All the fixin's
Dec. 31st, 2020 05:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
offcntrAfter my success with the garden cart, I was getting cocky. Decided it was time to tackle the bathroom sink.
It drips, you see, has done so probably since we bought the house. I keep putting it off, because, although replacing valve stems is an easy fix, there's one complication. The shut-off valves under the sink don't work.
Many years ago, we bought a Metlund Diversion Pump. It's a nifty little gadget that you install under the sink furthest from your hot water heater. When you want hot water, you press a button, and it pumps water from the hot supply line over to the cold side until its thermostat says the water's warm. At which point, you turn on the faucet and presto! Hot water without running it down the sink, waiting. There's even a wireless button in the kitchen that's supposed to activate the pump remotely, though we've given up on that after replacing it twice. Problem is, the extra plumbing needed to install the bypass included shut-off valves that failed almost immediately. The knobs turn, but nothing happens--or rather, something does: the water keeps running.
I could have just turned off the water at the street, taken the faucet apart, and run out to Jerry's with the valve stems. I probably should have. But I was feeling cocky.
So I also took out the shut-off valves as well. It took forever, working under a cramped sink with crescent and pipe wrenches, trying to get 20-year-old fittings loose, while catching the water draining out of the lines.
Once I had them apart, the problem was obvious--cheap plastic knob had broken, and was just spinning on its stem. Could probably have left them in place, had I a replacement knob. I took them and the valve stems out to Jerry's.
I've said before how much I love Jerry's. They were super busy in plumbing, everybody helping somebody, so they paged the shift supervisor to come and answer questions. He confirmed that I'd chosen the right valve stems, hot and cold, and even checked that they were compatible with the knob. Showed me all the available shut-off valve handles, sadly not compatible, but did find me replacement valves, and checked that the handles were actually metal. Fifty bucks later, I headed for home again.
Putting things back together went a lot faster, and the faucet no longer drips. The cold-water shut-off does, however, so I'm cranking it tighter, putting a bread pan underneath, checking back in an hour, cranking a little tighter. Don't want to have to shut off the water and install a different compression fitting, but I don't want to break something off either. Patience. It will be better soon.
It drips, you see, has done so probably since we bought the house. I keep putting it off, because, although replacing valve stems is an easy fix, there's one complication. The shut-off valves under the sink don't work.
Many years ago, we bought a Metlund Diversion Pump. It's a nifty little gadget that you install under the sink furthest from your hot water heater. When you want hot water, you press a button, and it pumps water from the hot supply line over to the cold side until its thermostat says the water's warm. At which point, you turn on the faucet and presto! Hot water without running it down the sink, waiting. There's even a wireless button in the kitchen that's supposed to activate the pump remotely, though we've given up on that after replacing it twice. Problem is, the extra plumbing needed to install the bypass included shut-off valves that failed almost immediately. The knobs turn, but nothing happens--or rather, something does: the water keeps running.
I could have just turned off the water at the street, taken the faucet apart, and run out to Jerry's with the valve stems. I probably should have. But I was feeling cocky.
So I also took out the shut-off valves as well. It took forever, working under a cramped sink with crescent and pipe wrenches, trying to get 20-year-old fittings loose, while catching the water draining out of the lines.
Once I had them apart, the problem was obvious--cheap plastic knob had broken, and was just spinning on its stem. Could probably have left them in place, had I a replacement knob. I took them and the valve stems out to Jerry's.
I've said before how much I love Jerry's. They were super busy in plumbing, everybody helping somebody, so they paged the shift supervisor to come and answer questions. He confirmed that I'd chosen the right valve stems, hot and cold, and even checked that they were compatible with the knob. Showed me all the available shut-off valve handles, sadly not compatible, but did find me replacement valves, and checked that the handles were actually metal. Fifty bucks later, I headed for home again.
Putting things back together went a lot faster, and the faucet no longer drips. The cold-water shut-off does, however, so I'm cranking it tighter, putting a bread pan underneath, checking back in an hour, cranking a little tighter. Don't want to have to shut off the water and install a different compression fitting, but I don't want to break something off either. Patience. It will be better soon.