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I have a Kohler pull-down kitchen faucet with a Kohler 1261404-VS spray head. Recently the water stopped flowing as strongly through it. We had a similar issue with some bathroom faucets, and replacing some clogged aerators was the solution in that case.

I've removed the spray head, and removed a piece off the top of it that exposes what looks like a recessed aerator screen. There also appears to be another aerator (or something like it) at the bottom of the spray head.

Although I was able to remove the one piece from the top, I can't figure out how to dismantle the spray head any further to actually get to the aerators and remove them.

And, as much as I'd like to believe I have good google-fu, I haven't been able to find any maintenance / cleaning information online.

Is it possible to open one of those up and replace the aerators? If so, how? Or are we just going to have to replace the entire spray head?

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4 Answers 4

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Did you check the other end of the hose for clogs? I didn't find any parts listed for that model number so I think the spray head is the part. Try soaking the head in some CLR and then back wash it and see if it helps. I've worked on a lot of Kohler products and many of them are not made to be disassembled. The ones I did get apart were so scratched up I just replaced them.

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  • Thanks...although reading "[no] parts listed for that model number so I think the spray head is the part" is a tiny bit disappointing - they're nearly $50 - but I was kind of expecting that answer, there really didn't seem to be any other obvious way to take it apart any further.. I'll definitely try the CLR, and post the results here, but I'm headed out of town for the holidays so this will be on hold for a few.
    – Dylan Cristy
    Dec 21, 2019 at 3:54
  • Oh, also, the main hose is definitely not clogged. With the spray head off, water is absolutely coming out of the end of the hose at the pressure/strength I was expecting.
    – Dylan Cristy
    Dec 21, 2019 at 3:59
  • Tried soaking in CLR and flushing water through it a couple times, to no avail. Ended up just buying a new one.
    – Dylan Cristy
    Jan 13, 2020 at 21:51
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The spray head can be opened up by using the four holes on the underside. If you have some thin needle-nose pliers (or I used a set of snap-ring pliers), stick them in two of the holes and twist. The whole bottom section unscrews.

Kohler does not sell a replacement aerator for this assembly (I checked), but the aerator is just a standard 18mm unthreaded aerator, which you can buy from Amazon or your favorite supplier. Replace the aerator and reassemble!

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Perhaps the actuator that toggles the spray function has shmutz in it which is causing the mechanism to not release completely. I recommend having a close look at the switch, toggle, diverted to ensure it functions properly.

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  • There may very well have been a problem like this, because I noticed that if I turned the water on at a lower pressure, the expected flow was coming out of the spray head, but then if I turned it up to a higher pressure, it would "clog up" and the flow would be restricted. Unfortunately, as @JACK said in his answer, it turned out that the entire spray head is one single part, so there was no way to open it up and look at the toggle.
    – Dylan Cristy
    Jan 13, 2020 at 21:49
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According to Kohler and a plumber, you can NOT open or dissemble the sprayhead or aerator. If you try, you will break it. Replacement head sold at Amazon and Kohler part # 1261404-VS.

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