New Delta Faucet Handle Squeaks

[henryd]

We purchased a new Delta kitchen faucet from Home Depot (Canada) about 6 weeks ago. We noticed it started making gentle squeaking sounds when the handles were turned. The squeaking sounds were like rubber rubbing against something in the handle or cartridge - you could feel this as you turned the handle. The HOT side is more pronounced than the cold side. The faucet seems to work fine. However, we did expect a smooth operation rather than this.

What does this mean and would this contribute to early wear and tear? If so, any way to tell how long till problems occur? We still have a chance to return the item if needed.

 

[justin_dewan90]

Return it, get a new one. Don't mess with it and possibly void a warranty. If you kept the instruction paperwork, it has all the warranty stuff on it.

 

[frodo]

remove the barrel that houses the washers and remove the washer, apply a little vaseline on the rubber reinstall

 

[John90]

Lubricating seems to be the correct approach. Still, in case you’re not skilled and don’t know exactly what to do dismantling a faucet, invoking the warranty sounds the better option. You can also try going through those DIY websites and forums (houzz, doityourself, healthykitchen101, etc.) to learn how to do the handiwork yourself. Good luck.

 

[fixitron]

remove the barrel that houses the washers and remove the washer, apply a little vaseline on the rubber reinstall

It is my understanding that Vaseline should not be used with rubber or plastic products because the petroleum base of the Vaseline will eat away at rubber and plastics. Granted, the amount of petroleum is small and granted that today's o-rings are not likely made of rubber, they often do contain some plastic.
In the Nuclear Navy we always used silicone "grease" on o-rings. The good stuff is thick but hard to find. A packet of the good stuff comes with Moen o-ring kits and some other faucet parts.

 

[frodo]

It is my understanding that Vaseline should not be used with rubber or plastic products because the petroleum base of the Vaseline will eat away at rubber and plastics. Granted, the amount of petroleum is small and granted that today's o-rings are not likely made of rubber, they often do contain some plastic.
In the Nuclear Navy we always used silicone "grease" on o-rings. The good stuff is thick but hard to find. A packet of the good stuff comes with Moen o-ring kits and some other faucet parts.

- Have no fear of Vaseline and o-rings

O-rings are made out of many different materials. While Vaseline and other petroleum products may degrade real rubber (actually made from the rubber tree), current o-rings technology does not use natural rubber. The Parker O-ring Handbook states:

A polymer is the “result of a chemical linking of molecules into a long chain-like structure.” Both plastics and elastomers are classifi ed as polymers. In this handbook, polymer generally refers to a basic class of elastomer, members of which have similar chemical and physical properties. O-rings are made from many polymers, but a few polymers account for the majority of O-rings produced, namely Nitrile, EPDM and Neoprene.

 

[fixitron]

- Have no fear of Vaseline and o-rings

O-rings are made out of many different materials. While Vaseline and other petroleum products may degrade real rubber (actually made from the rubber tree), current o-rings technology does not use natural rubber. The Parker O-ring Handbook states:

A polymer is the “result of a chemical linking of molecules into a long chain-like structure.” Both plastics and elastomers are classifi ed as polymers. In this handbook, polymer generally refers to a basic class of elastomer, members of which have similar chemical and physical properties. O-rings are made from many polymers, but a few polymers account for the majority of O-rings produced, namely Nitrile, EPDM and Neoprene.

View attachment 19771

thank you for that information on o-ring lubrication

 

[frodo]

thank you for that information on o-ring lubrication

when you are married and have a jar of Vaseline in your truck
you better have a damn good sounding reason for it to be there