Fix a Kitchen Faucet That Won't Retract by Moving the Hose Weight

The Problem

A pull-down kitchen faucet retracts because a weight clamped to the supply hose under the sink pulls the slack back down. When the sprayer head stops seating properly — hanging a few inches out of the spout, or dropping back hard enough to clatter — the usual assumption is a failed spring or a worn head.

More often the weight has moved, or was clamped in the wrong spot at installation. It can also end up resting on the cabinet floor, the trap, or a shut-off valve, which takes it out of the system entirely because it's no longer hanging free.

The Technique

1. Open the cabinet and find the weight — a metal cylinder or block clamped around the hose below the faucet body.
2. Pull the sprayer head out to full extension and watch what the weight does. It should hang clear of everything through the whole travel and never touch the cabinet floor, the drain, or a supply line.
3. Unclip it. Most are a hinged clamp that snaps open by hand.
4. To get more retracting force, slide the weight down the hose, away from the faucet. The longer drop gives it more hose to pull.
5. To stop the head slamming home, slide it up toward the faucet instead.
6. Snap the clamp shut and test the full travel two or three times.