I found out some interesting things why the threads my Delta model 474 NN faucet stripped. Delta director of quality John Wright said he did some checking and found that there is a problem with soft threads. How widespread he did not say. "There have been reports of it. I'm not satisfied with what I found and there's been more than I'd like," he said in a phone interview this week. In my original post, I complained that the aerator's plastic threads in the spout stripped (see picture). I thought the plastic was too soft. Wright says it's made of glass-filled polypropylene (a common plastic) for several reasons: 1) to bond with plastic nubs that create the spray option, 2) to fasten to the metal housing, and 3) to look good. A colorfast material was important, too.
The model 474 NN (NN stands for brushed nickel), which is made in a Delta factory in Jackson, Tenn. among other Delta factories, came out in the late nineties, according to Wright. Apart from its design, it represented a departure in materials for Delta which at the time was moving from mostly brass parts to plastic. Several million units have been sold and the unit has won a couple of prestigious design awards, says Wright.
In my original post, I praised Delta customer service (the product carries a lifetime warranty) for shipping out a new spout on Monday. Now it's Friday, four days later, and unless it's here in a week, my patience could wear thin. But it's the Friday befrore Christmas and time to lose the edge.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!
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