Kitchen Faucet

I would just as soon just replace the unit. I really never liked it. But thanks!

Reply to
Julie Bove
Loading thread data ...

Yep. Auger. He was really angry when I mentioned the snake. I used to sell plumbing and everyone referred to it as a snake!

I did not want to have to remove the overflow thing on the tub. It's a bit oversized, jetted tub. I have a nice little snaking thing that works well in the shower but due to the design of the tub drain, it won't go in there very far.

I think the problem with the tub was lint. I only use it for hand wash now. The design is poor and I was having extreme trouble getting in and out of it. After slipping twice trying to get out, despite having all sorts of rubber mats everywhere and then daughter slipping, we just opted for showers.

Yes. I figured I didn't have much to lose with the clog/slow drain. Wasn't like I was using harsh chemicals or taking anything apart.

Reply to
Julie Bove

If I were to remodel, I would get rid of this tub and get either a walk in or a small corner tub.

Reply to
Julie Bove

Heh! I actually had one guy tell me that plumbing doesn't have vents. This was a supposed handyman/plumber that I called to unclog the kitchen sink. It was clogged when we bought the house. I told him it was clogged. He made me wait two weeks. I assumed this was normal. Having only ever rented or lived in military housing, I had no idea that I could actually call a plumber and have them come right away. My parents did own their houses but in one case, our next door neighbor was a plumber and my dad often did his own repairs, including putting in faucets and a tub! But he is no longer with us.

Anyway... When the guy finally got here, he said he didn't do clogs! I made the mistake of telling this to another guy who was a general contractor/plumber. Said, "What kind of plumber doesn't do clogs?" He just laughed and said that he didn't do clogs either. But he did create a problem in my shower. He was called in (friend of a friend of my gardener) to fix a leaking pipe from the house to the main line. I'd had it repaired two years prior but the repairs didn't hold. He put in a whole new copper pipe. But... A few months later on Christmas Eve, water began pouring from my shower and wouldn't stop. Long story short, he didn't flush the line out and flux (I think that's what the plumber said) built up and made its way to the shower. Grrr...

Reply to
Julie Bove

Me too. Mine is good with computers so I can't complain. But still, I wish we had some home type handy people around.

Reply to
Julie Bove

There are a zillion "how to" videos on Youtube....you even have your choice of a clean-cut professional plumber or a homeowner in a dirty t-shirt who cusses a lot. Videos often get down to brand-specific help, and it is worth the time to learn the simple stuff. If you live in a house or apartment, you need to know how to maintain stuff.

As for the sprayer hose hooking onto the shut-off valve (I think they all do that), I got a section of pvc pipe, taped (or glued? I don't remember) it against the wall with the valve inside....it sticks out far enough that the hose can't reach to loop around it. There are probably better ways of doing it, like setting a jar of sand in front of the valve. Good luck in your plumbing endeavors ;O)

Reply to
Norminn

Thanks!

Reply to
Julie Bove

There's a brand sold only by plumbers, and apparently the parts are available only to plumbers, to make customers dependent on plumbers. So always ask any contractor for the brand and model of anything they'll install.

What Ed said about the brands. Also good are Price-Pfister and American Standard, but Price-Pfister's warranty makes you pay about $5-7 shipping for parts. Moen faucets tighten up as they age, and after 5-10 years they may become too tight for people with arthritis to operate them, but replacing the cartridge fixes this. Companies that offer lifetime warranties on their faucets tend to provide very good customer service, an exception being Glacier Bay. Avoid Glacier Bay. Also you may want to check the cost and availability of accessories, like hoses and spray nozzles, in case those are excluded from the lifetime warranty.

If you don't want corrosion, get a faucet made of stainless steel, but faucets made of brass or base metal plated with chrome or nickel are also good. Avoid plated plastic because the chrome separates from the plastic, and then the copper under the chrome corrodes. Still, even here in Phoenix, where the water is rock hard (so hard I once had to toss out an old stainless steel cooking pot because a pinhole had formed from corrosion), the plating on plastic faucets tends to hold up for at least 4-5 years.

Delta has basically 2 grades of faucets: cheaper ones that use Delrin plastic cup seals, and more expensive faucets with ceramic cartridge seals (actually ceramic coated with semi-diamond). Some people don't like the Delrin ones, but we've had few problems with them. However use only genuine Delta/Peerless replacement parts because a neighbor tried Walmart store brand Delrin seals, and they kept leaking in 6 months.

What reviews said Delta was bad? Were they valid reviews, where the author went into detail, or were they just "it sucks"/"it rocks" reviews?

Lots of YouTube videos show how to fix or install faucets, and some faucets are even designed to be installed without any tools.

Reply to
larrymoencurly

That comment surprised me as I've not seen any real problems with Delta.

I just completed a down to the walls re-do of one bathroom and now doing the second one. We chose Kohler faucets and valve, diverters, but the plumbing house recommended Delta for the hand held and rain can head. We're very happy with the performance of it all.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

I have had very good luck with the delta cup type faucets, they last forever.

however the delta hand held shower heads were total trash.....

Reply to
bob haller

Has anyone looked/googled to see if there are any videos on the web showing kitchen faucet replacement? Seems to me Julie would be better off spendin g $25-$35 for a couple of tools and doing the job herself. She can gop to Lowes or HD or Menards and look at all the faucets and find one she likes. Then, if she decides not to try it herself, she calls the handyman and has him/her install the faucet she has purchased.

Reply to
hrhofmann

The contractor I hired for the toilets did tell me what he would install. Although he works for cheap, he's not reliable. Says he will show up and doesn't. Doesn't answer his phone.

Thanks!

Plated plastic is what I have now which is why I don't think it should have cost $250. Again, the $250 was only for the faucet and not the installation.

These were on Lowes and Home Depot websites. They explained in detail what the problems they had with them were.

Yes, but I don't dare try. I am disabled and it's very difficult for me to get in under the sink.

Reply to
Julie Bove

My hand held is the standard shower massage one. Can't remember the brand now but it was one of the first ones. I did manage to install it myself. Some guy told me to get the plastic one as it was easy to do. It was. I was shocked!

Reply to
Julie Bove

wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com... Has anyone looked/googled to see if there are any videos on the web showing kitchen faucet replacement? Seems to me Julie would be better off spending $25-$35 for a couple of tools and doing the job herself. She can gop to Lowes or HD or Menards and look at all the faucets and find one she likes. Then, if she decides not to try it herself, she calls the handyman and has him/her install the faucet she has purchased.

Reply to
Julie Bove

The one I bought from Lowes was crap, but the one from the plumbing supply is much better quality. No comparison, but it was probably double the price, but worth it.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

The faucet was nearly free. The $250 is the plumber's fee.

Buy the faucet yourself and have someone put it in. As far as brand, Pfister ($100 & up for a decent set) has held up well here.

If you don't want the plumber's charge learn how to 'Do it yourself'.

John

Reply to
John

How many times must I say it? The $250 was the price of the faucet. The plumber's fee was around another $250.

If I knew someone to put it in, I would. I don't. Which is why I will have Mr. Handyman do it and I'd just as soon that he buy it as well.

I didn't say that I didn't want the plumber's charge but I have yet to find a good plumber. I have hired three different companies and keep having the same problems again and again.

Reply to
Julie Bove

Have you tried "Angie's List"? My wife paid for a year and used it to screen for a bunch or various things, for herself and a couple of friends.

Reply to
hrhofmann

That may be the best bet. The bigger the Yellow Pages ad, the worse the service. Best to find a small local guy, not a franchise and stick with him.

Another way is to go to the local wholesale plumbing supply and ask for a couple of names.

Lowes and Home Depot also offer installation services

Still another is to buy from

formatting link
and they have a network of installers. I've bought from them but have never used their installation services so I have no idea how well it works.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Yikes! Never! You do know that those are mostly bogus entries. Right? They pay people to write them then they take your money. I had someone strong-arm me into trying to join Angie's list because she would get a kickback. I refused to do so and she kept at me, week after week. I had a bad feeling about them then but now I know the truth!

Reply to
Julie Bove

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.