can't find rubber washer to the common sink side spray nozzle

skewered2010 · May 2, 2022

Hi everyone!

You know the side spray nozzle, like the one shown below.

When you unscrew the bottom piece that attaches it to the hose, a rubber washer is exposed. I am surprised that it is not a commonly available part-- or at least I haven't been able to find it.

It is 5/16 ID, 27/32 OD, and 1/16 thick, soft rubber. Can anyone recommend a source for it?

Thanks!
SK

MicEd69 · May 3, 2022

My local True Value hardware store is an old hardware store that is family owned for well over 75 years. I can find about anything there, including several rubber washers that I've needed over the years.

Twowaxhack · May 3, 2022

skewered2010 said:
Hi everyone!

You know the side spray nozzle, like the one shown below.

When you unscrew the bottom piece that attaches it to the hose, a rubber washer is exposed. I am surprised that it is not a commonly available part-- or at least I haven't been able to find it.

It is 5/16 ID, 27/32 OD, and 1/16 thick, soft rubber. Can anyone recommend a source for it?

Thanks!
SK

That washer rarely if ever goes bad. It’s usually the head or the hose.

skewered2010 · May 3, 2022

It is leaking at the interface between the spray head and the bottom piece, but not at the hose.
If I tighten it by pliers I can almost just about get it to stop leaking, but not enough and I don't want to crack the plastic. There is a hard nylon (thicker) washer backing the soft rubber washer. I haven't been able to find that either.

And True Value only has the new spray head. No washers to match either.

Any online sources you can identify?

Twowaxhack · May 3, 2022

skewered2010 said:
It is leaking at the interface between the spray head and the bottom piece, but not at the hose.
If I tighten it by pliers I can almost just about get it to stop leaking, but not enough and I don't want to crack the plastic. There is a hard nylon (thicker) washer backing the soft rubber washer. I haven't been able to find that either.

And True Value only has the new spray head. No washers to match either.

Any online sources you can identify?

Those washers are not sold separately

Just buy a new head, they cost about $10.

You probably have a defective hose or head.

skewered2010 · May 7, 2022

WELL, I'm here to tell everyone how I fixed it.

Turns out there's a disc inside the head that screws in or out with an Allen wrench (otherwise known as a hex key). And one possibility is that I had it set in too deep. It holds the spring and other parts inside the head, and worked fine still when I backed it out a little: by doing so, there's more contact with the rubber washer.

But that's not all. The bottom piece that screws in was a little crusty around the edges, and so I cleaned it up and suspect there was something on the surface that mates with the rubber washer. A GOOD CLEANING is the basic thing to start with.

Bottom line: I'm 2 for 2 now in this forum, as an amateur, in solving these problems for future searchers!

SK

p.s. I still haven't found a replacement washer, so I'd be very happy if someone pointed out a repair kit for these types of spray heads!