GROHE46312SD0 Pull Out Spray, RealSteel

We received exactly what we wanted and ordered and it was a super-speedy delivery. The item is exactly like the old sprayer we had and the water pressure is so much better now and the sprayer works!

Had to replace the faucet head. Went with the OEM to avoid problems. Matched my 10+ year old faucet perfectly.Very easy install. Basically unscrew the old one and screw in the new one. Videos online.One detail…Remember to replace the o ring too. Very important.

I have used cheap replacement parts but this original part just lasts a lot longer. I have also purchased a cheap one as a backup in case this one goes out one day but then I'll buy a GROHE original part again for the long run.

Pros: Appearance is dentical to original RealSteel finish and style of my 19-year-old Alira spray head. Came with a strainer screen that needs to be inserted into the coiled hose before attaching to the spray handle. Came with a flow-reducer cartridge already installed into the spray handle. I measured the flow rate at 2.0 gallons per minute. Works fine.Cons: One o-ring for the hose must be ordered separately (see the hose picture with black o-ring and white screen installed). I ordered o-ring part number X002M8DZTH "compatible with Grohe 01224000" but also compatible with this model.One o-ring comes pre-installed on the stem of the spray head (pictured) but the o-ring was NOT fully seated at the bottom of the threaded stem. I used a plastic spudger tool to work the o-ring all the way down. I think a plastic chopstick would also work - nothing with sharp edges. The white, thimble-shaped strainer screen was just placed into the spray handle and fell out the moment I unpackaged the handle. I nearly lost it. It is a friction-fit - just push the screen into the end of the hose (pictured). Screw the hose onto the spray handle hand-tight only. If the o-rings are correctly installed, there should be no leaks. Over-tightening can damage the o-rings.

This was a plug-and-play OEM replacement for PullOut Spray RealSteel part #46298SD0; at some point Grohe updated the part numbers for the Grohe LadyLux Plus model 33 759 faucet, including for this spray head (old part #46298SDO; new part #46312SDO)

On the end of the retractable 3/8" coil steel hose/ spray head connection point (NOT on this new part you are buying) you will see a little rubber 1/4" or so O ring, after you unscrew and detach this hose from the old spray head. Looks fine right? NO! Looks can be deceiving!Even though it looks perfectly OK it needs to be removed and replaced with the O Ring Grohe makes (Part 01224000) and which is available for $7 on this Grohe spray head replacement Amazon website as an add-on.It must be purchased because whether you know it or not the old O Ring is worn out and will not seal the joint properly. Once you install the new O Ring by removing the old one with a very sharp pointed object like a knife end, and carefully slip the new O Ring over the hose end into the groove it is seated in, you will 'feel' the new O ring 'seal' the joint as you slip the sprayer head onto the end of the water hose.IMPORTANT! Failure to replace the O Ring will result in a leak at this joint that will not be immediately evident, as the water will leak down the hose and eventually pool under the sink out of sight! Believe me, I know, as I was awoken by my wife at 4am who, while starting her cleaning chores, noticed that a large pool of water had accumulated under all the stuff stored under the sink. Guess who she woke up to get it fixed!!!!Buy the O Ring and like another guy said be careful to keep the hose from slipping back into the faucet assembly as you replace the O Ring and sprayer head!Teflon plumber's tape wound around the old O Ring is no substitute for the new O Ring. I tried that on the old O ring and that did not help.By the way, the new sprayer head has a little cylindrical shaped strainer that is loose in the package. This little part slips into the sprayer head with the flat part facing towards the water supply hose and the pointed end towards the sprayer nozzle head.

I ordered the sprayer as a replacement for our existing one which had become worn and needed replacing. I was a bit bewildered as to why the hose connector to the sprayer kept leaking. The two joints didn’t seemed to fit flush and even after applying plumbers putty it still kept leaking. My old one fit perfectly without any added effort like putty or plumbers tape so this seemed odd. Here is where my one star rating comes in. As per Amazon, I reached out to Grohe. Not a peep! There was never even the slightest acknowledgement or reply nor was I able to reach a human when calling their support line.Before returning the sprayer, I perused the question & answer section and noticed that others had experienced the same issue. One person mentioned that according to Grohe, there had been a production issue and the inventory would be replaced early 2021. Well that answered that question! Another person mentioned that you can buy an o-ring from Grohe that stops the leaking for $6. So, I ordered the penny size $6 o-ring and my leaking problem was solved.But why on Earth, is Grohe still selling these sprayers, since they seem to be aware of the problem and why is Amazon allowing them to do that unless they are so attached to their 17% commission that hey just can’t let go of it. Grohe of course, just made an extra $6 sale on an item that probably cost them a penny to make, so perhaps that is all the explanation needed.

I bought this to replace a 20 year old spray head of the same design which had started to disintegrate internally. The new head works perfectly!