Being a home owner is a never ending series of projects of different sizes. Two weeks ago a dripping bathtub faucet monopolized three weekend days over the course of two weeks. This last weekend brought yet another project that absorbed more time that expected.
I sit here content in the knowledge that, though the sequence of events surrounding the replacement of the dripping vanity faucet encompassed more time that I would have liked, the project has been completed with success.
My last experience taught me that it could prove difficult to remove the plastid nuts that secure the faucet to the basin. I began the project by researching suggested ways to get the job done. That brought me to the hardware store to purchase something called a basin wrench.
My use of the new tools was met with limited success. The nut on the hot side loosened as it was supposed to. The cold side nut would no budge. I remembered the other method suggested to remove a stuck nut was to remove the vanity top , turn it upside -down and loosen the nut that way, where there is not limited access as there is when the basin is in place.
I wedged the pry bar between the wood and the basin top and pushed down.
As I drove to the Home Depot, I marveled at how fast I had managed to break the old vanity top in two. THere was a bit of a challenge a=in the bathroom aisle as the only vanity top that was the size i needed was on a shelf that was over my head. I asked for help and the nice lady called for someone who could give me a hand. As I waited I figured out a way to pull myself up, using the display rack as a ladder and managed to pull the box down by myself. I was disappointed when I was told that the item was available in white only.
After a quick trip down the plumbing accessories aisles a few rows down, I grabbed a fresh container of plumber's putty to replace the old one I had that developed a split in the side sometime in the last fifteen years.
I cashed out and headed home. I discovered the backsplash was two inches lower than the old one so I had to scrape the silicone caulk off the ceramic tile with a putty knife before installing the new unit. I read the instructions that said to install the faucet before installing the bowl. I thought that was a good idea and did what it said.
Next I shimmed the vanity to make it level then installed the vanity top with a bead of caulk all around. The new top fit against the wall better than the old one and there was a smaller joint between the right edge and the ceramic tile wall.
I had to install the drain twice because I did not use enough plumber;s putty on the top flange. I had to shorten the horizontal rod for the drain plug because the drain hole of the basin was too close to the rear wall. I removed the burrs with a metal file.
This time, after re-installing the drain, the bucket I set below the drain remained dry. Somehow, through the years, I have been able to master the dry fitting system of the P-trap and got the new faucet system to function as designed.
wonder what the next project will be.
