OT - Plumbing issue

[abevilac]

So, we just got back from a 3 week vacation and the water pressure at the kitchen sink seemed a bit off the first day back and now at day 2 it's really weak - water is just more than a trickle. The water pressure at all other spigots is fine. I checked for leaks both in the kitchen and in the basement. I'm about to call a plumber but does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on this????

[mstudio]

Maybe some junk got into the strainer that should be at the tip of the faucet. Can you unscrew that to clean the little screen mesh filter?

[OWC Jamie]

If it is low volume both hot and cold then you have a restriction in the cartridge or maybe just the screen at the end of the faucet ?

[cbelt3]

First , check the shutoff under the sink. Second , Unscrew the screen and remove the debris. If that doesn't work , shut off the main water valve and drain the lines at the lowest spigot in your house. Then turn the water back on and try the spigot again. If that does not work the blockage is in the cartridge in the spigot - shut off and remove , clean , and reinstall it.

[GGD]

Does the sink have a separate hand sprayer, if so how is the pressure to that? And also press and release the sprayer valve a few times, does the water from the sink faucet stop and resume when you do that? This might also clear the problem.

There is a diverter valve for the sprayer that shuts off the water going out the sink faucet when in use, sometimes that gets stuck half way and reduces the flow to the main faucet.

[Ombligo]

Assuming the undersink valves are on fully (check) then the screen is a fast check - but if the water is a trickle with no force, then it likely is not the screen. Still it is a quick, easy fix, so do it and the restrictor cartridge before the screen (turn the water on while both are removed - if there is no pressure there, then go to the next step.

if your sink is a Delta waterless, turn off the valves, disassemble the faucet, clean it out, put back together, try the water

If it isn't a Delta, turn off the undersink shutoff and unhook the lines (if it is copper to copper, you will need silicon tape to put it back without leaks). Slowly turn on the shutoff (directing the water into a container. If there is pressure there, then the issue is between the lines and the faucet. With the waterlines still unhooked, open one outlet (hot or cold) and try to back blow from the faucet to the unhooked line. See if you can pressure force waterer is clogging the line out backwards. Repeat with the other line. hook everything back up and try again.

If still no pressure, you might be able to snake it with a flexible wire, but depending on the faucet it can be difficult. Then again, if it is still clogged, you have nothing lose. (don't even bother trying this with a Delta)

If you've done all that, and still no pressure - replace the lines between the faucet and house lines. Try again.

still nothing? replace the faucet.

IF there was no pressure coming out of the supply lines, you have a plug somewhere between the main branch off the main water line and the sink. At that point, it is likely time to call a plumber.

[GGD]

Also look at this logically.

If this happens both all the way cold and all the way hot you can eliminate a lot of causes because it's impacting hot and cold exactly the same way.

Nobody turned the shutoff valves, and they both won't fail exactly the same way at the same time, so it's really unlikely that they're the cause.

Both the hot and cold plumbing lines won't suddenly get clogged at exactly the same time, so the supply lines are not an issue.

If you remove the aerator / filter at the end of the spigot and flow is fast with it removed, that's points to the filter being clogged, clean it and replace and you're done.

Test the hand sprayer, if it has normal pressure then it's likely the diverter valve.

If the diverter seems to be operating normally and the sprayer pressure is low similar to the spigot, then it's the mixer cartridge.

[space-time]

abevilac wrote:
So, we just got back from a 3 week vacation and the water pressure at the kitchen sink seemed a bit off the first day back and now at day 2 it's really weak - water is just more than a trickle. The water pressure at all other spigots is fine. I checked for leaks both in the kitchen and in the basement. I'm about to call a plumber but does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on this????

you forgot to tell George to exercise your gaskets?

[abevilac]

Thanks all. It is one of those chef kitchen single sprayer kinds of faucets - hot and cold equally challenged. I took off the strainer and there was a lot of odd gunk in there -- kind of gelatinous and yellow??!! Scrapped all that out and soaked in some vinegar. Put it back together and now it is much better. Hubby will try some of the other suggestions over the weekend but for now, we're ok.

[GGD]

abevilac wrote:
Thanks all. It is one of those chef kitchen single sprayer kinds of faucets - hot and cold equally challenged. I took off the strainer and there was a lot of odd gunk in there -- kind of gelatinous and yellow??!! Scrapped all that out and soaked in some vinegar. Put it back together and now it is much better. Hubby will try some of the other suggestions over the weekend but for now, we're ok.

Sounds like the likely cause, other suggestions seem unlikely.

Usually those filters capture stuff that came in with the tap water, and is often more like sand. In your case, I wonder if that type of sprayer/faucet tends to get dipped in dishwater and stuff it picks up from there might start growing, especially with three weeks of nothing flushing it out.