Spray tap hose problem

[Ian & Hilda Dedic]

Hi Chaps

In our 3year old kitchen we have a 3 year old franke pull out single stem hot and cold spray tap.

Yesterday,daughter informs me there is a leak in the hose just behind the spray head tap bit. In the flexible hose, and sure enough under sink cupboard is damp.

This is one of those 15mm hoses with a spiral outside covering, so not easy to just tape up.

Does the team think that 3 years is an unreasonable time for a flexible hose in a tap to fail and should I try to get franke to supply a spare under warranty?

or b) can I just replace with a generic pull out spray hose as advertised in many plumbers sites which won't look as swish but doesn't leak.

or c) Is there something special about the franke hose that makes it 5 times more expensive to replace with the franke part (Like special terminations)

or d) I am a stupid person to fit any kind of spray tap, what is wrong with a proper normal tap with no spray.....replace tap, replace expensive silestone worktop and replace kitchen----after all it's 3 years old surely you're fed up with it now? (The kitchen installer's response!)

ok d) was a bit of a joke but some opinions would be helpful (no angle grinders allowed ;-)

dedics

[DerbyBoy]

Hi Chaps

In our 3year old kitchen we have a 3 year old franke pull out single stem hot and cold spray tap.

Yesterday,daughter informs me there is a leak in the hose just behind the spray head tap bit. In the flexible hose, and sure enough under sink cupboard is damp.

This is one of those 15mm hoses with a spiral outside covering, so not easy to just tape up.

Does the team think that 3 years is an unreasonable time for a flexible hose in a tap to fail and should I try to get franke to supply a spare under warranty?

or b) can I just replace with a generic pull out spray hose as advertised in many plumbers sites which won't look as swish but doesn't leak.

or c) Is there something special about the franke hose that makes it 5 times more expensive to replace with the franke part (Like special terminations)

or d) I am a stupid person to fit any kind of spray tap, what is wrong with a proper normal tap with no spray.....replace tap, replace expensive silestone worktop and replace kitchen----after all it's 3 years old surely you're fed up with it now? (The kitchen installer's response!)

ok d) was a bit of a joke but some opinions would be helpful (no angle grinders allowed ;-)

dedics

Just a thought (not an answer though) - are any members of the family using it in a manner that causes strain on one area of the hose?

[Ian & Hilda Dedic]

quite possibly, this is the house of the hulking teenager....

It might just be a faulty design where the hose is stressed as you replace it in the holder.

but I still think for a flexible hose to go after just 3 years is not a very good sign of competent design or manufacture....

has anyone else had one of these taps that have failed in a similar manner?

dedics

[John Stumbles]

Yup - duff: I'd expect a Franke one to be made of sterner stuff.

The spray-head end should be a standard 1/2" fitting as for shower heads but the end that connects to the tap may be something weird.

[Ian & Hilda Dedic]

Update

bought a generic pull out tap spray for a few quid and the answer is=20 franke taps do not have the same thread on the hoes tail as the generic=20 hose that I bought. The spray end fits fine.

So after much cussing and blinding (due to stupid location of tail end=20 for hose in the cupboard (behind other two hot and cold inlets! not my=20 doing) I put everything back and have had to order the part from franke

the droid at the end of the phone assures me that they are lovely=20 organic fat free swiss hoses and are therefore wonderfully worth the=20 =A320+ quid they are charging me! but I bet they get them from china like= =20 everyone else does these days. Anyway I would have thought a hose=20 should last longer that 3 years if it's a super duper swiss one!

I might send it back to them with a letter of complaint to see if I can=20 get re-imbursed but I don't hold out much hope.

bah humbug as Mr Scrooge would say...

dedics