Problems with the Grohe Kitchen Faucet Spray
As of January 2010 professionals reported minimal operational, installation or repair problems with Grohe kitchen faucets. No problems were reported with the spray unit itself, but some were mentioned for the spray component. Articles did mention loosening of some models and poor pre-purchase information affecting installation. The most pertinent consumer problems with Grohe kitchen faucets concerned pre-purchase issues involving documentation, price points, and lack of availability through brick-and-mortar retailers. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
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Loosening
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Some Grohe kitchen faucets can come loose from the sink itself. This usually involves single-hole mount faucets. While this issue may not be associated specifically with the spray function or a faucet with a spray component, such a problem obviously would have an adverse effect on all of the faucet functions including spraying. This can be a challenging do-it-yourself repair since, according to the expert evaluation of the problem in "Kitchen Faucet" at En.allexperts.com, the necessary nut to remove is below the sink and hard to reach.
Fixture Matching
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Another problem reported with Grohe faucets involves a pre-installation matter. Grohe faucets come in more than one finish and where more than one faucet is required (such as a home with a double sink in the kitchen) even professional contractors can have difficulty matching more than one Grohe faucet in the same setting. As noted in "Grohe Kitchen Faucets---Real Steel or Stainless Steel" at Millenialliving.com, since one of the faucets identified as steel is actually a brass body with an overlaid finish meant to look like stainless steel, this can result in the faucet having a gold or yellow tinge rather than looking like stainless steel.
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Documentation Issues
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Part of the reason for the problem with fixture matching involves Grohe company documentation. The catalogue and brochure give information that, even to professionals, seems contradictory. The website is confusing and complex, as reported in "Grohe Kitchen Faucets---Real Steel or Stainless Steel" at Millenialliving.com. This results in unnecessary inconvenience and difficulty obtaining the correct Grohe kitchen spray faucet at the outset of a project. The inconsistent and limited documentation can make identification of faucets with spray units difficult, which makes it difficult for consumers to make a purchase decision.
Price Point
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Another pre-purchase issue with Grohe kitchen faucets with spray fixtures is price point. Generally speaking, Grohe faucets cost significantly more than comparable brands. The review "2009 Kitchen Faucet Reviews are In" at Discountkitchenfaucets.com, ranked the Grohe brand second of four brands reviewed. However, all three of the other brands have lower price points than Grohe.
Pre-Purchase Access
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Local retailers tend not to stock Grohe faucets. For example, in the Wakefield/Reading area of Massachusetts, neither the ACE hardware store nor the Home Depot carried the Grohe brand. The ACE associate had not even heard of the brand, despite its generally glowing reviews, and the Home Depot associate indicated the Home Depot does not even special order the line. This means consumers cannot judge the look and feel of the product prior to purchasing as recommended in the article "2009 Kitchen Faucet Reviews are In" at Discountkitchenfaucets.com.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of David Hunter
