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I have a Wolverine Brass kitchen faucet w/ pull out cord. Ii has a ceramic cartridge. The faucet clogs up. I checked that the cause is not the sprayer, and it's not the cartridge. Is it possibly from the pull out hose? Where is its check valve located & is that clogging source? How to remove this valve?
Already Tried: As described earlier, the sprayer is OK and the ceramic cartridge is OK. The hose and check valves I have not checked.
Welcome to Just Answer, I will do my best to help with your problem
How do you know it's not the spray head or the cartridge? Do you have a model for the faucet? I can give you general directions but that's all without a model
I unscrewed off the spray head and the water flow is still thin. I also took out the cartridge and examined it and soaked it in vinega but without any improverment.
Ok, try this. Turn the water off to the faucet, remove the cartridge then turn the water back on. This works best wit 2 people, one to turn the water on and the other holding a cup over the open faucet body so the water doesn't go everywhere. If the flow is good from both hot and cold then it could be a check valve. The check is usually on the faucet end of the hose
I need a model number to be more specific
What you did doesn't definitively rule out the cartridge
The model is Wolverine Brass Endurance single-loop handle (prior to 2009, i.e., older model). I did turn on the inflow water (cold) to the faucet w/o the cartridge. The water flow is strong when the cartridge is off.
Let me see if I can find a spec for that model. Back in a few
All I can find is a cut sheet. No parts breakdown. There are 2 possibilities for the location of the check either at the faucet end of the hose or inside the faucet body. In the faucet body is a fairly recent config so it's not likely in an older faucet. The cut sheet does show a rather long shank that the hose connects to so you might be able to remove the hose and position a bucket under the shank to check the flow with the hose off. There are replacement cartridges in their parts catalog so if you get no flow with the hose off I'd try a new cartridge
I tried with a replacement cartridge some time ago, but no improvement.
That leaves the hose or the check on the hose. If the check was in the faucet body you should have seen signs of it in the outlet hole when you had the cartridge out.
The faucet was installed by a plumber in mid-2007. So you think the valve is within the hose?
Not in the hose, it may be at the faucet end connection. Typically it's a separate part but WB is an odd duck so it could be part of the hose
When the cartridge is out, the incoming flow is strong. I assume the check valve is at the outgoing side, right?
Yes, the idea is to prevent dirty water from the sink from getting sucked back into the water piping if the head is left ina sink of dirty water and there is a pressure drop
How do I find out wher the check is? What's the best way to fix it?
It's likely on the faucet end of the hose
you can't fix it you have to replace it
where the hose connects to the faucet body
What you mean is that I have to replace the valve or the hose. Can I remove the valvie if I can find it? How? So it's likely not in the faucet body?
No not likely in the faucet body. The check is typically a separate part at the faucet end connection of the hose
The sprayer aeady has a check valve.
it may be incorporated into the hose like I said before WB is an odd duck
how do you know the sprayer has a check
I've never seen one there before. But WB is an odd one
I notice at the end of the sprayer that connects to the hose, there is a spring-loaded valve that can be pushed open.
sounds like it could be a check,
are you sure it's not the spray mechanism
So the solution is to replace the hose OR to destroy of pull out the valve. But how?
I don't understand your last question
"to destroy of pull out the valve"??
I assume the spring-loaded flap is a check. The water pressure of the hose pushes the flap open to enter the sprayer. My question is that how do I fix the problem. Should I replace the hose? OR should I pull out the valve (if I can find it)? How do I remove the check valve?
If the check valve is in the spray head and you say the flow is poor with the head off then it's not the check valve. You need to remove the hose where it connects to the faucet and turn the faucet on (with a bucket under it of course) and check the flow at that point. If the flow is good then replace the hose
I got the impression after talking to WB in the past that there was redundancy in the checks. The only thing I'm not surwhether the other check is with the hose or with the faucet body. The person who answered my question was not very explicit.
Like I've been saying it would most likely be at the faucet end of the hose
So it seems that the hose can clog up too even though has a good size diameter.
That's not what I've been saying. If there is check at the faucet end of the hose then that could be plugged. Before you replace the hose you need to check the flow with the hose disconnected at the faucet
Let's say the flow is not good with the hose off. What next?
Then, since you say the flow into the faucet is good with the cartridge out, the faucet body is likely plugged or the cartridge is faulty
OK. So I think I'll try the hose off & see what happens.
On the remote chance there is a check valve in the faucet body it would have to be accessible either with the cartidge out or the hose off
ok
Before we go. How I do I remove the check if I need to?
It depends on where it is. If it's at the faucet end of the hose then it's either part of the hose (and you'll have to replace the hose) or it's a separate fitting that unscrews or on the rare chance it's in the faucet body it would likely just pop out
OK. Thanks. I think that's it.
You're welcome
Thanks for using Just Answer
Experience: Licensed Master plumber & General contractor with over 40 years experience