The Community Guide

c/fix-my-leaky-faucet

4

casey_torres60•14d ago

PEX vs copper for my basement reroute - went with PEX and kinda regret it

I had to choose between PEX and copper when rerouting my basement water lines last month, and I went with PEX because it was cheaper and easier to install. But now I'm noticing the water pressure feels a bit lower at the upstairs sink, and I'm wondering if the crimp rings are restricting flow somewhere. Has anyone else picked PEX over copper and ended up with weird pressure issues?

12

oscarmurray•16d ago

That cheap faucet washer kit I was too good for...

I spent 3 hours wrestling with a leaky kitchen faucet at my buddy's place in Portland before I caved and grabbed a $4 multi-size rubber washer kit from the corner store, and somehow the cheap fix worked perfectly on the first try, has anyone else had a basic part save you from buying a whole new faucet?

20

jason11•16d ago

Old timer at the hardware store told me to tighten faucet nuts counter-clockwise

Met this retired plumber named Bill at Ace Hardware in Austin last month while buying a new cartridge. He watched me struggle with a video on my phone and just said 'turn it the wrong way first, son, you're chasing threads.' Has anyone else had a random stranger save them from over-tightening a valve?

5

the_angela•17d ago

Hot take: those flex supply lines under sinks cause more leaks than they fix

I used to swear by them. Easy install. No soldering. Then my buddy in Phoenix showed me a corroded braided line that burst after 3 years. The rubber inside degrades faster than old school copper. Now I only use rigid copper supply tubes under my kitchen sink. Anyone else ditch the flex lines yet?

29

ryan_flores•17d ago

Unpopular opinion: that plumber's putty vs silicone debate is overblown

I see everyone pushing silicone caulk for sink drains now, but I swapped my bathroom faucet base plate 3 years ago in Nashville and used plain old plumber's putty. It's still holding tight with zero leaks or cracks. My buddy redid the same job with silicone and had to redo it after 18 months because it peeled off. Has anyone else had better luck sticking with the old school putty?

20

taylor_patel•17d ago

I actually disagree that replacing the whole faucet is always faster than fixing the old one.

Last month my kitchen faucet started dripping from the handle, and everyone online said to just swap it out for $60 at Home Depot. I spent 45 minutes taking apart the old Delta model from 2008 and found a $3 rubber seat that fixed it. Am I the only one who thinks fixing old parts beats making new plastic waste?

2

clairebaker•18d ago

Discovered a trick for stubborn tub stoppers after 2 hours of frustration

I spent forever trying to pull out a pop-up tub stopper that was stuck closed, using pliers and even a screwdriver. Then I read that pouring boiling water down the overflow plate for a minute loosens the mineral buildup around the spring. Has anyone else tried heat on plumbing parts or do you think that risks damaging the pipes?

4

finleyfox•20d ago

Shoutout to the old plumber who fixed my grandpa's 1940s faucet with a rubber band

I was at Frank's Hardware in Toledo last Saturday and this guy in his 70s watched me struggle with a leaky 3-handle faucet for 20 minutes. He walked over, didn't say a word, took a rubber band off a bundle of asparagus, and wrapped it around the valve stem where the washer had worn out. It stopped the drip instantly. Made me realize I overcomplicate stuff with store-bought repair kits when sometimes a simple hack works better. Has anyone else had a stranger fix your plumbing problem on the spot like that?

5

the_sam•20d ago

My kitchen faucet started making a loud banging noise after I tried to fix a slow drip

I had a little drip in my kitchen faucet last weekend, so I went to replace the cartridge. I watched a YouTube video and thought I had it all figured out, but after I put everything back together, the faucet started making this loud hammering sound every time I turn it off. It happens mostly with hot water and it's so loud my wife yelled from the other room asking what I broke. I checked the shutoff valves under the sink and they were both fully open, so I'm not sure if that's the issue. I think I might have knocked something loose in the supply lines or maybe trapped air in the system. Has anyone else had this happen after messing with a faucet cartridge?

7

anna_craig•21d ago

Finally got my kitchen faucet drip sorted after 6 tries...

So I've been fighting this slow drip from my kitchen faucet for about 3 months now. I kept thinking it was just a bad washer, replaced that twice, then the O-ring, nothing helped. Last weekend I finally sat down and watched a YouTube video from a guy in Ohio who does step by step tear downs. Turns out the cartridge had a tiny hairline crack that you could barely see unless you held it up to light. After 6 trips to the hardware store and about 8 total hours of messing around under the sink, I swapped that cartridge and the drip stopped immediately. I felt like a total idiot for not checking that first, but hey, it's done now. Has anyone else dealt with a crack that was basically invisible until you pulled the whole thing apart?

10

sarah_nelson•21d ago

Just realized my "30 minute" faucet fix took me 4 hours

I thought I was being smart replacing a cartridge in my bathroom faucet. Watched a 5 minute YouTube video, felt confident. Then the stupid retaining clip would not budge. Spent an hour wrestling with it, snapped a pair of needle nose pliers, and ended up having to take the whole faucet apart just to get at it from underneath. Anybody else have a simple job turn into an all day thing?

21

parker543•22d ago

Shoutout to the old plumber who showed me a trick for frozen pipes

I was helping my uncle in Buffalo last January when his outdoor spigot froze solid. This old plumber neighbor came over and told me to try a hair dryer on low heat starting from the faucet end working inward. He said if you start from the middle you trap the ice and crack the pipe. It actually worked in about 15 minutes and saved me from digging up the yard. Anyone else had luck with heat guns or just stick to hair dryers for this?

26

fisher.taylor•23d ago

Bought a $60 water pressure gauge after my second pipe burst in a year

I had two pinhole leaks in copper pipes under my kitchen sink within 12 months, so I finally grabbed a cheap gauge from the hardware store. Turns out my house pressure was running at 95 psi, way over the normal 40-60 range, and a $40 pressure reducing valve sorted it out instantly. Anyone else ever had crazy high pressure damage their fixtures without realizing it?

19

rowannelson•25d ago

My plumber buddy told me to use Teflon tape on plastic threads. Bad idea, ruined the fitting.

He said pipe dope was for metal only, but I used tape on a plastic shower arm and it cracked when I torqued it down. Now I know plastic needs dope or a specific tape brand for plastic. Anyone else been told wrong advice by a pro?

8

uma_mitchell83•25d ago

Took me 3 tries to realize I was tightening my shower valve in the wrong direction

I spent a solid 20 minutes cranking a compression fitting tighter and tighter wondering why the drip got worse. A neighbor walked over and said 'you're turning it backwards' and that was it. Has anyone else done something this stupid with a basic fix?

2

anna_craig•1mo ago

Found out my water pressure was 90 psi after buying a gauge from Home Depot

I was tired of my faucet always making that hammering sound when I turned it off, so I grabbed a $12 pressure gauge from the plumbing aisle on Thursday. Hooked it up to the outdoor spigot in my backyard and it read 90 psi, which I guess is way too high for a house like mine built in 1978 in Phoenix. No wonder I keep blowing out those rubber washers every 6 months. Anybody else deal with high pressure wrecking their fixtures?

27

patricia_lee•1mo ago

My neighbor insisted I use Teflon tape on compression fittings. I argued with him for 20 minutes.

So my neighbor Dave has been fixing sinks since the 80s. He saw me putting together a new supply line under my kitchen sink and said 'you need tape on those threads.' I told him no, compression fittings seal on the ferrule not the threads. He kept pushing. I gave in just to shut him up. Guess what leaked overnight. Had to take it apart, clean off all that tape shreds, and redo it dry. Works perfect now. Has anyone else had someone insist on bad advice like this?

16

nancy929•1mo ago

That moment a customer showed me what was actually wrong with her sink...

I had a lady come into my shop last Tuesday with a photo of her kitchen sink drain. She said the plumber told her she needed a whole new pipe system for $600. I looked closer and it was just a loose gasket under the flange, like a $3 fix from the hardware store. Has anyone else had a pro try to upsell a huge job when it's something this simple?

19

iris_dixon91•1mo ago

Hit 100 faucet repairs this weekend and it got me thinking

I was working on a buddy's kitchen sink Saturday and I realized that was number 100 for me since I started doing my own plumbing. That's 100 times I've dealt with washers, O-rings, or cartridge swaps over the last 4 years. It surprised me because I never kept count, but my buddy mentioned I fixed his parent's bathroom faucet back in 2021 and it just clicked how many I've done. Anyone else ever tally up how many projects they've tackled without meaning to?

24

sean_perry•1mo ago

Hit 47 faucet washers replaced this weekend...

I know I'm probably weird for counting but I just hit my 47th bathtub faucet washer replacement this year. Got tired of hearing that slow drip from Mrs. Henderson's unit and realized I've done almost one a week. Anyone else keep a running tally on stuff like that?

19

fisher.taylor•1mo ago

Took me 3 hours to replace a simple kitchen faucet cartridge - should I have just called a plumber?

I thought swapping a cartridge in my Moen would be a quick 20-minute job. Got the old one out easy enough, but the new one didn't seat right no matter what I tried. Ended up fighting with it for 3 hours, had to take the whole faucet apart twice, and finally realized the clip was bent. Do you guys think it's smarter to just pay a plumber $150 for stuff like this, or is it worth the hassle to learn it yourself?

23

david123•1mo ago

Old plumber told me my trap arm was too long, cost me a weekend

Had a slow drain in the kitchen sink that I'd snaked three times. A retired plumber at the hardware store said my trap arm was over 5 feet and that was causing the clogs. Shortened it to 2 feet and haven't had an issue since. Anyone else run into code limits on drain lengths?

9

michaelw26•1mo ago

Overheard a neighbor say he never uses plumber's tape on compression fittings

I was out in the yard last weekend and my neighbor Ted was fixing his hose bib. He said he never uses Teflon tape on compression fittings because the seal comes from the nut crushing the ferrule, not from tape. I've been wrapping tape on every compression fitting for 10 years and I always got leaks. After he showed me his dry fit method I tried it on my bathroom supply line and no drip after 3 days. Has anyone else found that plumber's tape causes more problems than it solves on these fittings?

6

matthewross•1mo ago

Pro tip: that $12 basin wrench from the hardware store saved my Saturday

I used to think you needed the expensive $50 basin wrench for sink work. Last month I was swapping out a faucet on a tight undermount sink in my rental property. The cheap one had enough reach and the handle held up fine through all the nuts. Has anyone else found the budget version works just as well for occasional use?

18

charles_wilson•1mo ago

That Teflon tape trick my neighbor swore by flooded my bathroom floor

I tried wrapping Teflon tape around a faucet cartridge like my neighbor said, but I went overboard and used 12 wraps on a single stem. The tape bunched up inside the valve body and stopped the water flow completely at first. Then when I turned the pressure back on, it shot a stream of water right past the o-ring and soaked my vanity. Took me 20 minutes to pick all the little white shreds out of the valve with tweezers. Learned the hard way that Teflon tape is only for pipe threads, not for sealing flat surfaces. Has anyone else had tape fragments clog up their faucet internals like that?