Kohler Faucet Replacement

It’s only been a little over two years. Our Kohler kitchen faucet never worked. The bonnet piece of the handle kept falling off and that prevented us from turning the faucet on and off. We ended up using it with the handle upside down - which worked - but we were always worried it would break off. I communicated with Kohler on two occasions. Both times the replacement handle and bonnet were sent to us free of charge. We looked at the how to video hundreds of times and it just never worked - it’s either a design flaw or a defective piece of junk. Our go to handy man couldn’t even get it to work. So when our Kohler sink started sinking, we decided to finally replace the faucet too. We ended up having a Delta faucet installed. It’s not as glamorous and a lot less expensive, but it is certainly functional. It has a light on the bottom that shows the water temperature, but also has a handle free mechanism where you can tap it to turn it on and off. But I wanted to let Kohler know how dissatisfied we were with their product. And, as expected, they responded by offering to replace the whole thing. Unfortunately since we had already replaced the old one, we won’t be installing this one until we need to - which hopefully won’t be for a long time. But we will have the replacement in storage just for the satisfaction of getting “reimbursed” for all the trouble. We are very happy with the new Delta faucet. Gee, I wonder why our old faucet model was discontinued? 

Kohler Kitchen Sink Utility Rack and Feet

We have a large Kohler stainless steel kitchen sink. It was recently “repaired” because it was sinking - the brackets and glue weren’t holding it on to the quartz counter top. I’ve also been wanting to replace the ugly white cutting board/colander that sits on top of half the sink. It’s functional, but takes up a lot of room. I found a stainless steel small Kohler sink rack that serves the same purpose. It’s a drying rack for small items and has a cup for utensils to soak. Additionally, the white rubber foot protectors on the kitchen rack that covers the bottom of the sink are very hard to keep clean. So I ordered replacements in black. It all arrived yesterday and I am happy with how it looks. But my husband is not as thrilled. He wants holes to be drilled in the cup so the water drains rather than accumulates. He misses the cutting board but there are two smaller boards readily available. The colander is still available when needed. The countertop just looks a bit neater and cleaner and the rack can be put in the dishwasher. I consulted with him before getting the it - showed him the video, etc. Since he is in charge of the kitchen little changes like this make a big difference. I’m sure by next week he will be very happy with the arrangement. 

Kohler Kitchen Faucet is Garbage

I’ve seen the “how to” Kohler video a hundred times. The kitchen faucet in our new condo never worked. The bonnet fell off and we ordered new parts - not once, but twice. We finally left the handle upside down with a broken bonnet until the Kohler sink started to sink last week. Then we decided it was time to get rid of the broken unfixable faucet. We always liked Kohler products but not anymore. The under mount sink was falling down due to poor installation - or so we think. The clamps holding the sink were failing and the grout was not holding. But the faucet is a whole different story. So we called our always reliable Jack of all tradesman and his wife to help us and they were fixing it in no time. They couldn’t even fix the faucet after watching the video several times and they installed a brand new bathroom in our old Capitol Hill condo. They can do just about anything. The faucet mechanism is just designed very poorly. I hated to give up the lovely look of the faucet for a smaller, less impressive Delta brand. But sometimes functionality wins out over looks. The new Delta faucet turns on and off by touching any part of the faucet without having to use the handle. It’s perfect for covid days, but also practical. The only problem is that it attracts finger prints so you need to use your wrist or other body part to turn it on and off. It has three different sprays and serves the purpose overall. And as long as it works like it’s supposed to it has great appeal. At least now we don’t have to worry about the bonnet and handle falling off - or so we think. Tonight we will be using the dishwasher and will be keeping our fingers crossed that it works since all the plumbing was rewired when the faucet was put in. We aren’t in the mood for another surprise. At least we know how to turn the water off. 

Kohler Sink Sinking

It just happened. The other day while we were eating dinner I was looking at the kitchen sink and something didn’t look right. There was at least a 1/2 inch gap between the under mount sink and the quartz countertop on one side. Within the next day or two it got worse. Underneath I could see that the brackets that were holding it in place were getting loose and the grout had given way. Lucky for us we have a wonderful all around handyman and his wife who have done all kinds of work for us. In DC they installed a completely new bathroom, installed a floor, and tons of other things. So when we moved to northern Virginia two years ago they helped install our framed art and an incredibly heavy mirror and a couple of overhead lights and dimmer switches. So we called upon them to help with the sinking Kohler sink. They are always very dependable and came a couple of days later. Some very sticky adhesive was put on and the under mount screws and brackets were fastened. So now the sink is back in position and we can use the sink again without fear of it falling in. The next problem was the faucet. That’s another story. 

Kohler Vinnata Kitchen Faucet Handle Broken

In June, our new Kohler Vinnata Kitchen faucet handle broke off. Needless to say, we were a bit more than irritated since we moved to our new condo in Virginia just three months ago. All of our Thermador  appliances have had problems, so this was the icing on the cake. More to come on the Thermador experience next week. Since we didn’t have paperwork for the faucet, we looked the item up on the Kohler website and called customer service. Ironically when we lived in Wisconsin, we visited the Kohler showroom and have always had Kohler products. Without hesitation the representative said she would send out a replacement handle and bonnet. We verified the color of the faucet by sending a photo. She said the bonnet was on backorder, but would send out the handle. A week passed and nothing arrived. So we made a follow up phone call asking about the status of the replacement because the order said “still processing.” Not having a working faucet in the kitchen is ridiculous. They assured us it would be sent out and I requested expedited service for the inconvenience. The handle and bonnet finally arrived last week. I didn’t think we would be able to repair it ourselves, but I checked the video Kohler sent to us that showed the steps. And yes, we did need one piece from the bonnet kit after all. So we found our Allen wrench and screwdriver and gave it a try. It felt really good to be able to fix something that I thought only a plumber or handyman could - and would have charged a few bucks to do it. It makes me wonder what else we could do - but I don’t have the patience for it. Anyway, in the end we appreciated the fact that Kohler was responsive, but don’t understand why everything requires at least one follow up phone call. Now our faucet is working again, but I really don’t like the pull down handle design - and we are always wondering when it’s going to break off again! The next big kitchen return project is the Thermador oven. Can’t wait to see how that goes. 

Kohler Kitchen Faucet Handle Replacement

When we lived in the Midwest, we took a day trip to the kitchen and bath design center in Kohler Wisconsin. We always preferred Kohler faucets and products. We just moved to our new condo in Virginia and the house is primarily Kohler, including the kitchen faucet. So we felt a great deal of disappointment when the handle fell off yesterday just after two months! Don’t ever think just because a place is new that everything works and us in great condition. We didn’t have any paperwork on the faucet so it wasn’t registered for warranty. So we called Kohler customer service to learn about our options. Aside from asking what happened and the circumstances, they simply took our contact information, and said the handle would be replaced. We weren’t sure of the material - brushed nickel or otherwise, so we sent a photo and she determined it was most likely brushed nickel. The item will be mailed, and just in case - the bonnet will also be sent. The Kohler rep emailed the installation instructions and said it shouldn’t be too difficult to fix. Yes, it was a lousy thing to happen. But at least when we called it wasn’t a hassle. That’s how we remember Wisconsin. But we are still disappointed with the faucet.