How to fix a kitchen sink sprayer

Water pressure problems around the home can often indicate a serious problem, such as a broken pipe. At other times, low pressure is just annoying, such as when your kitchen sink sprayer stops working properly. Here are a few things you can do on your own when the sink sprayer it acting up.

First, look at the nozzle to see if it’s clogged with sediment. Sometimes fixtures with small holes become clogged if they are not used regularly. If the nozzle looks cruddy, get a cup and put two ounces of vinegar in it with six ounces of hot water. Pull out the sprayer hose and soak the nozzle in the vinegar mix for about an hour or so.

After letting it soak, clean up the nozzle with a stiff-bristle brush – an old toothbrush usually works fine – and try it out. A lot of times this fixes the problem, and you’re done with your plumbing chores!

If this doesn’t work, you might have a leak. Draw out the hose and turn the water on and watch for a leak anywhere along the hose, from the nozzle to the connection with the water line. If the leak is where the head connects to the hose, you have two options. First, try to tighten the coupling that links the hose to the sprayer head.

If that doesn’t work, disconnect the sprayer head from the hose, and replace any washers you see in the sprayer head. The washers may be worn, or they may not have been seated properly, but in either case, installing new washers is so easy you might was well just put new ones in.

If this doesn’t work and the sprayer is still leaking, it may be time to replace the sprayer head and hose. This is especially true if the fixture is several years old or if you live in an area with hard water. Areas of northern Summit County, like Hudson and Twinsburg, have very hard well-water with lots of sediment, as do portions of Portage County, such as Aurora and Streetsboro.

Installing a new sprayer and hose is simple. Just follow the instructions on the packaging. If, however, you don’t have the right plumbing tools or are uncomfortable working under the sink, call in a professional from The Plumbing Source.

We’ve been making plumbing repairs all over northern Ohio for more than 30 years, and we have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Whenever you need plumbing repairs, a new hot water heater, or a plumbing check up, give us a call.

Remember, when you call The Plumbing Source, you’ve made the RIGHT call!

Call us today at 216-365-0600 or call our 24-hour emergency hotline at 877-768-7239 for immediate service.