Customer Reviews

KOHLER K-10416-CP Forte Single Control Kitchen Sink Faucet with Sidespray and Lever Handle, Polished Chrome

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've installed two Kohler Forte faucets recently, that were purchased by my customers. One was fine, the other had a bad valve that necessitated a return trip to the store. In fact, 3 of the last 4 faucets I've put in had some kind of defect. Seems they're all made in China these days by a small handful of parent companies, and the quality control (or lack thereof) becomes evident the more of these you install.

I was impressed by the weight of this faucet and its high quality. The faucet swivels easily and the flow volume lever actuates smoothly. The faucet even has flexible steel connectors so that you don't have any difficulty aligning the connectors with your house plumbing. We replaced a 9-year old Moen faucet of approximately similar cost and find this faucet to be significantly superior.

Third replacement for the Kohler Forte. It leaks between the bottom of the faucet and the base, so no amount of plumber's putty works. Customer service claims it's O rings. It is not. They have been replaced. I won't buy Kohler again due to issues with my Forte, which ironically means "strong" in German.

Kohler seems to manufacture a handsome product. Packaged at home product stores, it even appears to provide easy installation. However, plumbers need not worry; Kohler has a long way to go to meet its implied promise of easy DIY installation.

I just installed a model K=10416-CP, but looking through merchandise at stores, there are several models that would install in a similar fashion. Here are the problems:
1. The instruction book has so little guidance it is misleading. Important information is omitted such as:
a. The necessity to have a helper to hold up the heavy faucet above the sink while someone installs the support bracket underneath,
b. The fact that rubber o-ring that goes into the base of the unit is flimsy and will not stay in place easily,
c. The fact that the unit must face in a set direction for the handle to operate properly,
d. The instruction that says "Check for leaks" but offers no idea how to cope with them.
2. The instruction book does not provide any useful trouble shooting help. Worse, the nice ladies who answer the company's service center are not much help either. Nice, but no help. Example:
a. The installation of the side spray onto the male fitting at the bottom of the unit is extremely difficult to do behind a sink. There is no way to grip the nut for a final tightening.
b. No guidance is given about aligning the unit property. Even with the support bracket aligned as shown in the diagram, the unit needs further adjusting.
3. The product appears to have an ease-of-installation "concept;" but it is carried out inadequately. For example:
a. The unit is installed with a tightening nut that eliminated the need to hire a 4 foot plumber with slim arms to fasten the support bracket by utilizing a special nut long enough to drop below the sink bottom so that a socket wrench can be used to tighten it. Nice touch.
b. BUT, the connector for the spray hose is right in the middle of the two supply lines near the unit's base where there is no room for a wrench. This connection would have been easier if a longer line (such as the unit's long supply lines) had been used. Or if the unit used a bayonet socket instead of a screw on connection.
i. I recommend installing the spray hose BEFORE setting the main unit on the counter or sink top hole and tightening the support bracket. That way it can be tightened with pliers above the sink where there is room to use the tool. Then load all of the lines through the opening being careful not to entangle the hose supply line in the process.
4. Instructions call for removing excess putty or sealant after installing the hose guide. But really, there is no need for goop here.
5. The aerator should be removed for a pre-use flush. Actually, it has a nice touch -- two beveled planes for a wrench to grip. But one would not know this from the diagram and the beveling is not readily visible as contained in the spout housing. One is tempted to use pliers to remove the aerator and thus scratch the surface. This could be prevented if the instructions were clear.
6. Final analysis: These faucets are easier to install than some others with short supply lines. However, make no mistake; their installation is not for someone without prior experience. In instructions are poor and so is some of the workmanship. Expect Kohler Customer Service to be nice but useless.

my plummer just installed this faucet recently, and had no problems with the connections or with it leaking. I just luv the style and beauty of my new faucet.

Remodeled kitchen, new cabinets, counter top, and sink. Faucet installed easily, looks great and functions properly. Side spray mount is cheaply made but works okay.

this faucet leaked on arrival, and was not desinged well, leaked between the bottom ring and the middle portion.

Needed to replace an existing faucet of the same brand and model type. Tried first to find one locally at the big box store but was unsuccessful. This one works great.

I bought this faucet because my old one had a spout that was too low to the sink. I like the way it looks, and it operates smoothly. It was easy to install. However, within a couple of months it started to leak at the base. Through a bit of web searching I determined that it was NOT the valve, but the spout body that was leaking. Her is what I finally did:
1) Pry off the small cap on the back of the handle.
2) Undo the handle set-screw with an Allen wrench until the handle comes off.
3) Remove the plastic decorative cap by hand if possible.
4) Remove the cover with a wrench.
5) Pull the spout and body up and off.
6) Remove the two large o-rings from their tracks. Clean and dry everything.
7) Apply silicone grease liberally to the o-rings, and the plastic washer at the bottom.
8) Place the o-rings back in their tracks, push the spout and body back on.
9) Reassemble.
That stopped the leaking for me. I don't think you should have to do this, but you do! New o-rings are also available. I hope this helps somebody! It's a stylish faucet!

Despite other reviews that complained about annual leakage issues - which I deemed easy to fix - I went ahead and tried this faucet out. Well, more fool me for trying to save money.

This morning, we woke up to a flooded kitchen because the hose that connects the cold water supply to the faucet popped a leak in the night. More to my surprise, the hose is embedded pretty deeply into the faucet housing and only a complete dismantling of the entire faucet assembly would allow me to access it and change the hose. What a ridiculous design. Now its not a matter of going to the store for a new hose so that we can have water again, but instead either waiting for Kohler to send me a replacement, or going to buy a completely new faucet.

Based on my experience, and the reviews of others, I would not buy Kohler again.