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jacqueline5_gw

Newport Brass = Expensive Garbage and Why I LOVE Moen and Kohler

jacqueline5
10 years ago

Hi

I'm back, I'm mad, and I'm naming names. I logged many, many hours here at GW nine-ten years ago when we were building our dream home. I'm back because the insanely expensive Newport Brass valve in our master shower fractured and flooded not only the entire marble bathroom requiring it to be gutted but my formal dining room downstairs as well.

This is not the first failure we've experienced with Newport Brass. Two years ago the outrageously expensive faucet in the powder room started leaking. I took it to Ferguson's (where we purchased all our fixtures). They contacted Newport Brass. Newport Brass informed them and subsequently us, that their warranty covers basically nothing and we were out of luck. Whatever, we replaced it with good old reliable Moen, and it looks and works wonderful.

So, I'm sure you can guess what Newport Brass's response was when I contacted them about the brass temperature balancing valve that had a huge crack in the brass body that spewed water into the wall and caused over $20k (and counting) damage. The rep on the phone pretty much said, "So sad, too bad, oh and a new one will be $458 to replace the part - yes that's right, just that part, no, not the whole thing". Oh and the warranty for this ridiculously expensive fixture? "One year, parts only." Yep one year.

So who do I love? Moen and Kohler.

Story 1. Moen. After we finished building the house, I noticed a leak under the sink. There was a small crack in the corner of our undermount Moenstone kitchen sink. When I contacted Moen, they shipped out a new one immediately. When my installer said he couldn't replace the sink without damaging the granite slab counter Moen PAID for a new granite slab to be custom manufactured and installed! No angry calls needed, they were friendly and helpful every step of the way. They were AMAZING!

Story 2. Kohler
My beautiful Vinatta kitchen faucet started leaking a few months ago. I called Kohler. They shipped out a replacement cartridge right away - no charge. When it continued to leak after the cartridge was replaced, Kohler shipped a brand new Vinatta faucet NO CHARGE! Again, I had no issues, they were helpful, no jumping through hoops, no 'Too bad, so sad.' Just excellent customer service and a commitment to standing behind a quality product. They are amazing.

If you happen to work for Newport Brass and want to contact me to apologize for your deplorable product and customer no-service, please do. I welcome the conversation.

PS I hope I'm not breaking any GW rules, but I'm going to also post this in the bathroom section. I know I was very grateful for feedback and product reviews when building our home. If it's a problem, please let me know. Thank you!

Comments (47)

  • MFatt16
    10 years ago

    My plumber suggested Moen because of the fabulous continual customer service.

  • worthy
    10 years ago

    Look at it like some notorious exotic cars. A flashy display of wealth. And if you can't afford to fix or replace it often, you're obviously too much of a plebe to appreciate that having the best doesn't come cheap.

  • DLM2000-GW
    10 years ago

    Fair warning and I hope people listen to you - what a PITA for you.

    We have all Moen and Koehler in our house. My husband does remodeling/repair for a living and always recommends them - quality, available parts, customer service - the big 3 in any home purchase, IMO. When a customer of his INSISTS on other products his stand is that he will install if they insist but 1) it will likely take longer and thus have a higher labor charge because the components rarely fit right and 2) he cannot stand behind it when it fails and any repair/replacement will incur more labor charges. With Moen or Koehler, they back their products and more often than not, his labor.

  • nini804
    10 years ago

    We had a Moen kitchen faucet in our old house that was 4 years old when it broke (and actually, we think there was some operator error involved, a friend yanked on hit quite hard at a funny angle.) anyway, they sent a new one in a matter of days. I was very impressed, they really do stand by their lifetime guarantee.

  • athensmomof3
    10 years ago

    Another thing to think about - I have been told by a couple of plumbers that they generally have the parts to fix Moen or Kohler on the truck. Some less rare faucet parts they can pick up at the warehouse, but the Rohl/Waterworks faucets of the world often need ordering - hence being without for a while. FYI.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    10 years ago

    When we were building, all of the plumbers said go with Moen or Delta. I didn't listen and instead went with the lovely sigma fixtures. ALL of them have failed. I had 3 failures in the MBath before we even moved in! It took 18 mos after moving in before the powder room failed. The only sigma left in the house is in the Master shower and I just hope that doesn't burst as that is all in the wall and would mean new sheetrock.

    Those that failed have been replaced with Moen.

    I had a conversation with a fellow at Sigma who insisted there was nothing wrong with their plumbing fixtures and instead it was installation or misuse. As long as they continue with that attitude, they will never have a quality product.

  • Eden-Manor
    10 years ago

    Very disconcerting to read this as I'm getting ready to place an enormous order for all my NB fixtures tomorrow. (Almost $8k).

  • jacqueline5
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Eden Manor

    I would RUN away as fast as you can from Newport Brass! I can not begin to describe how horrible my experience with them has been. I spoke with our local Feeguson's and they pulled all the NB product from the displays due to the poor quality and lack of warranty from the powder room sink fiasco. They are mortified now that the shower temp balancing valve failed and destroyed my master bathroom and dining room. Our insurance company mentioned going after them for loss mitigation once my home is repaired.

  • DLM2000-GW
    10 years ago

    Eden Manor - this should be more than disconcerting, this should be a HUGE red flag. You haven't placed the order yet so all that's lost is a bit of time working out substitutions which is far better than the potential scenarios post installation.

  • lzhwong
    10 years ago

    I am in the process of selecting my plumbing fixtures and was wondering if Rohl has a good reputation in customer service. I've selected a pretty pricey kitchen faucet from Rohl.

    Thanks!

  • FmrQuahog
    10 years ago

    My Delta fixtures have been bomb-proof for years. Wonderful finish, flawless performance, very solid.

    Where is "Newport Brass" located, and where are their fixtures manufactured? I know for a fact they aren't in Newport, RI. Are they in Newport, DE? Newport Beach, CA?

  • Eden-Manor
    10 years ago

    I'm interested in hearing thoughts on Rohl.

  • jacqueline5
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    They're in California but I do not know where the fixtures are manufactured or assembled.

  • arch123
    10 years ago

    We put Rohl in our new master bath and so far I like them a lot. I researched and was satisfied with what I found. I did not think for the style and design it was out of range with Moen and Kohl. I had a Moen kitchen faucet and it started to leak after about two years. Although I got a new cartridge I still needed a plumber to install it and after weighing all the facts decided to put in a new faucet.

  • design40
    9 years ago

    We've had Moen faucets in most of our houses for going on 30 years now. The thing about Moen - Of course, they send out a part to stop the leaks that start occurring at regular intervals about every 3-5 years - but that is part of their business model to being with. They have cheap parts on the interior, and send out replacement $.50 parts when people call in at regular intervals until they've had enough of the faucet. It should be well noted that the parts Moen sends out for repair decline in quality over the years as well. The last kitchen sprayer I received from them looked like something you'd see at the dollar store.

    In the meantime, relatively new Moen owners keep saying that Moen stands by their product, which was cheaply built to begin with, so more people buy Moens. And on & on.

    As far as finishes are concerned, I've found that the Moen chrome faucets stand up pretty well. My brushed nickel seems to have gotten very dull, both in the shower and lavatory faucets (no chemicals used on them ever). My Roman tub faucet looks practically brand new.

    It's been about 3 years since we last renovated our bathroom and one of our Moen lavatory faucets now has a steady drip. The other, less used, is holding up.

  • owenspm
    7 years ago

    I just installed a newport brass set in my new master bathroom. What a total pain in the a$$. Forget that it's very expensive. My diverter valve is wiggly and there's nothing that can be done, (2) my water goes from cold, to luke warm, to body temp, to extremely hot... nothing between body temp and hot, and (3) customer service is terrible... they couldn't care less about the product. Now that it's in, we'll have to live with it. However, first sign of a problem and we're going to replace it. $1,500 down the drain.

  • chispa
    7 years ago

    I remodellled 2 bathrooms this past year with Newport Brass and also not happy with the quality. All of the set screws (in the faucets and accessories) become loose all the time. Need to set them with locktight. Have never had new faucets "fall apart" like this, in any price range.

  • David Cary
    7 years ago

    FWIW - I have a 7 year old house with a mix. Moen is our base (builder rec) and we have Grohe sprinkled throughout. Never been an issue. Grohe sent out a replacement kitchen pull with a quick phone call after 5 years. The rubber had deteriorated. So it isn't just Moen that has great customer service.

    The Grohe has held up in our kids bathroom. Love their inexpensive single handle.

  • JDS
    7 years ago

    Just read the reviews on Amazon. Some of their faucets have 40% to 80% 1&2 star ratings. One faucet set has a 57% 1 star rating. My favorite is Rohl.

  • PRO
    Anglophilia
    7 years ago

    What a shame! I put a Newport Brass faucet in my powder room 16 years ago and it is lovely and very good quality. Have they been bought out by a larger company?

  • MagdalenaLee
    7 years ago

    My sister had a NB kitchen faucet with sprayer. When running hot water, the sprayer would get too hot to handle. It constantly leaked too.

  • missouribound
    7 years ago

    We've had Moen for over 20 years and they are indeed wonderful to work with. Something quits working and they send a part immediately.

  • Heather Petrone
    6 years ago

    I really wish I knew that the faucets from Restoration Hardware are from BrassTech which is basically Newport Brass. These are garbage! THANK GOD for RH's amazing customer service and the fact that they are refunding me after a year of issues. They could have said "too bad so sad" Now granted I spent tons of money on plumbers coming out to fix and reinstall - I'm just DONE - want to wipe my hands clean and start over again!

  • tschure
    6 years ago

    I was going to buy a Newport Brass faucet. But not now. Thanks so much!

  • Bill Payne
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Newport Brass is in disarray, all the way from their manufacturing through customer service.. Last summer we installed a tub/shower unit from NB. First of all, the threads in the handle did not mate with the threads that the handle was supposed to screw onto. Then the pull rod for the diverter was the longer extended version instead of the standard length, making it hit the handle used to turn the water on/off. We finally managed to get the correct parts for those two items.

    But the third issue is with the toe-activated tub drain. The rubber gasket that is supposed to seal against the brass plate, which is flush with the bottom of the tub, is too flat to contact the brass plate and seal. The gasket should have more of a bell shape. I've been trying to get the local (Birmingham, AL) NB rep, Joe Spears, the Brasstech customer service representative, Kristofor Fagerstrom, and another Brasstech rep, Dan Lopez, to understand what the problem is so they can remedy it. On 11/22/17 Kris Fagerstrom said:

    "Hi Bill,

    I really don’t know what to tell you the design Is sound, we sell thousands of them and I have never not once see this issue, as far as I can see it a capability issue as the plunger does not seat far enough into the drain. For this I don’t have a solution, I have send a replacement gasket and plunger so we know it’s not a problem with either and at this point I don’t have any other options to offer you. Being you have 2 gaskets have you tried doubling up the gaskets to create more of a filled space, other than thatwhat would you like me to do for you?

    Thank you

    Kris"

    I replied that I know what to tell him, that if they don't get this problem fixed they will have thousands of leaking tub drains. After ignoring my last four emails in December and January, last week I received the entire assembly in the mail. I took one look at it and noticed that when closed the gasket fails to touch the brass plate! After all I have been through with them, I could not believe they sent me a defective assembly. Here is the NB assembly - open and "closed":

    Note the daylight coming under the black rubber gasket. Unbelievable. Newport Brass at its best. The only way my wife can take a bath is for me to wrap a plastic garbage bag around the stopper under the gasket before closing it, and then let the garbage bag provide the seal between the gasket and the brass plate.

    We also purchased a Kohler shower unit for the other bathroom. The Kohler unit went in with no problem. Unlike Newport Brass, all of the Kohler parts actually fit together and perform as expected.

  • tschure
    6 years ago

    I have been searching for a white kitchen faucet for several weeks. The only one I could find is Brizo, which I was told is owned by Delta. Does anyone know anything at all about Brizo? Newport Brass had a white pull down spray faucet that looked beautiful but after the reviews I decided not to go with it. Any thoughts on what to buy for a high end white kitchen pull down spray faucet? Thanks!

  • juddgirl2
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I like Moen and Kohler also, and have experienced excellent customer service with Moen before.

    tschure - I had a Brizo wall mounted bridge faucet with sprayer for my stand alone tub. It was a beautiful product and worked well, but unfortunately I only got to use it a few months before our house sold.

    DH had no complaints about install, and he generally prefers Moen or Kohler products. Here are a few pictures.


  • Bill Payne
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    As an update on my Jan 30 comments, this week I received a conciliatory note from the local Newport Brass rep apologizing for my frustrations and offering two options. While I don't like the options I do appreciate the gesture and intend to see if I can work with NB to help improve their product and operation.

    I learned that the toe-tap drain stopper is not manufactured by Newport Brass. It is my understanding that these drains are manufactured by another company and sold to companies like Newport Brass. The drains are reboxed and sold by the thousands all over the US and probably the world. So Newport Brass has no direct control over the drain. I have suggested to the local NB rep that he contact Synaflex Rubber Products (http://www.synaflex.com/) to get a quote for tub-drain gaskets with a deeper bell shape, since the shape of the rubber gasket is the only issue with the drain and correct gaskets would solve that problem. Hopefully they will follow through.

  • Patricia Kuehne
    6 years ago

    Should have bought Dornbrecht and you all would have been happy. Very expensive, but German made. the highest of the high.

  • Heather Petrone
    6 years ago

    I replaced all of my newport brass/ restoration hardware faucets with kohler and have had ZERO ISSUES thank god. what a nightmare. the cartridges are terrible.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    6 years ago

    I became a Moen guy after a problem with a Delta faucet. Neither HD nor Lowe's had the repair parts, so they both referred me to a specialty plumbing store in San Antonio. They had the part but they had to look it up in a catalog of about 1,000 pages. I asked them about that and they told me Delta and the others changed their faucet designs every year, so they had to have a big catalog of parts. Whether that was an exaggeration or not, I did not like the idea of buying only from a specialty store. They said Moen used the same cartridge for decades. Within a few days I literally saw Moen cartridges in the local grocery store hardware aisle for $8. We have done a significant amount of remodeling of several homes over the years. I tell my wife she can have any Moen faucet she wants, but nothing else.

  • Bill Payne
    6 years ago

    As an update to my update, after nine months of dealing with customer service and sales people for Newport Brass, I was finally put in touch with a senior engineer. He and I have clearly communicated. The main problem with the drain was that I (and my plumber) had not screwed the bolt that goes through the plunger all the way down. That simple fix stopped the drain from leaking. The NB engineer promised to review all the negative comments posted on the internet and work to improve their customer service. I believe we may see things improve for Newport Brass. If so, it was worth all the emails and time I spent getting resolution to my problems.

  • kavitavsharma
    5 years ago

    I am still too afraid to buy new port brass now! Going to get something else...so sad..I love thier satin bronze color it is like no other!!


  • Heather Petrone
    5 years ago

    I love it too but what a pain in the you know what! It cost me thousands!

  • ghatta
    5 years ago
    We’ve had Brizo and love them! A little pricy but very well made. We like them so much we are putting them in the house we are building.
  • ghatta
    5 years ago
    Current house
  • mjammjam
    5 years ago

    Oh No!!!! I just bought all Newport Brass fixtures for my new kitchen -- UGH


  • beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
    5 years ago

    Since this thread has been resurrected, I'll put in my two cents for Moen. The Moen tub spout we originally installed 19 years ago started leaking the other month, and the last time that happened, about 10 years ago, we phoned Moen customer service for a new shower valve cartridge, which they sent out cheerfully and for free. I had my doubts nine years on, but my husband called them, and sure enough, happily and for free, another shower cartridge was sent out immediately.

    For the customer service, quality, and the price point, we chose Moen for the kitchen and bathrooms in our new house.

  • Denita
    5 years ago

    Totally amazing beckysharp. 19 years and they are still replacing the shower valve cartridge. Amazing. Makes Moen a rock star for me.

  • Noffar Bar
    4 years ago

    Hi, I am thinking about buying sigma for my master bathroom, shower, tub filler and faucets. Any advise on Sigma verses Kohler?

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    4 years ago

    *all* of the sigma faucets we installed failed, including a couple before we moved in. They were most attractive, but completely useless. I called customer service who insisted our plumber -- who'd been in business over 25 years -- didn't know what he was doing.

    Stay away from sigma!

  • becohen15
    3 years ago

    I am going through an ordeal with Newport Brass right now. Their customer service is still terrible! I’ve wasted $ on plumbers bc the company has sent defective replacement parts, a diagram only after I contav them saying my plumber took apart the faucet and can’t find where the replacement part is meant to go (apparently this company is the only one who has the cartridge housing where it is). You’d think they’d send a diagram with the replacement part, but they don’t. I’m at the point where I have to decide if I’m going to wait for another cartridge and pay a plumber yet again or start looking for another faucet. One thing is for sure though, I will never purchase another Newport Brass faucet ever again. The original poster is spot on. Their products are expensive garbage. And their customer service still sucks.

  • jnpnny
    last year

    Thank you. I will be passing on Newport

  • HU-797020345
    last year

    Well, it is 2022 and Newport Brass has NOT changed. We purchased 4 bathroom faucets in March of 2021 thru Ferguson and out of the 4 faucets, one started corroding after a year and a half. Newport Brass will not honor the warranty ”because of hard water and abuse”. Yes, they actually said ”abuse”. It would stand to reason that if it was hard water and abuse, all four faucets would be corroding. We contacted Build.com and they would not return our call. We then contacted the salesperson we used at Ferguson to purchase the faucets. She said she would contact the sales rep and now she will not return our calls. We have now purchased a Moen and so far, we love it. We will definitely stay away from Newport Brass, Build.com and Ferguson!

  • HU-280916833
    11 months ago
    last modified: 11 months ago

    We bought a new construction house in 2008 that has all Newport Brass fixtures and decorations. - 5 bathrooms, a three sink kitchen, and 2 wet bars. And I mean it is all Newport Brass - sink handles and faucets, towel bars, toilet bowl handles, etc. And here is what has broken, starting in less than one year: bathroom tub diverter handle, kitchen sink mixer cartridge, shower head, bathroom sink faucet connector, another shower head, shower temperature mixer valve, and another bathroom sink faucet connector!

    The parts are insanely expensive to replace, it is difficult to make sure that you have the correct model, and even harder to make sure you have the correct finish.

    The most frustrating thing (and why I am writing this up) is because one of the broken bathroom faucets is now discountinued, and I am stuck with the a bathroom that has a dozen plus Newport Brass installations that I will not be able to match. Ever!

    The "help" that I have received from Customer Service is a joke. They cant help identify part numbers or finishes, and dont seem particularly interested in the fact that there stuff keeps breaking.

    I have taken to proactively switching out parts, especially shower heads, with stuff on Amazon and which I feel is better quality and much, much cheaper.

    Do not dare install this overpriced garbage in your house!

  • PRO
    Ant Builders
    8 months ago

    22 years as a home improvement contractor here.

    Kohker Purist is our go to. I love Kohler's customer service.  We usually tell our customers to buy a little more on the mid-range or higher end on Kohler and rarely do we have issues.

    Kohler and Delta on the non plastic finishes are good.  Valves don't leak often.  If they do just call customer service and they'll send you a replacement for free.

    Now Newport Brass is horrible to deal with. Even newly installed valves leak...Okay not all the time but at least 3 percent.  Irritating!   And I really don't know why the sales people keep pushing this stuff on our clients.  I have to remember to put my foot down next time and tell my clients no on Newport brass