How do I keep my Kitchen faucet from freezing up?
by
S
+4
what causes the kitchen faucet neck to stop swiveling? single handle, sink top sprayer. over time the spout will get more and more difficult to swing side to side. no leaks. third faucet to have the problem.
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Do you have hard water? It may be calcium build-up. Use a product like Lime Away regularly.
What did it look like when you took the old ones off? If you have hard water, it's possible mineral build up could be the culprit. You may need to disassemble the faucet, clean it, and apply a lubricant to keep it rotating smoothly.
If it's not the water, it seems odd that three faucets have encountered the same problem. Are you replacing the faucet with the same type? If you overtighten it on installation, you could be damaging the O-rings that allow the faucet to swivel. Over time, it's getting gummed up somehow. You can replace the O-rings. I would try that and use a silicone plumbing grease like Oatey sold at Lowe's. Be careful not to overtighten the nut when you reinstall it. If you replace the O-ring and see that it swivels more freely after you reinstall it, that may have been your issue.
The faucet is designed for hot and cold water, so I'm thinking it's not the water temperature. Another thought did occur to me and that is if you have chlorinated water? However, if it were that, all your neighbors would be having the same problem. O-rings can be different materials. Contact the manufacturer of the faucet you have now. They will tell what type would be best, or take the faucet with you to a hardware store if you can't remove the O-ring. Yes, it's no fun crawling around under a sink trying to remove a faucet. It's never easy even under the best of circumstances. Having the right tools will make it easier through. They do make a special tool you can buy at Home depot or Lowe's, but it's about $30.00