Delta kitchen faucet eating rubber seats

[Harry Avant]

I have a Delta two handle kitchen faucet that was installed in
September of 2002. Within the past couple of months it as gone through
at least a half dozen seats and springs on the hot side. I have
replaced the stem twice.

It seems that the rubber gets "mangled", that's the best word I can
find along the top and then there is a total failure resulting in an
inability to stop the flow.

I have checked the bottom of the stem units and have not found any
burrs or rough spots. When replacing the rubber seats and springs I
have tried to clean out the area using a soft cloth, but I have not
found any debris there.

This is only happening on the hot side. My water heater is set for
just below normal and has not be altered since installation. I should
note that I'm in La Crescenta, California and the water here is very
hard.

I've contacted Delta via internet and they have offered to send some
new seats and stems but I wonder what good that will do, since I have
been replacing these already.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Is it normal for the hot side to
fail so early?

Thanks

[rob...@nf.sympatico.ca]

That had happened to mine in both kitchen and washroom. They are just
melting. Not only the washers but the plastic stem parts. Replace and
they will continue to melt. I brought both tap sets back and bought new
- with the ceramic parts.

[Harry Avant]

How long had your faucets been in service before the problem started?

[Terry Cano]

Have you changed the seat?
Usually there is a seat that can be removed with a seat tool
and he seat replaced...we have a few Delta faucets and a mess of PF
we always change the seat when changing the stem
Terry
"Harry Avant" <hav...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:454cdf88...@news.west.earthlink.net...

[marad...@unlisted.com]

On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 06:46:20 GMT, "Terry Cano" <tcm...@pacbell.net>
wrote:

Without seeing which faucet type you have, I can not tell exactly what
you got. But think in these terms. Whatever the top of that rubber
cup piece is contacting is probably worn. Not the spring side, the
top of it. Either you have a single handle with a metal or plastic
ball, or a two single handles, with each having a (most likely)
plastic stem that turns against the rubber cup. Check whatever
contacts the rubber for rough edges. Replace whatever is bad. Also,
apply plumbers grease to the parts when you reinstall them. Unless
your water is VERY hot, the melting issue is not likely. But, do you
drain your hot water heater regularly? You may have hard particles
coming up and wearing out the rubber, like gravel chunks. Drain the
tank (several times if it was not done for years). I did plumbing for
years and found the delta faucets pretty decent for the lower priced
stuff. I have them myself and have very hard water. I replaced the
cups once in the past 6 or 7 years.

There really is no other reason for your problem, unless a ghost or
unwanted guest is tampering with the faucet.....