Frequently Asked Questions

Manual Sink Faucets

Cartridge

Question: What is the Quaturn™ cartridge?
Answer: Quaturn™ is a repairable, 90° turn full on / full off cartridge.

Cartridge

Question: How do I set the adjustment on a metering faucet?
Answer: For help adjusting a metering faucet, please refer to the Maintenance/Repair Manual.

Question: Are repair parts available for the cartridge?
Answer: Yes, a complete listing of repair parts for cartridges are available in the Maintenance/Repair Manual.

General

Question: Why purchase Chicago Faucets products?
Answer: Chicago Faucets products have been constructed of solid brass since 1901 with the best warranty in the business. All components are interchangeable so replacement parts are available for products as far back as 1913. All qualified products comply with the NSF 61 Clean Drinking Water Act.

Question: Are Chicago Faucet products lead free?
Answer: All products that are required to be in compliance with the Federal Clean Drinking Water Act (NSF61) have been certified.

Question: Can Chicago Faucet product be installed in my home?
Answer: Yes, the Chicago Faucets commercial heritage makes it the perfect faucet for your business or home.

Question: Where can I buy Chicago Faucet products?
Answer: Chicago Faucet products are available at plumbing wholesalers and other outlets. Consult the Distributor Locator for a recommended wholesaler near you.

Question: I have a Chicago Faucet product installed and would like to change the handles or spout. Can I change them?
Answer: Yes, most handles, spouts and cartridges are interchangeable back to our 1913 product line.

Question: What finishes are available?
Answer: Polished chrome is our standard finish.

Installation and Maintenance

Question: Are replacement parts available?
Answer: Yes, parts for our current standard products are available.

Question: Can I install a Chicago Faucets product myself?
Answer: Yes, Chicago Faucets products may be easily installed in a home or business. To assure you are in compliance with local building codes, it is recommended you consult a local plumbing contractor.

Question: Can I repair my Chicago Faucets product?
Answer: Yes, in most cases maintenance and repair may be performed quickly and easily.

Question: Are submittal drawings available for your products?
Answer: See the product page on our web site for the appropriate drawing.

Question: Are installation instructions available?
Answer: See the appropriate Installation Instructions for your product.

Question: Why do the handles spin?
Answer: The cap nut is not tight. Tighten the cap nut firmly.

Question: How do I align the handles?
Answer: The handles may be repositioned by removing the mounting, taking off the handle and replacing the handle on the stem in the next groove made in the handle.

Question: The gooseneck (GN) spout on my faucet wobbles. Is it installed properly?
Answer: The package of white washers included with the GN spouts provides the material and instructions for reducing the wobble.

Question: Can I replace the screen on the aerator?
Answer: The screen in the aerator should not be replaced. A new aerator should be purchased.

Question: How do I clean Chicago Faucets products?
Answer: Use a mild soap and water with a soft cloth. Do not use abrasive cleaners or cleansers for this will void the warranty on the finish.

Warranty

Question: What is the Chicago Faucets warranty?
Answer: For over 100 hundred years Chicago Faucets has stood behind its products. See our Warranty for specific details.

Question: Who do I call with questions about the warranty?
Answer: Call Customer Service at 847-803-5000 Option 2. A Customer Service Representative can answer your questions.

Electronic Sensor Faucets

General

Question: There are always complaints about electronic faucets not activating fast enough and users move from one faucet to another until one works. How do you address this problem?
Answer: The HyTronic and E-Tronic 40 faucets provide one of the fastest user detection systems on the market. The dual beam approach provides the most advanced way to recognize a user. DC units scan the environment 4 times a second and once the user is recognized increases to 6 times a second to provide continuous smooth water flow. AC units maintain a sampling rate of 6 times per second at all times.

General

Question: We use a lot of metering faucets in our facility. Is there a way I can set an exact time needed for the faucet to stay open?
Answer: HyTronic faucets can be used as an electronic metering faucet with an activation time of 3 - 180 seconds and 1 - 5 seconds between activation cycles. The E-Tronic 40 has the same functionality, with an activation time of 3 - 60 seconds and 1 - 5 seconds between activation cycles.

Question: We use stainless steel sinks and electronic faucets can make a lot of noise. How do Chicago Faucets electronic faucets address this problem?
Answer: Our electronic faucets are designed and tested to pass a strict EU test for plumbing fittings that requires noise levels below 20 db. - a drastic difference compared to other electronic faucets.

Question: The environment in our restroom causes our electronic faucets to activate without anyone present. Can your faucets overcome this situation?
Answer: HyTronic faucets have a dual beam system which allows each beam to be individually turned off. Example: If the sink is too reflective and causes activation or overhead lights interfere with operation, either the upper or lower beam can be turned off.

Installation and Maintenance

Question: Most electronic faucets have a lot of parts and require a lot of upfront work before installing. What makes HyTronic® different?
Answer: The product arrives fully assembled with 3/8" compression stainless steel hoses that can be installed directly into the stops. DC products can be operated almost immediately after the simple install. AC products require a connection to the power source prior to operation (no product disassembly is needed).

Question: If I install product variations (lavatory, gooseneck, wall mount, AC and DC) do I have to stock a lot of different parts?
Answer: The HyTronic family is designed on the same base and use the same platform. The electronics module and solenoid are universal for all faucets.

Question: How hard is it to replace the batteries on your faucet?
Answer: Both the HyTronic and E-Tronic® 40 provide easy battery replacement. There's absolutely no need to go below deck - water stops can remain open. Simply remove one screw to remove the spout. The battery is clearly visible and can be replaced in a couple of minutes. The estimated battery life is 3 years or 200,000 activations.

Question: My sink sizes vary. Can your HyTronic gooseneck satisfy these different applications?
Answer: Yes, you can order our deck and wall mount gooseneck products in a "less spout" configuration and pair with any Chicago Faucets spout that ranges between 3" - 12". A simple adjustment of the faucet's detection range assures product performance is not impacted. We also offer spouts with FC flow regulators.

Question: In new projects, the building might not be occupied for months. To keep the traps wet, someone has to physically activate the faucets. In other locations, I get complaints that there is not enough hot water at the beginning of the day. Can your faucets help these situations?
Answer: HyTronic faucets feature a Hygiene mode that can resolve some of these issues. Using the Geberit Commander™ software, you can make the faucet come on at a certain time period after it was last used. You can also determine the amount of time you need the faucet to stay on.

Installation and Maintenance

Question: Is it possible to convert the power source (AC to DC or DC to AC) of my HyTronic faucet?
Answer: We've made it easy to convert the power source for any existing HyTronic faucet installation.

AC to DC: No additional parts are needed. Simply replace the AC adaptor and AC wiring harness inside the body of your existing HyTronic faucet with a 6 volt lithium CRP2 battery.

DC to AC: You'll need to order an AC adaptor kit and a 12-volt transformer. Replace the existing battery with the AC adaptor and feed the wire through the base of the faucet then through the mounting harness below deck. Chicago Faucets offers two 12-volt transformers to help finish the job - a hardwire, multi-use transformer or a plug-in transformer.

Revit

General

Question: What is Revit?
Answer: Revit is a completely different way of drafting. Autodesk® Revit is Building Information Modeling (BIM) software for Microsoft® Windows® developed by Autodesk. It allows you to design with both parametric 3D modeling and 2D drafting elements. BIM is a Computer Aided Design (CAD) program that employs intelligent 3D objects to represent real physical building components such as walls and doors. Revit allows designers to add more detail - both graphic and nongraphic - to their building information models earlier in the process to support a variety of tasks from design visualization to energy analysis and cost estimating.

Question: Which building components does Revit encompass?
Answer: The Revit BIM solution includes an extensive library of components. These parametric families range from basic architectural components such as walls, casework, and doors, to elaborate assemblies, such as kitchen cabinetry and escalators. Revit components include geometry (the component's size and shape) and design intent (how it relates to other building components), as well as nongraphic attributes that describe the component such as materials or fire rating.

Revit Architecture includes an extensive library of generic parametric components. Because Revit components are parametric by nature, the library doesn't have to include a representation of every single size or type of component - the library elements are preprogrammed to size accordingly.

The component libraries created by Autodesk for Revit Architecture are generic. They don't describe specific manufacturers' components and, therefore, have no specific product information such as model number.

Question: How does adding detailed product information help my design?
Answer: One of the advantages of BIM is the ability to include detailed information regarding the building, even at a very early stage of the design. Incorporating more detailed data in the building information model, including manufacturer-specific building product data, and adding it earlier in the process can:

better convey design ideas, even in early conceptual models
provide a more accurate energy analysis and evaluations of how specific products perform in specific design contexts
present earlier cost estimating information and specification applications
create highly detailed 3D visualizations throughout the building process

Question: How do I add custom components and manufacturer products?
Answer: Several approaches can be used to add custom components, as well as manufacturer-specific components and related product attributes.

User generated. Revit Architecture users can create their own content using the parametric family templates that come with the software. Users also can draw on content generated by colleagues or from user community Web sites. However, there's no guarantee that the component definition is accurate.

Commercial sites. Users can download content from commercial sites such as BIMWorld, which develop both generic as well as manufacturer-specific BIM content. In general, downloads from these sites are free for users because the content is paid for by building product manufacturers who contract with the site to develop BIM libraries of their products.

Manufacturer sites. Content developed and distributed directly by manufacturers is the most reliable way to get manufacturer-specific product data. In fact, many manufacturers already provide CAD representations of their products that designers can use in CAD applications. Similarly, BIM representations of those products are starting to be offered.

Question: Do Geberit and Chicago Faucets have BIM product representations?
Answer: Geberit and Chicago Faucets have created a BIM-based library of their product lines, enabling specifiers, architects, and designers to easily incorporate the products in building information models. Simply browse, select products, and find information you need. For Revit users, the library delivers product content directly to the Revit platform, with design templates for Revit-specific system files that can be used for creating, defining, and manipulating interior designs. Download these components directly into your Revit BIM.

Question: How do I download Revit?
Answer: Autodesk Revit Architecture is available for purchase at autodesk.com. It can be downloaded by selecting the product and following the prompts on the website.

Question: How do I download Geberit and Chicago Faucets BIM-based libraries?
Answer: For individual products, a link to the Revit file (if available) is on the product page. Use the Catalog or Search function to find a specific product. If you need multiple Revit files for your project, visit our Specifier Resource Center at chicagofaucet.com/resources. There you will find a complete listing of all Revit files and IGES files (an alternative CAD format) available on our site. You can select and download multiple files with just a few clicks.