Questions about Different Kitchen Faucets

11 years ago

Hi,

I asked this in the kitchen forum, but was told I might get more info asking here.

I found some faucets that have the height and reach that may work for what we want and the dark color we want, but most seem to have only 1.5 gpm.

We are used to having a much higher gpm(water flow). Even in the bathroom it's good. I've used low flow kitchen faucets at other people's homes and do not like them. The flow and spray are very weak.

I am wondering if anyone has one of the following faucets or knows about any of them and what you think of the water flow or if there is a way to change the water flow. Are there flow restrictors that can be removed or another way to get a higher gpm?

Delta Cassidy pullout with handle on top(1.8 gpm)

Moen Camerist pullout with handle on top(1.5 gpm)

Moen Braemore with handle on top and side spray(1.5 gpm)

Moen Wetherly with handle on top and side spray(1.5 gpm)

Moen Walden with handle on top and side spray(1.5 gpm)

Also, has anyone had a strong water flow and then gone down to a 1.5 or 1.8 gpm? I know the 1.5 gpm is really low flow, but what about 1.8 compared to a high flow? Some say 1.8 is fine and some say it's weak.

Also, do any of them have plastic parts and should I avoid certain ones because of the plastic parts?

15 years ago we just got a cheap faucet with plastic side sprayer and it has lasted without any issues. Now it seems like nothing lasts! I just want a reliable faucet that will last for years without any problems and has really good water flow and good sprayer.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks! Kathy

Featured Answer

rwiegand

11 years ago

"The experiential difference in a 1.5 and the old standard 2.5 is minimal. Any of your choices will be fine."

Spoken like someone who never has to fill a 5 gallon humidifier tank, or a 3-4 gallon canning kettle. In my world standing there running water for two minutes vs 3.3 min is a big deal, especially when you have to hold the container while it fills. I'd rather have 5 gpm. They are all fully adjustable down to a trickle when I want less. I'm sorry there's a drought in California, but making those of us in places where water is both abundant (or superabundant) and 100% recycled and reused put up with dribbling faucets and showers is just dumb.

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Comments (14)

kathy6421
Original Author
11 years ago
Anyone know anything about any of the above mentioned faucets? Thanks!
User
11 years ago
The experiential difference in a 1.5 and the old standard 2.5 is minimal. Any of your choices will be fine.
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kathy6421
Original Author
11 years ago
I've used a faucet with a much lower flow than what I had with my old faucet, so I know there is enough of a difference. I've also heard others complain about it. Is there a flow restrictor on any/all of these faucets that can be removed to get a higher gpm?
User
11 years ago
I have the Moen Wetherly. Unlike faucets from a few years ago, you will be hard-pressed to find one where you can remove the flow restrictor, and the Wetherly is no exception.

For general use the flow is fine. The only time it aggravates me is when I need to fill a large pot or the sink with water - it takes forever compared to my old faucet. You will find that to be the case with any modern residential faucet.
kathy6421
Original Author
11 years ago
Does anyone know if there is a flow restrictor in the Moen Wetherly faucet? The parts diagram on the Moen website doesn't show one or it's labeled something else. If there is, can it be removed and would that give a higher gpm?
User
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I guess I wasn't clear above - there is nothing you can remove that will make the flow increase. The flow restriction is built in to the faucet design, not simply a removable orifice like in earlier models.
kathy6421
Original Author
11 years ago
We have very strong water pressure in our house. Does anyone know if that would make any difference with a 1.5 gpm faucet, or would it be about the same regardless of how are water pressure is? In other words, would strong water pressure(flow) in our house make the 1.5 gpm faucet have considerably better water pressure(flow) than if we had weaker/lower pressure/flow in the house, or would it still be quite low flow?
greasetrap
11 years ago
I'm in the same boat. My wife is sold on the Moen Arbor, which is 1.5 gpm. I was about to start a post asking if it had a flow restrictor that could be knocked out, but based on Alice's post above, I suspect the answer is no.

My current kitchen faucet has a 2.5 gpm flow rate and I think I'll really miss it when we have our kitchen redone next month. The worst part will be rinsing large pots, as I'm paranoid about washing off soap, and generally fill the pot with clean water twice after I've rinsed it.

According to the salesman at the plumbing supply store, the national standard is 2.2 gpm max flow rate for faucets, but California is much lower, and everyone is moving to the CA standard. The specs generally mention a specific flow rate at 60 psi. If you have better pressure than that, then you might get a slightly better flow rate. On the other hand, my experience with shower heads is that they actually deliver much less gpm than claimed - even with good water pressure.

If you look online, there are still some 2.2 gpm faucets around. I guess it's a matter of getting either the faucet you want or the flow rate you want.
User
11 years ago
Spoken as someone who understands the role of aeration in increasing the ability of water to wash off an object. Flow dynamics. :) And as someone who can do the math, and still couldn't learn Japanese in the additional 1.3 minutes that it would take to fill a large canning vessel 10x a year. Much less for the time difference in a 6 quart pasta pot.

If canning is a huge part of your life, and not just an occasional seasonal past time, then putting in a pot filler would seem to be the smart way to approach that.
User
11 years ago
Pot fillers = extra plumbing, typically without a drain, generally a bad idea in a residential kitchen. Regardless, it's not as if the older faucets were laminar flow. Aerated water at 1.5 gpm will simply be less effective than aerated water at 2.5 gpm. It's just a fact. Some people for some tasks will find the difference problematic. The hubris it takes to tell someone that their own assessment of the value of their time is invalid . . .
greasetrap
11 years ago
Another option might be a mop sink faucet. It probably wouldn't be the look you want, but they have much higher flow rates.
User
11 years ago
Or a commercial kitchen pre-rinse faucet.
HU-382024386
4 years ago
Kathy6421. I see your post was from 7 years ago, so I am a bit late in commenting. I am in the same situation with the low gmp rates on most faucets. The only company I found to still make the 2.2 gpm is american standard. With my luck they have discontinued the model I was interested in, so back to drawing board for me! Just wondering, since 7 yrs later, what model and gmp did u settle for? Is there a huge difference in flow rate? I have older 2.5 gpm and certainly dont want to make a mistake! And how is your new faucet holding up??