We have two bathrooms: one main bathroom (ie, the one with actual space) and the “master bathroom” (squeezed in on the side of our bedroom and the back of the other bathroom).
The main bathroom has a faucet that has had an increasingly bad drip. It’s now actually a steady stream of water — growing steadier by the week.
I’ve tried tightening the faucet head screws. Did nothing.
I tried replacing the faucet head. But the cold water one is stuck tight.
I then tried to use penetrating oil to get the thing off — and yes, I’m aware of how dirty that sounds. Point is, it didn’t work and I’ve tried about six times now.
I also tried getting under the sink to potentially loosen then replace the faucet. But the water shut-off valves underneath are also rusted into the on position. (And, again, penetrating oil did nothing.) And I figure the faucet is probably stuck in place from rust, too.
So I called a plumber. Again. To do something that I should (rust notwithstanding) be able to do myself.
That also meant going and getting a faucet. And since I didn’t want a cheap one that dripped, we went mid-range to a $52 one. Gah.
My mom taught me to be handy and try to fix things myself. But I do not feel handy, and I cannot fix things myself.
I know, logically, that I was at least vaguely handy, in that I *tried* to fix it myself, which is, I suppose, more than some people would.
I tried to replace the faucet in the guest house myself, but the sucker was stuck fast. (Do we see a pattern here?)
My mom would (and probably will) say that what matters is that you attempt to fix it yourself, and call an expert if you get to a point where you can’t do it yourself.
The thing is, I come from a long line of handy folks. So this just feels like a failure. By the way, I’m not discounting the fact that I’m a depressive, so things often feel worse/more shameful than they are.
But dammit, this is my house. I want to be able to take care of it — and not just by shopping online for deals that someone else can install.
Speaking of which, I’m off to pick up our order from Lowe’s, which we purchased through Mr. Rebates for 3% cash back. Sometimes, ya gotta go with your strength.
Catseye says
Hey, Abby, at least you tried. I'm really not handy and I would've called a plumber, period.
Donna Freedman says
Some things require a professional's tender care. This is one of those things.
bareheadedwoman says
If the plummer hasn't actually shown up yet, watch him/her fix it. If you ask first and charmingly explain you want to know what happened and why, generally they will give you a verbal run down as they fix it and you'll have a better idea what to do in the future. After all, he is fixing it and getting paid for it now. And you might learn that this indeed was a plumber necessary thing and feel better. Although rust is a "small" thing, that may be the very thing the plumber needs to fix and you cannot–so you can save money down the road (like when the budget will buy a schmancy faucet you can put in by your handy self).
As an aside about door knobs…had a spring-load locking knob on an outside door, lock shut while house sitting for my parents. I took that thing apart thinking I surely could change a doorknob. Later, the locksmith explained that those knobs have a 10-15 year shelf life, and if the spring happens to break while locked, you DO need a locksmith (unless you have a bolt grade sawzall) whereas changing an old but working knob, is an easy DIY.
I felt better about it after; maybe you should check the age on your knobs for future reference: $10 depot vs $125 locksmith (and the guy knocked off $25 since I had already stripped the door down to the stuck bolt). Since all the knobs were the same age, dad and I changed the five others immediately thereafter, and we'd not done a DIY-duet in decades. The initial cost was small in comparison to rewards reaped : )
pvcccourses says
Gaaaaaaaahhhh! Plumbing, the bane of the happy handyperson.
Seriously, of all the potential DIY projects around the house, plumbing is the one I always hire out. Plumbers have the tools, they have the experience, and they have the physical strength often needed to do battle with frozen fixtures. A leaky faucet is expensive — runs up the water bill with amazing speed — and the damage you can do with an amateur plumbing job can be even more expensive. Far, far more expensive.
Because of the high mineral content in water here (especially CAP water), in Arizona fixtures freeze up quickly. Remember to turn shut-off valves off and back on about once a month — this will keep them functional so they'll work when you need them.