Kitchen faucet with thick countertop

[Gregg G]

So, I have counter-tops that are almost 2" thick, including the sink lip. I installed a Delta Lewiston
single handle faucet (about 2-1/2 years ago when we were building) that worked fine for a while.
The "single stalk" is about 3-1/2" long and provided adequate installation support. The faucet itself
started getting difficult to move, and would drip if you didn't push it exactly in the right position
(with more force than when it was new). Evidently there have been a lot of complaints about this
particular issue - but it had a good price point and looked nice. Anyway, the wife wanted something
easier to use, so I got a 3-hole Moen that got good reviews, and since it has the more conventional
2 faucet design, I'm hopeful it won't get "gritty" like the 1 handle ball.

Anyway, all the mfg's seem to want to save a nickel anywhere they can, so of course the 1/2 pipe
connections are just about as short as they can be. In my case, "short as they can be" is TOO short.
With room for connecting the water line, and about 3/4" for the mounting nuts, I figure I need the
faucet pipe connections to be about 3" long. The Moen is only about 2". So, I need to extend the
shank. I saw there is an item "faucet shank extender" that looks like it should be what I need. Is
this what you guys use when you have thick counter? It looks to be a "way overpriced" 1/2 coupler
with a nipple on one side. I think these are 1/2-14 straight (so cheap NPT parts won't work).

On another note, when I got the Delta out I took it apart (because I'm an engineer and I NEED to
know the design flaw/wear item). I greased up the ball and cleaned it out a bit. Lo and behold,
works 1,000% better - almost like new. I'm wondering if this "lifetime warranty" faucet is worth
saving, or if it will get worse over time. 2-1/2 years seems like a really short time to need
cleaning/maintenance - and it's not the easiest thing to take apart.

Thanks for your input!

 

[James Henry]

Standard faucets are for standard counter-tops, yours is not standard. The extenders should work.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Themp]

You can call Delta customer support and get a new cartridge for free. I have tried cleaning them also by taking them apart and lubing, but in the end it will start to fail again. The cartridge is also sensitive to how much pressure is placed with the locking nut that holds it in place. I have had the same experience as yourself, and usually need a new cartridge every 2-3 years.

 

[Jeff H Young]

That's the diamond technology . I've replaced mine 2 or 3 times yea I like the faucet a little. and I order new cartridges from delta and wont pay for them its easy to service. but otherwise if you are bothered by this you might consider them junk I wont argue with that conclusion. I never knew a way to fix cartridge how did you fix your leaky faucet?
I've never had to use the faucet extenders about 25 a pair for brass sounds good to me !

 

[Gregg G]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen. It sounds like they made "everything better" by making sure it won't last. I had a
Kenmore washer that was almost 50 years old. Tub was small by today's standards, but it still ran great when I gave
it away to a fire station. The new ones are huge, and makes washing king size blankets easy, but if a board goes out
it costs twice as much to fix as to get a new one.

The "leak" in the faucet was just coming about because it was getting difficult to move the handle. If you didn't get it
in just the right position (because it was "feeling gritty") it would drip. It wasn't really "leaking through". The thing is,
our well water is very good - almost undetectable iron, less than 1ppm hardness. The tubs and sinks don't ever get a
"ring" because the water is so soft. And the pressure is set right at 60 psi - so not excessive at all. Anyway, I was
surprised to hear that 2-3 years is a "real world" expectation for life on the cartridge - thought I might just have gotten
a bad one.

I think I'll leave the old one in for now, just to see how long it lasts before getting "gritty" again. I sent Delta customer
service an email requesting a new cartridge, so we'll see how that goes - especially with their "lifetime warranty", ha,ha.

If it happens again too soon, I think I'll get the brass extenders and install the "2 handle" faucet instead. From my research,
it seemed as though there were a lot more complaints about the "1 handle" ball-type valve compared to the more
conventional simple twist valve.

When we were building the house, this was my go to site for code and installation questions.
Thanks for your website Terry!

 

[Jadnashua]

I'm not a fan of how many of the Delta cartridges work...many of them won't shut off unless the handle is perfectly centered. This means every time you turn it on, without also rotating it, you'll get warm water when you may want hot or cold...and, if you're turning it on/off and want the same temperature, you're moving the seals back and forth a huge amount more than needed. Now, my sister is somewhat anal, and loves that feature, and when visiting me gets upset that the handles on mine (Grohe) can be left in any position when off, so say you're brushing your teeth, you can just turn it on/off without having to move it from the center position each time...

To each their own. My mother loved her Delta stuff...there's a market for more than one. Different design philosophies. They both work.

 

[MatthiasBird]

Faucet shank extenders are a great way to extend the reach of your faucet, and they're definitely what you need in your case. They're not as expensive as you might think - you can find them for around $20. As for your Delta faucet, it's good that you were able to clean it and get it working again. However, I wouldn't recommend relying on it for the long term. It sounds like it's already starting to wear down, and it's only going to get worse over time. You might want to consider replacing it with a new one. Also, to solve your problem, maybe it is a good idea to get another countertop lol.

 

[Terry]

I installed this Kohler Simplice faucet at home. It came with a very long shank, which would be perfect for a deep countertop.

Kohler Simplice K-596-VS