What A Drip!

Another unforeseen expense that crept up on me the past week or two - a replacement kitchen faucet, GRRR

The old faucet began leaking from around the collar when the water was running.  Not a bad leak but leaking nonetheless. The other day I had the darndest time turning the water off, as the lever was stuck.  I'm guessing the rubber or plastic parts within the collar wore out or started corroding and this was causing the issues.  I sprayed WD40 in and around the seal of the collar and that eventually allowed me to turn the water off and on, and to continue to use the faucet.

I installed the old faucet years ago, guessing in early 2000s, so I got my use out of it and more, so it was time.  I didn't feel right leaving this issue behind for the new owners, so I picked up a new faucet.

I had a fleeting thought that I would tackle this repair and easily install the new unit but thankfully I chose to have a plumber do it.  Turns out the old hardware, underneath the sink, was rusted and the plumber had a hard time trying to get things disconnected.  He ended up using a Dremel-like saw to cut the old rusted parts out. Of course he made easy work of it and with the right tools it was. I would still be under the sink, bloodied knuckles and cursing up a storm, all the while making zero progress.

Before -

After -

Sometimes it's a well worth while investment to pay someone to do such tasks - money well spent!