How To Clean a Delta Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet Spray Head?
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Every day we use the kitchen faucet to clean dishes, fill pots, and use it for the water while cooking. But most people don’t think about cleaning the faucet. When you look underside of the kitchen faucet spray head there is a spot that you need to clean to get the perfect flow of the water.
If you are not getting normal water pressure from the kitchen faucet, there could be a blockage in the faucet spray head. Debris and mineral buildups block holes into the aerator so the flow of the water goes down slowly. If you don’t clean it on time, it will block the way of the water.
How to clean a Delta pull-down kitchen faucet spray head? For those who are searching for this, we have this guide. Read the full guide to know the process in the detail.
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Why Do You Need To Clean Spray Head of a Delta Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet?
Every Delta pull-down faucet for the kitchen, spray head contains an aerator. Cleaning of the spray head and aerator is needed regularly to get normal water flow.
Holes in the aerator become clogged due to mineral buildups, and debris. Mineral buildups generally form due to hard water. Hard water is the house of many minerals. If you would have seen limescale buildup around the spout, it means you are getting hard water.
In the starting, mineral buildup doesn’t make much impact on the spray head but with time when its quantity increases, holes of the aerator are blocked and water pressure drops to a low level. With such pressure, you can’t clean dishes properly.
If you are getting water from the well in the house, it is possible that sediments come through the well water and start collecting over the aerator holes.
So, how to prevent buildup on the aerator? Its simple solution is to use a water softener. It will remove minerals from hard water and keep the aerator clean. People also use specially designed faucets for hard water to prevent buildup.
Tools Needed To Clean Delta Kitchen Faucet Spray Head
Here is the list of the tools that you need to clean the spray head of the Delta faucet with pull-down spray head.
How To Clean a Delta Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet Spray Head?
Due to hard water limescale buildup outside and inside the Delta faucet spray head. You need to clean both the spray head and the aerator.
To clean the spray head, you need to remove it from the faucet. To remove the spray head, pull it outside and hold both the spray head and pull-down hose. Now twist the spray head in the clockwise direction so it will come out.
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But one thing you should keep in mind is that in the pull-down faucet, the spray head is connected to a pull-down hose. When you remove the spray head, hold the hose in hand, don’t leave it after detaching it from the spray head.
The hose is attached to a magnet so when you leave it, the magnet pulls it inside the faucet and it becomes difficult to pull it outside.
Attach a clamp or clothespin to the spray hose so it won’t go inside and you can attach the spray head to it after cleaning.
Now it’s time to clean the spray head. Follow these steps.
- Take a bowl and fill it with white vinegar.
- Submerge the spray head into the vinegar.
- Let the spray head into vinegar for 4-5 hours.
- Vinegar will do its work and it will remove buildup as much as possible.
- Maybe a small amount of buildup is still on the spray head.
- Now use a brush to clean out the remaining buildup.
- Rub the brush on the spray head till it is not cleaned.
- At last, clean the spray head with water.
- Dry it and reattach it to the spray hose.
This process was for those spray head that doesn’t have an aerator. If your faucet has an aerator, we have a cleaning solution for it in the next section.
How Do You Clean a Clogged Delta Faucet Head Aerator?
Whether you are using a touch faucet or a touchless faucet, an aerator is found at the end of the faucet spout. The main work of the aerator is to control water flow for this it mixes air into the water. So, when water comes out its spray becomes gentle.
Nowadays in most modern kitchen sink pull-down faucets, you will find an aerator. It is a small device but saves lots of water bills.
If its holes are clogged, you won’t get normal water pressure, and also water spray doesn’t remain smooth.
Follow the below steps to clean the aerator.
- Remove the spray head and check its front side, you will see an aerator.
- Some aerator comes out by hand.
- You can use a flathead screwdriver to pry out the aerator.
- Now take a bowl and fill it with white vinegar.
- Soak the aerator in the vinegar bowl.
- How much time do you need to soak it in vinegar, depending on the condition of the buildup on the aerator?
- First, soak it for 2-3 hours, if the buildup is removed, clean it with water. If this time is not enough, soak it for the whole night.
- Rinse the aerator under the water. Use a toothbrush to clean any remaining mineral sediment from it.
- When the aerator is clean, attach it to the spray head.
Still Not Getting Normal Water Pressure – What To Do?
You have cleaned both the spray head and aerator of the Delta faucet but the water pressure doesn’t come to its normal level. It means there may be some other issues with the faucet which is preventing water flow.
To find the actual reason, again remove the spray head of the faucet. You have done this earlier, so this time, you can easily remove it.
After removing it, turn on the water and check water flow is normal or not. If not, means the problem is at another part of the faucet. A higher chance is a plastic connector that is installed at the other end of the faucet under the sink is clogged by limescale buildup.
- To clean it, go underneath the sink.
- Remove all stuff from there so you can sit there comfortably.
- Use a flashlight to see connections.
- Find connections between the faucet and supply lines and check where is a plastic connector.
- Use pliers to remove the fitting of the faucet.
- Now remove the plastic connector and soak it in the vinegar for a few hours.
- Rinse it under clean water and reconnect it.
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How To Clean Delta Kitchen Faucet Spray Head Without Removing?
If the Delta touch faucet spray head is stuck and you are struggling to remove it but can’t do it, you can clean it without removing it. It may clean 50-70% limescale buildup. Water pressure will be increased but not to its full capacity because some buildups are still inside.
You need a plastic bag, rubber band, and white vinegar for this.
Take a plastic bag and fill it with vinegar. Now cover the spray head with the bag. The spray head should be submerged fully in the vinegar. If vinegar is not enough, increase its quantity.
Now fix the plastic bag with the rubber band. Now leave it for an hour. It will dissolve buildup from the spray head. Remove the bag and turn on the water so buildup inside the faucet comes out and also the vinegar smell.
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Final Words
When the Delta kitchen faucet accumulates hard water buildup on the spray head, water pressure drops and it becomes irritating to clean dishes. But now you know how to clean a Delta pull-down kitchen faucet spray head. We have shown you all the possible ways to clean the spray head so you get normal water pressure back.
Meet Ralph Matthews, father of 2 cute daughters and a skilled plumber with over 10 years of experience in the industry. Ralph has particular expertise in repairing any type of faucet and has helped countless homeowners and businesses solve their plumbing problems with his expert knowledge and attention to detail.