Kitchen Faucet Replacement in a Westford Well-Water Home

A kitchen faucet replacement usually starts with the faucet. At this Westford, MA home on well water, it started with the valves under the sink. The pull-down sprayer hose had snapped clean off at the faucet base, and when our technician went to shut off the water, the shutoff valves wouldn't turn.

Shutoffs that wouldn't turn

Shutoff valves that sit untouched for years can seize, and minerals in the water are a common reason. Once they do, you can't isolate that sink. A small leak under the cabinet means shutting off the whole house at the main, and every repair there starts with that extra step. If you don't know where your main shutoff is, or whether it still works, find out before you need it.

Quarter-turn or multi-turn valves?

Our technician recommended replacing all three valves under the sink: hot and cold for the faucet, and the one feeding the dishwasher. Because the home already had whole-house water treatment, the recommendation was quarter-turn valves, but the technician walked the homeowners through both styles rather than assuming one was better:

Repair or replace kitchen faucet parts?

In a hard-water home, the parts that tend to wear first are the ones water moves through: cartridges, aerators and sprayer hoses. A worn cartridge or a clogged aerator is often worth replacing by itself, if the manufacturer still sells the part. A broken faucet body or a snapped hose, like this one, usually makes a full faucet replacement the more reliable fix, especially when the valves feeding it need replacing anyway. The deciding questions are whether parts are available, what shape the rest of the faucet is in, and what the parts would cost compared with a new faucet.

Iron in the sediment filter

While checking the mechanical room, our technician noticed a reddish tint on the whole-house sediment filter. The homeowners said that before the filter went in, they got brown water every time it rained, and the filter had cleared it up. Reddish-brown staining like that usually points to iron, though only a test shows what a particular well carries.

Iron comes in two forms worth knowing:

• Ferric iron is the solid, particle form that turns water brown. A sediment filter is designed to catch it.
• Ferrous iron is dissolved, so the water can look clear at the tap. It needs a different treatment approach, chosen from test results.

The filter was doing its job and didn't need replacing. The treatment setup also included a component for radon in the water, and our technician went over what each part of the system does. The EPA's private well guidance explains why testing through a certified laboratory comes before choosing treatment, and our water treatment service covers filters and softeners.

The well equipment is a separate job

Our technician also looked at the well's pressure tank. Pressure tanks and well pumps belong with a well contractor, and we don't service them. If your pump seems to switch on and off often, ask a well contractor to check the tank.

How the faucet was quoted

For the sink faucet installation itself, the homeowners wanted to match their existing gooseneck faucet, whose spout arcs higher than a standard one. There were two ways to price it. They could supply their own faucet and the quote would cover the installation, or they could choose from faucets our technician carries, with the faucet and the installation shown as separate lines. Either way, the valve replacement was its own item, so the homeowners could see what each part of the job cost before approving it.

Before your own faucet swap

Find the main shutoff first, then try the sink shutoffs gently. If they won't turn, don't force them. A valve that breaks under a wrench turns a faucet swap into an emergency.

Jeneral Plumbing is based in Westford, MA, and serves homes within 20 miles across Middlesex & Worcester County; we confirm your address and the work when you call. During regular hours, a visit carries an $80 dispatch fee — the cost of the visit, waived when you hire us for the work. We price the work at a flat rate for your approval before we start. Call (978) 392-7789 to schedule a faucet or valve replacement, or see our fixture installation service.