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We installed a new faucet about 2 years ago and all was working well. It is a Krause single side handle. Recently we noticed that the flow rate had decreased for the cold side. After a few more days the hot side also had decreased. We closed and opened the valves under the sink and it actually decreased the flow more.  Now  the cold side is just a little dribble and hot side is a little better, but not like the flow we had initially. We checked the faucet head to see if there was any blockage, but nothing there. What could be the issue here and how to fix?

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  • Turn the water supply off, disconnect the water lines, open the valve to check the flow. You might have a clogged line.
    – r13
    Commented Oct 14, 2021 at 18:12
  • Have you checked the aerator on the faucet? Very common place for clogs.
    – JPhi1618
    Commented Oct 14, 2021 at 18:58

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Almost anytime you run into low flow in a faucet it's caused by clogging somewhere between the shutoffs and the aerator. Sometimes it's calcium buildup and sometimes with a multi-turn shutoff valve it's the rubber washers in the valve that deteriorate and occasionally break apart. Since the flow is different hot to cold I'm guessing the issue is in the shutoff valves. In any case it's easy to check.

If the problem is caused by the shutoff washers breaking down you may not be able to close them fully in which case you'll have to close it at the main. In that instance I'd suggest you replace the shutoff valves with quarter turn ball valves. Next connect your supply lines. If you're reusing the old ones test the water pressure through each line before you reconnect it to your faucet.

The next step is to clear debris from the faucet. Remove the aerator and clean out all debris. If there is calcium buildup use a decalcifier. Vinegar is a good one. Reconnect the supply lines to the faucet and flush the faucet without the aerator to remove any other debris that may be in the line.

If there is further blockage it may be in the cartridge. Turn off the water at the shutoffs and remove and clean the cartridge, Keep in mind that on any modern faucet you won't get the same pressure from the faucet that you will get straight from the supply lines when they are disconnected from the faucet. This is due to federally required flow restrictors built into all new faucets (last 20 years or so).

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  • So it is pretty easy to change out the shut off valves with the quarter turn valves? Just unscrew nut and take off old valve and replace with new 1/4 turn valve and screw nut back and connect the lines from the faucet to new valve. Here is the image of what it looks like under my sink: imgur.com/a/M5vyDOc
    – JoeyDYI
    Commented Oct 14, 2021 at 23:13
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    First, make sure you need to replace them. If they completely shut off the water when you turn them off they may be fine, in which case just clear any debris from the faucet, aerator and supply lines. If you need to replace the shutoffs it's best to replace the compression rings on the 1/2" copper as well. I've done it while using the old compression ring and nut but it's best not to.
    – HoneyDo
    Commented Oct 15, 2021 at 1:04

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