Kitchen faucet

[chris cross]

It's a Moen. It's got a problem. Pressure is great everywhere else in the coach. After I remove the faucet sprayer there is very little discharge from the hose. There is no visible screen in the hose end. I hate plumbing. Where should I start to look??
Thanks

[Old Scout]

Yup--there is a screen right at the connection between the hose and the spray handle[either in the hose end or in the handle]. Once apart, try pumping water thru the disconnected hose end using the on-board pump [not city water pressure].....

[blacktie.shooter]

AARGH!! Just had one installed. Will be real curious to find out the problem with yours, and how easy it is to fix.

[chris cross]

Old Scout: There is a screen in the sprayer handle end but it does not come into play when the sprayer and hose are disconnected. There is a dribble that comes out the hose.

[Old Scout]

Then there must be a blockage in the line[s] below the faucet. Does it make a difference if you have the hot vs the cold side running? If not blocked below the faucet, then somewhere back in the lines--curious that both sides would be blocked. Back to plumbing 101-- but I might start at the line connections to the faucet just to see if you have full pressure getting to the faucet. If so, you'll then need to disassemble the faucet and if not there go working back thru the lines--not much fun. Never had this faucet apart but assume its a cartrige-type so start at top and remove the handle.
PS--you could remove the cartrige first and let it bubble up thru the faucet but without someone at the outside control valve to ease on/off the flow of water, you might be in for a wet face or ceiling.

[takepride]

Chris:

With the cartridge-type faucets it is usually one of the gaskets in the cartridge. It has slipped and is blocking the hole out to the hose. If caught quickly you can often just reset the gaskets/parts. If something has torn or worn, you'll need to rebuild it with a kit (cheap). Once you understand how the cartridge fits together, it'll be easy to repair. You might try looking into the same faucet at the hardware store and see how it looks disassembled. That's how I learned.

[Troubleshooter]

While this may not be the culprit, here is what I found with our kitchen mixing faucet, and the cure.
Since performing this 'fix' a few years ago, I have not had any more problems.

Bill

The DW had been mentioning a lack of water flow from the kitchen Single Handle Mixing Faucet on our RV. Looking into the problem, I noted that there was sufficient flow from the lavatory, shower, and toilet, so the problem was strictly a sink problem.
Removing and cleaning the strainer had no effect, so I disconnected the hot and cold water supply lines, one at a time, and found that there was no restriction in the water lines. This meant the problem was within the mixing faucet itself.
I tried to use air pressure from a portable compressor to 'back blow' the hot and cold water sides of the faucet, to no avail, as I could not force any air through either side.
Deciding to see if I could find the problem, I removed the faucet from the sink and proceeded to disassemble the beast, only to find the passage between the valve, and the wand had some kind of a checkvalve in it. Removing the hose going to the wand, I found a spring loaded back-flow preventer, and a flow restrictor/strainer. Carefully removing the plastic flow restrictor/strainer for examination revealed almost all of the passages were blocked with what appears to be a white calcium like substance.
After removal of these white particles, and re-assembly of the faucet restored full flow of both the hot and cold water. I guess I could have simply removed the restrictor/strainer and reassembled the faucet, however this could well lead to excessive use of a limited water supply when dry camping.
Before re-installation of the faucet, I flushed both the hot and cold water lines to insure none of the offending particles remained in the lines to replug the faucet restrictor/strainer.
Our RV has a Gas/Electric water heater, and I have noticed this same white substance from time to time when I back-flush the heater tank.
I guess, in the future, I will back-flush the heater tank more often to lessen the chance of the faucet plugging again.
So, if you notice a reduced flow from one or more faucets in your RV, this could be the culprit

[chris cross]

Troubleshooter: This sounds like it could be the fix. Before I remove the faucet I have a question.

Carefully removing the plastic flow restrictor/strainer for examination revealed almost all of the passages were blocked with what appears to be a white calcium like substance.

When you remove the wand from the hose is the plastic flow r/s in the handle of the wand? If so, would you not have a good discharge of water from the hose?
Thanks

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by chris cross

Troubleshooter: This sounds like it could be the fix. Before I remove the faucet I have a question.

Carefully removing the plastic flow restrictor/strainer for examination revealed almost all of the passages were blocked with what appears to be a white calcium like substance.

When you remove the wand from the hose is the plastic flow r/s in the handle of the wand? If so, would you not have a good discharge of water from the hose?
Thanks

On our faucet, the flow restrictor was located inside the body of the faucet itself.
I had to completely remove the faucet from the sink, and disassemble the valve assembly. Not a complicated operation, just pay attention to how it came apart, so you can reassemble it correctly.

Bill
2002 Discovery 37T

[Sammie]

On most all water heaters installed in Alpine coaches there is a Water Heater Anode which should be changed at least every two years. These Anodes will dissolve and leave a flakey residue in the bottom of the water heater tank which, if not flushed out when changing Anodes, will work its way up to various faucets in your coach and cause plugging problems.

Sammie

[takepride]

Here is some information about your Suburban water heater. It answers questions about cleaning, changing the anode rod and the white stuff that builds up and then goes though the water sytem (clogging your faucet):

http://www.rvcomfort.com/suburban/se...Question-48213

[chris cross]

"Look at this, honey" said my wife. and I saw the kitchen faucet shooting out water like it was new. I think that the clog was pushed through the system. I cleaned out the end screen (again) and all is now well. For sure I will flush out my water heater. I always did change the anode but did not flush.
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.

[blacktie.shooter]

Originally Posted by Sammie

On most all water heaters installed in Alpine coaches there is a Water Heater Anode which should be changed at least every two years. These Anodes will dissolve and leave a flakey residue in the bottom of the water heater tank which, if not flushed out when changing Anodes, will work its way up to various faucets in your coach and cause plugging problems.

Sammie

Originally Posted by takepride

Here is some information about your Suburban water heater. It answers questions about cleaning, changing the anode rod and the white stuff that builds up and then goes though the water sytem (clogging your faucet):

http://www.rvcomfort.com/suburban/se...Question-48213

Change the anode? Flush the tank? Do all hot water heaters have an anode? When I pull the plug on mine to winterize, I don't see anything that looks like an anode. How do I check?

I drain my hot water heater, but have never flushed it out; sounds like maybe I should. How do I do that? Could use some help.

[Louie & Linda]

Aah -- Remember the other fly in the ointment for this issue.
Several Alpines have had reversed plumbing to the hot water heater. The cold water pipe (heater suppy) was plumbed to the TOP of the water heater. The hot water (heater output) was plumbed to the BOTTOM of the water heater.
Result, limited hot water and easily plugged hot water lines (and facuets)