Kohler Touchless Faucet Not Working: Causes & Fixes

Touchless faucets are a lot convenient and hygienic option to have in the kitchen and bathrooms. However, with the added comfort, comes extra problems when it gets faulty.

At the same time, it’s not always easy to identify the problems. Nevertheless, these challenges shouldn’t stop you from getting and using one in your home if you can afford it.

In this article, we will be highlighting the issues that may cause a Kohler touches faucet not to work properly, and also, giving simple guides on how to solve them.

If you already use a Kohler touchless faucet (or any other brand) and currently have issues getting it to work, you want to continue reading – we’ll be discussing the solutions in subsequent writing.

Kohler Touchless Faucet Not Working: Possible Causes

There are quite several issues that could stop a Kohler touchless from working properly. Luckily, if you’ve got other touchless brands, they also apply as the functionality of this equipment is quite generic across multiple brands.

1. Bad battery/power source – for the models directly connected to an AC adapter
2. Dirt blocking the sensor’s lens or sensor’s wire connector
3. Loose electrical connections
4. Faulty solenoid valve
5. Faulty sensor

Kohler Touchless Faucet Not Working: How to Fix

Several remedies can be used to tackle your Kohler touchless faucet when it’s not working. We will be guiding you through them in order of the possible causes listed above.

• Examine the Power Source

Touchless faucets are either powered by direct line voltage, low-voltage AC adapters, or a removable AA or AAA battery. If you have a model that uses a battery, you will notice a red blinking light on the sensor, indicating that the battery is due for replacement. The battery cover and pack are usually beneath the faucet, replace it, and your faucet should start functioning properly.

If your faucet’s model uses an AC adapter or a direct line voltage, then you want to check the connections to make everything tight and secure. Also, you’ll want to check the supply to make sure nothing is burnt. If you have an electrical issue from these points, that’s likely the reason your faucet stopped working.

• Check the Sensor and Wire Connector for Debris

If you’ve been using your touchless faucet without cleaning for a while, or you haven’t had it used for weeks, there’s a good chance that the sensor and/or wire connecter have accumulated a lot of debris enough to stop it from working. 

This will often cause your sensor to be inconsistent when picking your hand motion or not to pick it at all. If this is the case, try cleaning it gently with a soft cloth, for the wire connector, you may want to disconnect first before cleaning.

• Check for Loose Electrical Connections and Reconnect

If you’re not using a battery for your Kohler touchless faucet, then you’re most likely with a model that requires AC voltage. Specifically, if you own a low-voltage Kohler faucet, you’ll want to turn off the electricity supply and check the transformer located in the cabinet under the sink. Also, you should check the wiring on the faucet’s handle to see if there’s any loose connection that needs tightening.

Similarly, if you’re using the direct line voltage model, you’ll want to cut off all power supply, then remove the faucet’s handles to examine the wiring.

• Replace the Faulty Solenoid Valve.

There are times when the issue with your faucet doesn’t fall in any of the categories above. In this case, you may be dealing with a defective solenoid valve. The solenoid valve is the component responsible for water flow when the sensor. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to replace the solenoid valve on your Kohler touchless faucet. 

• Cut off the water supply to the faucet, and remove its handle
• Loosen the screws holding the old solenoid and remove it
• Clean the mounting surface, and install your new one
• Change the screws that hold the solenoid as well as the handle. 
• Now, test the faucet, everything should be working just fine

This problem often occurs when there’s a buildup of mineral deposits clogging the valve – sometimes a simple cleaning of the valve and solenoid is enough, but we do recommend you get a replacement. While that’s the case, make sure you buy a solenoid valve that meets the specifications of your previous one, otherwise, the replacement won’t fit. 

• Replace the Faucet’s Sensor

In some worse cases, you could have a dead sensor – only a replacement would do. Generally, when this happens, users are advised to switch on the manual override so they can continue using the faucet like a regular, at least till they get a sensor replacement. Sometimes, you could be in a location where Kohler doesn’t support a single shipment of parts, thus fixing the sensor might become a challenge; we often recommend you turn on the manual override till you get an entire faucet replacement. At any rate, if you by chance are able to get a replacement. Here’s how to reinstall a new sensor for your Kohler touchless faucet.

• Turn off the water supply to the faucet and remove its handle
• Locate the sensor in the spout of the faucet, and loosen the screws that hold it in place.
• Remove the sensor and clean the area.
• Now mount the replacement and the faucet’s handle
• Turn on the water supply, and test the faucet