upstairs bathroom faucet, low flow...

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Does it have a little strainer on the end of the faucet? That might be plugged up. I'd think taking it apart and cleaning would be cheapest, although replacement (with cheapo) is probably fastest.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Does it have a little strainer on the end of the faucet? That might be plugged up. I'd think taking it apart and cleaning would be cheapest, although replacement (with cheapo) is probably fastest.

+1
 
Close the drain to the sink, just in case. Unscrew the aerator, the small end of the spout. Clean out any large chunks of stuff. If the screen or any internal water passages are really clogged with white/grayish material you can soak the parts in white vinegar for an hour or so and they should come out fairly easy. Or just buy a replacement aerator at HD, Lowes etc.
Bring the old one with you, just to make sure you get the right size.
 
Depending on the type of faucet, if the aerator fix doesn't work you may need to take the handle off and replace the valve. The passages in them also crud up over time. It's an relatively easy DIY fix, assuming it applies to your model of faucet. Plenty of You Tube videos to watch to prep.
 
Is this low flow something that has recently developed or has this been a long time problem?
 
+ X on the aerator. I took a complex kitchen faucet apart as I didn't see how to get the aerator off, and its wasn't the valves - ended up that a piece of the valve gasket broke off, moved up and plugged the aerator.
 
You can rebuild about any faucet. Does the flow come out good when first turned on then slow down?
 
If it is a real branded faucet like Delta, Kohler etc not some china throw away you can get parts for it and quite cheaply. Don't buy the off brand of the parts though. It is considerably cheaper to fix if it is not your strainer.

OT: I learned so much about plumbing this stuff DIY from a drunk plumber who lost his license. He would do stuff over the phone and then if he had to come I would have to drive over and drive his van and him over when he sobered up. He charged me 1/4 rate of norm and I sent him scotch over xmas.
 
My grandmother has this problem at her house, but it was caused by copper pipes with too much hard water buildup. I do not know how to solve that problem.

Hopefully an aerator is all you need. If you have to remove a cartridge, that still isn't too bad. Do you have a small independent hardware store nearby? If you do, there usually is a guy who can examine your faucet part, and know within seconds what part you need. This becomes even more valuable because sometimes you can't see a part number or even a brand on some old faucets.

One thing to remember with replacing cartridges: They can get stuck, and you might need an extractor that matches your faucet cartridge. Use it with care, and hopefully you don't damage the faucet.

About a month ago, I noticed that the original faucet in my mothers house had chrome flaking away, and mold growing where the chrome had flaked away. I spent about $55 on an American Standard with a speed connect drain, and I am very happy with it.

Some faucets that are included in a new house have solid copper pipes permanantly attached to the base. If you have that, be ready to buy some faucet connection hoses for around $8 each. I used Fluidmaster because there were adapters for multiple thread types.
 
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