmly snug. Do NOT overtighten.
2. Do as Terry suggested and ignore the drip.

 

[HudsonDIY]

Why do you think I have crappy water? Does low pH mean the water is bad? I haven't tested it yet but I bought a pH tester and plan to test.

The water spot happens because there is always a tiny puddle of water pooled in the same spot and it is affecting the finish of the corian sink. I'm obviously no expert but wouldn't the same thing happen if there is standing water no matter what the pH or hardness of the water is? If I had "perfect" hardness and pH would that prevent the spot? (The sink isn't discolored, it's just like a big water spot.) Is there even such a thing as perfect hardness and pH?

If I don't have a serious water problem, I'd rather not take drastic measures just to prevent this spot.

If your water wasn't hard it wouldn't leave deposits on your spigots or in your sink.

 

[Chucky_ott]

what you might need is a different aerator. Something that let's the water flow out when done but still gives you a laminar flow when in use. Perhaps several 1/8" or 1/4" dia. brass tubes stuck inside the spout.

 

[ajmckay2]

What a crazy faucet ! So my thought is something similar to milu. Basically when you turn on your sink faucet it's the same as turning on a shower. Water travels up a single pipe from the mixing/shutoff valve and then makes a 90 degree turn toward the wall and finally slides down the inside of the external portion of the "faucet" much like a waterfall would.

How long has the faucet been installed? It's been acting exactly like this since installation?

I would start with reviewing the installation instructions. At the end it says to take out and clean the aerator every 3-6 months depending on the water quality (looks like you need to do it). Next I would check the "spout plug" and the "stopper" located at the top of the faucet. Are they installed correctly? Finally, I would consider taking it down to double check that the installation was done correctly. There are a lot of steps to the installation of this faucet and it looks like the direction matters for some items like the "teflon insert".

 

[uscpsycho]

Lots of new replies since the last time I was here. I am not getting notifications of posts even though I am subscribed to the thread, so I don't get alerted when someone posts. Any idea why? Terry?

To what Terry said, this doesn't stop after 35 minutes. If I don't use the faucet the slow drip will go on for days because this fixture holds a lot of water when it is off. After not using it for days, when I turn it on I can hear the water whooshing down the fixture from the top because it has been emptied from the drip.

Lots of suggestions, looks like I'm going to have to do some troubleshooting with my plumber. I hate this kind of stuff because all this could get expensive and we may not solve the problem if it's just a design issue. I will say that I am nearly certain there is no leak involved because I have a Moen Flo monitor that is sensitive to extremely small leaks and would alert me if I had a leak.

The faucet has been installed for about two years and it started doing this right away.

I finally tested my pH and it is 7.7. Does this mean anything with respect to this specific problem, or perhaps with respect to my home's plumbing in general?

 

[Reach4]

Lots of suggestions, looks like I'm going to have to do some troubleshooting with my plumber. I hate this kind of stuff because all this could get expensive and we may not solve the problem if it's just a design issue.

If you could not worry about it, that would be cheaper. You now know this is not a leak.

If the dripping sound bothers you, consider putting a bath sponge where the drips hit.

I finally tested my pH and it is 7.7. Does this mean anything with respect to this specific problem, or perhaps with respect to my home's plumbing in general?

7.7 is a very desirable number.

 

[James Henry]

Did you try removing the aerator, turn the faucet on a few seconds, turn the faucet off and wait to see how long it keeps dripping?

 

[FullySprinklered]

Remove the aerator and run a small tube up the spout. That might feed air up to the top and remove the finger from the straw, if you will. If it works, leave it there.

 

[uscpsycho]

If you could not worry about it, that would be cheaper. You now know this is not a leak.

If the dripping sound bothers you, consider putting a bath sponge where the drips hit.

The dripping doesn't bother me at all. The problem is that it's over an almost-flat-bottom sink made of Corian. The water sitting there in a constant pool is leaving a mark on the sink. If it was quartz or granite or porcelain it wouldn't matter. I'm only trying to stop this drip to protect the sink from damage/staining.

Did you try removing the aerator, turn the faucet on a few seconds, turn the faucet off and wait to see how long it keeps dripping?

I haven't tried that. Will be an interesting test.

Remove the aerator and run a small tube up the spout. That might feed air up to the top and remove the finger from the straw, if you will. If it works, leave it there.

I can try this too, but wouldn't this have an unintended consequence? If this works, when you turn the faucet off, it won't stop right away. Whatever water is in the fixture will continue to flow until the channel clears. May happen fast enough it won't matter but if there is a noticeable delay it will be weird to whoever is using it. Easy and cheap enough to give it a try.

 

[Mliu]

Or you can find the leak which is allowing air to get into the fixture and break the vacuum that would hold the water column in place. But apparently you don't want to do that because it takes some actual effort.

Try a little experiment: Take a jumbo straw (~1/4" ID) and fill it with water. Place your thumb over the top opening to seal it. NO WATER WILL DRIP OUT. Even lightly shaking it will not cause the water to drip out. The only way that water will come out by itself is if you break the vacuum. A tiny vacuum break will allow it to drip. A bigger vacuum break will allow it to drain quickly.

You have a tiny leak. Unless the laws of physics do not apply inside your home.

 

[Smooky]

The valve is usually located where you turn it on and off, at the hot and cold handles. You probably need to replace the stems or cartridge for the faucet. I would think there are angle stops below the cabinet. There will be little pipes from the angle stops that go to the faucet body where the handles are located and then a single pipe from the faucet body up through the wall to the faucet spout. I'm kind of guessing but I might be this cartridge:

https://www.chicagofaucetshoppe.com/Graff-V-2014-24-5Z-p/gra-v-2014.24.5z.htm

 

[uscpsycho]

So a little update. After years of this drip, the drip has gone away!

I've had a few changes to my plumbing and I wonder if any of these things could be responsible for stopping the drip.

I have an expansion tank on my water heater that was never set up properly (pressure way too low) but is now fixed. The water department installed a check valve at the water meter (I did not have one before). And I installed a new pressure reducing valve at the main water line (don't think there was anything wrong with the old one).

I honestly don't know when the faucet stopped dripping so I can't say it happened right after these changes. But I noticed it stopped dripping and there are no other changes to my plumbing. Does it make sense that one of these things could have solved the problem of not having a perfect vacuum to keep the water from dripping? I'm thinking maybe not having a check valve was preventing me from having an airtight vacuum but now the check valve makes it possible. Is that possible?

 

[Reach4]

I have an expansion tank on my water heater that was never set up properly (pressure way too low) but is now fixed.

That one seems likely, but the new PRV could be a good possibility too.

 

[Jeff H Young]

sorry didnt notice, case pretty much closed on the drip