From outlet to order line
What parts make up a faucet aerator?
Neoperl describes an aerator with housing as three parts: a housing, an insert and a washer. The housing carries a female or a male thread and screws onto the spout.
Neoperl offers inserts in five sizes, plus a short version of the standard size that needs a shortened housing. So an insert and a complete aerator are different order lines.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Housing | The threaded part that screws onto the faucet spout. |
| Insert | The sized part that goes with a housing. |
| Washer | The third part Neoperl names in an aerator with housing. It is the seal named in this guide’s title. |
| Integrated thread | An aerator screwed into the faucet with no housing. |
| Vandal-proof housing | A housing with a rotating sleeve that needs a special key. |
| Service key | The tool used to install and remove an aerator. |
How do you tell which aerator a faucet has?
Look at the tip of the spout first. The first step is this guide’s own advice; the others combine Kohler’s three outlet types with Neoperl’s replacement guide.
- Find the faucet model and any part number in the maker’s parts list.
- Look at the spout tip: Kohler’s threaded type has visible threads around the outside edge.
- A smooth exterior with no visible threads is Kohler’s keyed type.
- An outlet recessed in an oval spout opening is Kohler’s stream breaker type.
- Decide, in Neoperl’s terms, whether the aerator has a housing, an integrated thread or a special design.
- Note whether the thread is female or male, and the size of the aerator.
Check the spout after removal. Neoperl says the washer often stays in the faucet and should be taken out carefully, and that heavy limescale makes removal harder.
Which housing threads go with which insert size?
Neoperl lists several housing threads for most insert sizes, so the size name does not fix the thread. The table follows its housing page.
| Insert size | Female housing | Male housing |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Thumb (TT) | M16×1; 3/8 in | M18×1 |
| Tiny Junior (TJ) | M19×1 | M20×1; M24×1 vandal-proof |
| Junior (JR) | US 3/4 in–27 | US 13/16 in–27; also 15/16 in–27 compact vandal-proof (gender not stated) |
| Standard (STD) | M22×1; US 55/64 in–27 | M24×1; US 15/16 in–27 |
| Tubfiller (TF) | None listed | M28×1 |
Other makers publish their own threads. T&S Brass gives a 55/64-27 UN female inlet for its B-0199-01 aerator; Chicago Faucets gives a 13/16 in–24 female inlet for its E36JKABCP outlet. Record the pitch as well as the diameter.
What changes when the aerator has no housing?
The thread is on the aerator itself, which Neoperl says is screwed directly into the faucet. Its CACHÉ page gives four sizes, and its housing list gives further threads under the same size names.
| Size name | CACHÉ thread | Housing threads listed |
|---|---|---|
| TT | M16.5×1 | M16×1, M18×1, 3/8 in |
| TJ | M18.5×1 | M19×1, M20×1, M24×1 |
| JR | M21.5×1 | US 3/4 in–27, US 13/16 in–27, 15/16 in–27 |
| STD | M24×1 | M22×1, M24×1 and two US threads |
Neoperl’s integrated-thread page lists further sizes, including M24×1.5 and G1.
Which tool removes which aerator?
The tool follows the part, not the other way round. Neoperl’s tool page and its integrated-thread page describe five cases:
Housing keys
Neoperl offers keys for metric housings of size M22, M24 and M28, and for male and female US threads.
Integrated-thread keys
Neoperl says each thread size has its own service key, told apart by color.
Universal keys
Its metal universal key covers M18, M22, M24 and M28 and the TT, TJ, JR and STD CACHÉ sizes.
Vandal-proof keys
Neoperl says vandal-proof aerators cannot be removed with conventional service keys; the housing needs a special key.
A coin
Neoperl’s integrated-thread page states that its PERLATOR Coin Slot and CACHÉ Shorty aerators can be replaced using only a coin.
- Record the key with the part number
- Say whether the key is supplied
- Mark vandal-proof outlets on the list
- Use a suitable key to avoid scratches
How do faucet makers list replacement outlet parts?
Each maker lists the outlet under its own part number, and the kit contents differ. Four examples:
Delta RP101505
Delta lists its RP101505 as “Aerator and Wrench”, at 1.2 gpm at 60 psi: the tool comes with the part.
Moen WS84661 series
The parts sheet lists aerator 181084 at 1.2 gpm and says the model has more than one version.
Kohler Maxton
For three named models, Kohler’s help page describes a stream breaker: an inner grid piece pulled out with small pliers or tweezers. Centerset and widespread faucets take different part numbers.
T&S B-0199-06-WS
A vandal-resistant aerator listed with its key, a 55/64-27 UN female inlet and a 1.5 GPM flow.
A photo of the outlet does not show kit contents. The maker’s part list does.
Does a replacement aerator change the flow?
It can: parts with the same thread are sold at different flow rates. T&S lists a 2.2 GPM and a 1.5 GPM aerator with the same 55/64-27 UN female inlet.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| T&S B-0199-01 and B-0199-06-WS | 2.2 GPM and 1.5 GPM; same inlet thread. |
| EPA WaterSense page | Labeled faucets and accessories such as aerators use at most 1.5 gpm, against a standard 2.2 gpm. |
| EPA WaterSense specification | Label criteria for private-use lavatory faucets and accessories: at most 1.5 gpm at 60 psi, at least 0.8 gpm at 20 psi; maximum flow marked on the product or its packaging. |
| EPA WaterSense at Work | Aerators come in flow rates between 0.35 and 2.2 gpm; public-use lavatory faucets can be retrofitted with 0.5 gpm aerators. |
| CSA Group | ASME A112.18.1-2024/CSA B125.1:24 covers supply fittings and accessories from the supply stop to the terminal fitting. |
How should a buyer order a replacement aerator?
These steps are procurement guidance for a spare-parts order, not service instructions.
- Start from the faucet. Record the model, its version and the maker’s outlet part number.
- State the scope. Complete assembly, insert only, or integrated-thread aerator.
- Record the thread. Male or female, diameter and pitch, as the maker writes it.
- Record the size name. With the maker it belongs to; do not use the name alone.
- State the flow. Flow rate and the pressure it is stated at.
- Name the tool. Key part number, and whether it comes with the aerator.
- Check after fitting. Confirm the washer, the stream and the flow.
After the part is fitted
The EPA’s WaterSense at Work suggests a timer and a container of known volume to confirm a faucet’s flow, and periodic inspection of aerators for scale.
What should you send and ask before a quotation?
A complete request names the outlet part, not just the faucet.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is the part an assembly or an insert? | They are different order lines. |
| Does the aerator have a housing? | Integrated-thread parts screw into the spout. |
| What is the thread, in full? | In Neoperl’s lists, one size name carries several threads. |
| Is a washer included? | The old one may still be in the spout. |
| Which key fits, and is it included? | Some makers list the key with the part; ask if it is not listed. |
| What flow is the part marked with? | The same thread is sold at different flows. |
Include with your request
- Faucet model, version and part number
- Clear photo of the spout tip
- Thread type and size, if measured
- Required flow rate
- Quantity, and keys needed per site
WNS Global confirms any product and terms it offers separately in writing. This guide does not state that WNS Global products have the features, ratings or listings named above.
