How to fix or replace your sink sprayer
A sink sprayer is a hose with a spray nozzle on your sink. Some sinks don't come with sprayers but they are quite handy and once you have one, you will miss it when it goes. Fortunately, the sprayer is a pretty simple device and not hard to fix or replace if something does go wrong.
Should I repair or replace my sink sprayer?
If your sink sprayer has been around for a long time, it makes more sense to replace the whole thing rather than try to repair it. Once the washers wear out, the O-rings are likely to follow. Other plastic parts will start to wear out as well. If your sprayer is wearing out, a brand new one only costs $10 to $15 dollars.
However, there are things that can go wrong that aren't associated with broken parts. For example, a blocked flow can be caused by something lodged behind the sprayer head. If you are having a problem like this, you will want to fix the problem rather than replacing the sprayer or sprayer head.
Should I replace just the sprayer head or the whole thing?
This really depends on how old your sprayer is and also, where the problem is. If your sprayer is leaking where it comes out of the sink, or if there is a problem with the hose, it doesn't make sense to replace just the sprayer head. However, sometimes there is a problem just in the sprayer head. If the holes are terribly blocked with lime, you might only need to by a new head. A new head runs about a dollar.
How do I find a replacement or replacement parts?
Fortunately, the simple machine that is your sink spray features universal parts. Like buying a new sprayer for your garden hose, any number of sprayer heads will work; you just have to make sure that the sprayer head is for the right size hose. The same is true for the entire sprayer. Sizes are universal. If you have questions, you can bring the parts you want to replace to the home improvement store with you.
How can I repair my reduced flow?
If the water flow is the problem, you should remove the nozzle of the sprayer head (if it is removable) or the sprayer head itself (if it's not). If you need to remove the sprayer head, turn it over and find the small screw that holds the head on and unscrew it. Once you have the head off, determine what is blocking your flow. It is possible that there is a piece of debris inside the nozzle. If this is the case, remove it. More often, the water flow is blocked with buildup. If this is the problem, you can use a bath and tile cleaner to remove the lime and other water deposits.
How can I repair a leaky sprayer?
If you don't want to buy a new sprayer but want to fix the one you have you will need to replace the washers and o-rings to stop the leaks. There are washers and o-rings where the spray head attaches to the hose. Usually there is a plastic piece, or plate that the spray head screws onto. Unscrew the spray head and look for washers and plastic rings. If you have the hardware available, replace every removable part. The same is true for the assembly where the hose attaches to the piece at the faucet. At this attachment site, there will be a compression nut that can be removed and cleaned.
What if something happens to my hose?
Hoses are usually made of hearty materials and damage is unlikely. However, in the event that your hose is damaged, either you can spend an hour reattaching a new one to both the sprayer head and the faucet mount, or you can buy a whole new sprayer. Removing and reattaching a damaged hose will involve a lot of pieces. It might be a better idea to buy the whole new unit.
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Tags: sink_sprayer home_repair replace_or_repair faucet sink hose spray_head washers o_rings

Comments
I replaced my sink sprayer, now no water will come out of my faucet. It will only come out of the sprayer it is like it is presurized to the sprayer. What did i do wrong? Can anyone help?
Posted by: LW | February 17, 2009 01:25 PM