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That week I spent 3 days trying to fix a leaky faucet
I had a bathroom faucet dripping maybe once every 10 seconds. Figured it was a quick washer swap, took about 20 minutes. Ended up stripping the valve stem, then the replacement part didn't fit, and by the time I got it sealed up it was three full afternoons later. Anyone else turn a simple job into a whole weekend project?
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jason_lewis31mo ago
Yeah, you mention it being a "quick washer swap" and that's exactly where I'd push back a little... it's almost never just a washer swap on a faucet that's been dripping for a while. The whole stem or cartridge gets all crusted up with mineral deposits, so when you try to pull it out the threads strip or the rubber gasket turns into mush. I learned that the hard way when I took apart a delta kitchen faucet and the old seat had basically welded itself in there. Ended up having to drill out the old brass seat with a little extractor tool, and that one "20 minute fix" ate up my entire Saturday afternoon.
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charles_mitchell1mo ago
What kind of faucet was it? Because I totally feel your pain on that Delta situation. I had the exact same thing happen with a Moen cartridge from the late 90s, and the plastic just crumbled when I tried to twist it out. Ended up having to dig out little bits of it with a pick set and then use a cartridge puller that barely fit. That Saturday afternoon thing is way too real, especially when you start at 9 AM thinking it'll be done by lunch.
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the_simon1mo ago
@charles_mitchell ever try heating the crusted plastic with a heat gun?
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