Do I need a new kitchen faucet?

[reezekeys]

DIYer here. I probably do need a new faucet but I thought I'd make sure first. There are two problems. First, it's loose. I went under the sink and tightened the three screws underneath VERY tight - it made no difference at all. Below is a short unlisted youtube vid I made showing that the supply tubes move when I move the faucet body even when it's tightened down. The second issue is one I just discovered by accident: with the hot water supply shut off, cold water comes out even when the temp selector is all the way to hot. Now I know why I couldn't get very hot water from this faucet!

Should I bail on this faucet. or is there something I'm misunderstanding about how these faucets are suposed to stay in place? Also, is adjusting the hot/cold mix possible or fixable? Thanks and here's the link to the very short (19 seconds) video. I appreciate any advice!

 

[reezekeys]

No bites I see... maybe this is too dumb a Q for anyone to bother with! Just a little more info, this is an American Standard Fairbury faucet, discontinued. I thought it might be one of those cheap Chinese guys I see on Ebay for $30 as it was installed by a contractor fixing our house afer a fire – I don't remember my wife or myself having input on the brand choice though my wife may have asked for a pull-down. I just found the sticker on the supply line with the brand & model #. It was installed 11 years ago so maybe that's a normal lifespan for a faucet? It still beats me why it's loose, yet the screws on the bottom are tightened down to the point of almost deforming the mounting plate (if that's what it's called).

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Storm rider]

Since it is A/S it has a lifetime warranty. Call them at 855-815-0004

 

[reezekeys]

I did not know that! Thanks very much, you might have just saved us the cost of a new faucet!

 

[Wayne DW]

The mounting plate with the 3 screws screws on to the threaded faucet column underneath after the flat washer is slid up that column to bottom of countertop, as you probably know? Have the 3 little bolts screwed into the mounting plate so they just stick out a little on the top side, evenly. Then screw that up threaded column right up to the flat washer at bottom of countertop hand tight. Then as you screw in the 3 bolts they push against the flat washer and countertop pulling the faucet down onto the countertop. The faucet should have some kind of seal/gasket at the bottom of base touching the countertop to seal water out and give it friction not to move around. Just snug the screws slightly and check handle position, move to desired position and then screw them tight.
Hope this helps.
*Edit: After seeing the video.. the threaded column looks to be loose in the faucet body. If that doesn't screw in tight and resolve the mounting problem I'd get a new faucet.

 

[reezekeys]

The mounting plate with the 3 screws screws on to the threaded faucet column underneath after the flat washer is slid up that column to bottom of countertop, as you probably know? Have the 3 little bolts screwed into the mounting plate so they just stick out a little on the top side, evenly. Then screw that up threaded column right up to the flat washer at bottom of countertop hand tight. Then as you screw in the 3 bolts they push against the flat washer and countertop pulling the faucet down onto the countertop. The faucet should have some kind of seal/gasket at the bottom of base touching the countertop to seal water out and give it friction not to move around. Just snug the screws slightly and check handle position, move to desired position and then screw them tight.
Hope this helps.
*Edit: After seeing the video.. the threaded column looks to be loose in the faucet body. If that doesn't screw in tight and resolve the mounting problem I'd get a new faucet.

Thanks a bunch for checking this out. Yes those three screws are already tightened - I even torqued them down a lttle more. That mounting plate is solidly fastened down under the sink but the faucet itself is still loose, as my video shows. It might not be obvious but that threaded column does not move when I rotate the faucet as I do at the beginning of the video. Could there be a another tightening nut in the faucet body that's come loose?

the threaded column looks to be loose in the faucet body. If that doesn't screw in tight

Are you talking about something other than those three screws on that plate when you said "if that doesn't screw in tight"? I want to be sure about this. I know I can get the faucet out, but doing any actual repair that involves the inside might be above my pay grade. I wonder if AS's warranty might get us a whole new faucet.

BTW there does not appear to be any seal or gasket at the faucet's base where it meets the sink, unless it's underneath the faucet body. Thanks again for your input!

 

[reezekeys]

Just got off the phone with AS. They are sending me a mounting kit for my faucet as a "courtesy one-time favor" because I haven't found our receipt yet. I explained multiple times that the fixation ring and three screws that secure it to the underside of the sink appear to be tight and there is no movement there I can see - but that's all they'll do for me at the moment.

As to my other issue - cold water coming out of the faucet when the lever is at full "hot" position (hot water supply is confirmed shut off), the woman I spoke to said this is normal - that some cold water will mix with hot even with the lever all the way over. Is this true? For a long time now, I've noticed that with the temperature set all the way hot, it's only truly hot when I have the flow very low - the more I pull the lever out to increase the flow, the cooler the water gets. Thanks to anyone helping me make sense of this!

 

[reezekeys]

I know ChatGPT can often get things wrong, but for what it's worth here is my exchange. Regarding point #1, I don't believe my faucet has a mixing valve - at least I don't see one on the parts diagram. By process of elimination, out of the four possible causes listed, #3 (faulty cartridge) seems the most likely.

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I have a single-handle pull-down kitchen faucet. When I move the handle all the way to the HOT position, there is still cold water coming through. is this standard with these types of faucets or is my faucet defective?

ChatGPT said:​

This is not standard behavior for a properly functioning single-handle pull-down kitchen faucet. When the handle is moved fully to the HOT position, you should only be getting hot water. If cold water is still coming through, a few possible causes include:

1. Improper Mixing Valve Adjustment – Some faucets have a built-in temperature limit or mixing valve that may need adjustment. Check your faucet's manual to see if this can be calibrated.
2. Reversed Water Supply Connections – If the hot and cold water supply lines were connected incorrectly during installation, this could result in unexpected temperature behavior.
3. Faulty Cartridge – The faucet cartridge controls the mixing of hot and cold water. A malfunctioning or defective cartridge could be allowing cold water to mix in even when the handle is fully in the HOT position.
4. Low Hot Water Supply – If your water heater isn't producing enough hot water or there's an issue with the hot water supply line, this could also be a factor.