New Kitchen Faucet Problem

[mcp6453]

My wife discovered a leak under the kitchen sink. Upon investigation, I discovered that water was getting under the sprayer. The washers in the faucet were ready for replacement, and the gasket between the faucet plate and the sink was shot. So I decided to install a newer faucet.

On the advice of a friend builder, we bought a Delta. The model is 400, I think. Installing it was pretty easy, but after I finished, I noticed that the faucet is not rigidly secured to the sink. There front and back edges of the plate are not touching the sink as if the sink is warped. The nuts on the underside of the faucet are as tight as I can get them without breaking them.

Before I put the faucet in place, I ran a line of silicone around it. While the silicone will help prevent water from leaking down under the faucet, there is no way that it will add any dimensional stability.

Other than plumbers putty, how can I stabilize the faucet? If I use plumbers putty, do I remove the gasket material under the plate? Is there a flat, three-hole plate that I can get to go UNDER the sink to add strength to the face of the edge of the sink? Buying a new sink is not in the plans, at the moment.

As a side note, I was pretty disappointed in the flimsiness of this Delta faucet. It's definitely not made of the same robust material as the 20 year old one that I took out. Should I consider returning it and getting something different, or all they all cheaply made now?

[hrhofmann]

I recently put a new American Standard faucet in our kitchen sink, with pretty much the same problems you had. I ended up hand cutting and grinding the faucet base until the chrome cover was more or less flat on the sink durface. Then I used a LOT of silicone rubber and then tightened everything down. From the front it looks ok, and the silicone rubber will keep any standing water around the fixture from getting into it and then dripping under the sink. But I was really disappointed in the crappy quality of what had been a great company.

[mcp6453]

I just watched this Lowes video

If I had bought the model of faucet in the video, I don't think I would have the problem since there is a thread and nut for the center hole. That would have pulled the sink into the base plate. Now I wondering if I just wasted the price of a new faucet.

[Roger Shoaf]

I don't understand the reluctance to use plumbers putty. It is there to make a tight seal between fixtures and sinks. It stays soft for ever and it does not leak.

Myself I like the American Standard products with the ceramic disk valves.

What I do in kitchen sinks is to remove the whole sink from the counter top when I install them. This means a lot less time under the sink upside down.

[mcp6453]

Since plumbers putty remains soft, it will not provide any dimensional stability to the fixture. When you turn the water on or off, the fixture rocks, albeit ever so slightly. If there were a threaded sleeve around the lines going into the spout such that a third nut could be installed, the fixture would be more stable. The plate is oblong instead of rectangular. The problem would not be nearly as bad if the plate were rectangular.

These observations are all things that a DIYer would not necessary know to look for when purchasing and replacing a Delta faucet with a Delta faucet. If Lowes will exchange the faucet, that's what I'm going to do. I'll get one with three threads instead of two. Plus the base plate will be rectangular. If they will not exchange it since it has already been installed and has silicone on the base, I'll offer it for sale here. There is nothing wrong with the faucet except that the design is not right for my stainless sink. Apparently the former faucet with its metal threaded studs somewhat warped the lip of the sink where the faucet assembly is installed.

[Joe]

[Phisherman]

Delta has pretty good customer service. Did you try there? Some of my Delta faucets have black rubber gaskets against the sink, still good after 18 years.