I gave this product three stars not because of the quality, but just to put other customers on notice of a few issues I encountered during installation. Hopefully, I can spare others the hours it took me to get this installed correctly.As far as delivery and price go I purchased through Amazon directly with my prime membership. I was pleased with how quickly the part came. While I have a hard time swallowing the $82 price tag for a piece of plastic, at least I didn't have to pay the almost $150 list price.
I have a Grohe Ladylux plus faucet (the one that swivels) that was installed just prior to my moving into this house in 1999. I don't believe any owner's manual was ever left for us, but if it was, it is long gone. A number of years ago, my (ex) husband had to take apart the faucet to either fix or replace the cartridge. I don't recall how good the water pressure was before that, but for the past several years, the water pressure has been very weak. Anyway, when he fixed the faucet years ago, a leak occurred in the top of the sprayer handle where the buttons are. Somehow he was able to use putty and get the sprayer back in working condition without leaking. I had forgotten about this when, a few months ago, I decided to mess around with the spray handle in order to improve my ever-declining water pressure. (I'll spare you the details, but I was following some advice I found online.) Long story short, I ended up making the situation much worse.
About a week ago, my water pressure dropped to almost nothing. I really had to do something. After hours of searching online for help troubleshooting, I finally figured out that the problem was a water flow regulator in the quick connect coupling. Once I took care of that problem, I had great water pressure which was now spouting out the top of the spray handle. Time for a new sprayer! (You really can't seem to get replacement parts).
I was very excited to receive this replacement, and it looked great. First problem, however, arose when I opened the box to find two plastic capsules. They seem to be flow regulators one was white, the other yellow. I knew they were to go into the spray handle, but I didn't know which one to use, or whether they both went in, etc. The instructions were little to no help. I spent an hour and 1/2 online trying to find information about these parts, which one should be installed with my unit, etc. I found nothing. So, finally I just decided to try them. I first tried the yellow. The handle leaked from where it connects to the hose. Then I tried to put the white one in with it both didn't fit. (That answered that question). Finally, I took out the yellow one and put in the white one which, to be fair, most closely resembled the piece in my old handle. At first it didn't seem to leak as much as with the yellow regulator in, but it did also leak. (Oh, and a tip each of these pieces has an arrow etched into it from what I could read on the instructions, you should install the regulator into the handle with the arrow pointing up into the handle and away from the end of the hose.) Both the yellow and the white pieces seemed to work, though I do believe there was water backed up in the handle behind the yellow valve when I unscrewed it from the hose. I still don't know what the difference is between the two parts, but I mention my experience in case you end up just as stumped as I am and can't find information online regarding your particular faucet model.
About the leak others have mentioned it, and I do believe it is just a result of this replacement piece being a hair roomier than the older handle. But it is something that MUST be dealt with immediately or you will have water running down the hose and under your sink. I was able to find an O-ring at Ace Hardware that did the trick. The o-ring that worked for me is the #54 ring made by Danco, Inc. Measurements are 11/16 x 9/16 x 1/6 (I'm sure Grohe products are metric, but the store didn't seem to have any metric o-rings, and this seems to be working fine for me) and the Stock number is 35768B. I think I paid about 50 cents for it, but it is also available online. Here is one link that is active as of the time of this review. http://www.amazon.com/Danco-54-O-Ring-Bag-35768B/dp/B000UF0P46/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337982310&sr=8-1
Now that it is installed, I am really happy with my new sprayer (will be even happier once I get my drain pipes fixed.) Hope this helps!
Buy Grohe 46 298 IE0 Ladylux Plus Handspray for 33.737 and 33.759, Chrome Finish Now
The right thing was delivered on time. No problems with the seller.I wish I could say the same for Grohe. I downloaded their latest parts lists and diagrams for this faucet and its parts. The part numbers on their documents don't match what I find on the web. For example, the quick disconnect coupling at the end of the flex hose Grohe 46 092 000 Pull-Out Spray Replacement Hose, StarLight Chrome (opposite end to this spray head) is number 46315 on their diagram, but number 46138 in the current parts suppliers (or another number for a green one with a flow restrictor).
The handspray was delivered with two cartridges, one black and one green. If the numbers on my parts list are correct the black one is 08567 and the green one is 64689. Only one of these is to be used, apparently, and there are no instructions as to which to choose and what the effect of the choice is.
So my complaint is with Grohe, for lack of instructions and documentation, and inconsistent part numbers.
Good luck.I paid $87 for this product. It is a plastic shell with a faux chrome finish. But still, it is just a couple of plastic parts put together.
Based on material cost (I have worked in extruded plastic parts in a Colorado plant) it's under a dollar. Once the original form and shape have been designed it's cooky cutter time. Thousands for pennies! This applies to all parts in this thing. It has a screen filter and sprayer inside and a threaded connection piece that attaches to the hose leading to the main faucet body.
What outraged me even more is the fact that that little nothing of a "quick coupling" which is inside the Ladylux Handspray and consists of three plastic pieces costs 29 dollars. If you go to any plumbing store and ask for a part that has the identical function
but is made by a little known maker chances are you will pick it up for $2.99.
Grohe and Hans Grohe (two feuding brothers from Germany/in Germany) are two competing makers of a line of average quality
faucets and the like. I own several and find them functional but nothing to write how about. In fact the reason why I had to shell out $87 for the Ladylux Handspray is that the original WHICH WAS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD had crumbled and split and became useless. The spray pattern was gone even though I had cleaned the head several times. But most aggravating of all was that when I recently bought the Handspray I really only needed two parts of it, a coupler and the gray sprayer face plate. They were not available separately. Grohe told me then, only a few weeks ago, that I would have to purchase the entire hand-held unit for $87.00. NOW suddenly those two items are listed on Amazon.
But be that as it may, I still probably would have had to pay around 50 dollars for those two parts. No matter how you look at it,
Grohe is grotesquely overpriced even for a top notch product. But, sadly, the quality is at best average.
MY ADVICE: STAY AWAY FROM GROHE PRODUCTS!!
Want Grohe 46 298 IE0 Ladylux Plus Handspray for 33.737 and 33.759, Chrome Finish Discount?
Our house came with Grohe "everything"... thought it was "top of the line" stuff but now I wonder! This is the 2nd replacement handspray unit for the same kitchen faucet; the first replacement cracked and leaked near the spray selector button. It's all plastic and not under significant water pressure at all.... so one would wonder why it should crack at all. Anyways.... if Grohe's business model includes ensuring a steady revenue stream from handspray replacements, it's working!!! Jeez......Save 49% Off
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