Why Won't a Kitchen Faucet Rotate?
A kitchen faucet will refuse to rotate once the rubber washers inside its cartridge mechanism start to fail. Replacing the entire cartridge assembly can cost as little as $20, according to This Old House. Does this Spark an idea?
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Structure
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A typical kitchen faucet includes an assembly called a cartridge that regulates water flow. The cartridge contains either ceramic discs or O-ring washers that open and close as the handle rotates, according to Decorative Plumbing Distributors. Ceramic discs generally allow for more precise water control than O-rings.
Problems
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In faucet cartridges that use O-ring compression to seal and unseal the flow of water, the O-rings eventually degrade through constant use. As they wear out, they grow stiff and unresponsive, making the faucet harder and harder to operate.
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Solutions
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Homeowners may find that they have to replace either the entire faucet cartridge or the O-rings within the cartridge to restore normal freedom of movement to the faucet handle. Replacement of the compression cartridge with a ceramic disc cartridge will prevent this type of wear from occurring again.
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