Troubleshooting

My kitchen spout is stiff to turn

Hey there, we’re sorry to hear that you’re having issues with your Pfister faucet. We know it’s frustrating when something doesn’t work how it’s supposed to, but the good news is that there may be an easy fix to get you back up and running.

Review the information below and follow the links to find your specific model if you need to figure out what parts you need to order. And if at any point you feel lost, don’t hesitate to contact our customer service reps to help walk you through it.


How old is your faucet?

Problem for: Brand new faucet

Check hoses

Begin making sure hoses are not bunched up together and keeping the spout from swiveling. 

Re-check installation

Chek to make sure nothing is missing or pinched during the installation. 

Measure stiffness

Faucets may come a little stiff from factory. It is not fun if they move from side to side by themselves, so give it a few days to get it used to your home!

Still stiff? Call Pfister

If that did not help with the stiffness of spout, it sounds like a little more troubleshooting may be needed.  We want to help you figure out why this is still happening.  We have a dedicated team ready to help.  Please reach out when you can.

Call us at 1-800-PFAUCET (1-800-732-8238) or
Send us your question (Link to "Ask a Question" Page)
Get More Help

Problem for: Not a brand new faucet

Check Hoses

Make sure hoses are not bunched up together and keeping the spout from swiveling. 

Identify your faucet (ALL OTHERS)

If you faucet looks like any of these, try to keep moving spout tube from left to right and increase speed so mineral deposits can break free. These designs do not allow for lubrification and/or o-ring replacement. Please Contact Pfister for replacement. 

Identify your faucet (34)

If your faucet looks like any of these follow the steps

Remove handle

Remove the handle of the faucet by popping the cap to uncover the set screw. Use a 3/32 inch allen wrench to loose the handle and pull it off.

Remove dome Cap

Unscrew dome cap counterclockwise off the assembly

Remove retainer sleeve

Using pliers on the flat part of the retainer sleeve unscrew counter clockwise to remove retainer sleeve

Remove Cartridge

Pull up plastic cartridge from assembly.

Remove spout body

Pull up spout body to expose the 2 o-rings

Lube o-rings

Use a water base silicon grease to lube both o-rings now exposed. Clean off any debris from the base.

Slide spout body

Slide spout tube back over the o-rings

Reinstall cartridge

When re-installing the cartridge pay attention to the two pins sticking from the bottom of the cartridge. They have to align to the base for a perfect fit. 

Reinstall retainer sleeve

Using the pliers to tighten the sleeve back in position.

Reinstall dome cap

Screw dome cap back into place by screwing clockwise.

Reinstall Handle

Slide handle back into top of cartridge, and tighten the set scew. Put the cap back over the screw. 

Identify your faucet (Pfister series) 34

If you faucet looks like this follow these steps

Remove handle

Remove the handle of the faucet by popping the cap to uncover the set screw. Use a 3/32 inch allen wrench to loose the handle and pull it off.

Remove dome Cap

Unscrew dome cap counterclockwise off the assembly

Lift spout body up

Pull spout body up (if dome stem falls off no problem) to show o-rings.

Lube o-rings

Use a water base silicon grease to lube both o-rings now exposed. Clean off any debris from the base.  

Reinsert spout body

Slide spout body down over the base.

Reinstall dome cap

Place stem ball in position, then screw dome cap back into place by screwing clock wise.

Reinstall Handle

Slide handle back into stem ball, and tighten the set screw. Put the cap back over the screw. 

Identify your faucet (26/36/526)

If you faucet looks like this follow these steps

Remove base trim

Turn the base trim on the spout counter clockwise until you are able to move it up.

Pull Spout

Pull spout up to come off from the deck and off the assembly.

Lube o-rings

Use a water base silicon grease to lube both o-rings now exposed. Clean off any debris from the base.  

Reinstall spout tube

Place spout tube back into position on the assembly.

Reinstall base trim

Turn base trim clockwise to hand tighten spout tube to base trim. 

Still stiff? Call Pfister

If that did not help with the stiffness of spout, it sounds like a little more troubleshooting may be needed. We want to help you figure out why this is still happening. We have a dedicated team ready to help. Please reach out when you can.

Call us at 1-800-PFAUCET (1-800-732-8238) or
Send us your question.
Get More Help

If you need to replace a part...

Find your faucet to view a full parts list

View all possible matching faucets to find your specific model. Then view the full parts diagram to identify the correct part numbers to order.

Find your product

Contact us to help ID your faucet for you.

If you’re not sure what to do next, send us a photo of your faucet and we’ll identify it for you. We can usually get you an answer within 24hrs.

Contact Pfister



Get specific support and parts info for your faucet
Common Models

Still Have Questions?

We’re here to help.

Contact Us

Consumer Service
1-800-PFAUCET

(1-800-732-8238)

7:00am to 4:00pm PST, Mon-Fri
6:30am to 2:30pm PST, Sat
Closed Sunday and major holidays

Top