A simple fix to an annoying problem
I’ve admitted here before that I don’t consider myself the handiest guy around. Sure, I worked part time as a teenager for a home builder, but it was a lot of grunt work. I was able to rebuild our rotting deck on the back side of our house a few years ago, but when it comes to certain tasks, I’d rather not touch them.
I read a recent column by Laura Kreutzer in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that suggested do-it-yourself projects can be divided in two categories. If it’s carpentry or minor repairs, perhaps an unskilled homeowner can tackle them. If the job involves messing with gas lines, wiring or pipes, a task that, done wrong, might damage the house, it could be time to call in the experts.
Drip, drip, drip. It was driving me crazy, that leaky kitchen faucet. Heck, a buddy helped me install it perhaps 10 years ago. It wasn’t THAT old. Why is it dripping already? The lone handle swivels. “See?” my wife said helpfully. “You just have to twist it the right way when you turn it off, and it won’t drip.”
Sure. Then the next time I walk past, I see it drip, drip, dripping, or running a slow trickle.
If you’re like me, you have a file stuffed with appliance and yard tool maintenance manuals. Before calling a plumber, I thought to check that file.
Sure enough, I still had the paperwork to that Delta faucet. I thumbed through it and found a “maintenance” section that suggested two repair kits, “ball assembly” and “seats & springs,” for when the faucet leaks from the spout.
I took the manual to Menard’s and asked a clerk to lead me to the right repair kits, and he found them.
With a shutoff valve below the sink and a set of allen wrenches in my workshop to disassemble the faucet, I was optimistic.
No more than 20 minutes later, the new parts were in place, the faucet was reassembled and…no more drip!
It took a little time, but little more than $10 in parts.
Sometimes, I guess, if you keep those maintenance manuals and have any skill and tools at all, you can avoid calling in the expensive experts.
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Mar 8, 2013 at 7:10 a.m.
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I have gone to Menards for faucet repair kits and I have never seen plastic parts there- only certified OEM parts. And guess what? I have only had to repair the kitchen faucet twice in the 19 years we have lived here. Not bad for a well-used faucet for a family of 5.
Mar 7, 2013 at 12:21 p.m.
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vnvet7071 - You'd be surprised what 6 months of saving buys.
Mar 7, 2013 at 9:45 a.m.
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Get a raise at McDonalds did we Sigma ? No cheap parts for you. How many Happy meals does that come out to ? Greg...yes I DIY,( see " Did you stay with the Dow " )
Mar 6, 2013 at 9:18 p.m.
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The parts they sell at Menards are cheap chinese knock off parts. They will go bad in less than a year if you use it often. Ace downtown has some better parts, actual metal ball assembly instead of a plastic junk one...at least they did last time I got one.
Mar 6, 2013 at 8:54 p.m.
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In a house I bought in Arkansas we needed to turn on a valve for the water line to the fridge. I shimmied under the house in the crawl space only to find a brown recluse spider between me and the valve. I called a plumber and paid $ 85.00 for a house call. It was worth every penny. The plumber came out ok.
Mar 6, 2013 at 5:48 p.m.
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Yes, the modern faucet is indeed designed for inexpensive homeowner repair. Glad you found that out! As a landlord with responsibility for more than one historic property, I'm fairly flexible and optimistic about DIY projects, even big ones, but I will say that plumbing is the one job I hate to do -- it just finds a way to get harder the more I try.
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There are a number of good magazines and books for the handyman. I still find use for the Family Handyman, even though they tend to repeat the same topics more the longer you subscribe. This Old House is another good one. Stanley and Reader's Digest have some well-organized and illustrated repair guides and series.
Mar 6, 2013 at 5:47 p.m.
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I'm glad you got it fixed. I have/had the same thing, and when I went to Lenz Plumbing the guy there told me all I needed to do was loosen and re-adjust the faucet so it stops dripping when the handle is down, and not cocked to the side a little. Still works years later, and I haven't bought any parts. You know what they say on WCLO?
BUY LOCAL :-)
I'm just sayin'...
Mar 6, 2013 at 4:32 p.m.
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Way to go. It's amazing what a person can do for themselves with just a little effort. You probably saved $75 by not calling a plumber.
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