The 3 year drip..... drip........ drip........

I woke up on Sunday morning and was fixing breakfast. I looked over at the sink while I was cooking and the faucet was doing its drip...... drip...... drip....... That same scenario for the last 3 years. In that moment I decided today would be "fix the sink day" I mean after all, it has only been 3 years. What's the hurry?

I figured I had 2 options-

1. Change the faucet- (been there and done that but not a favorite and is costly)

2. Fix the broken parts- (never done that but the cost had to be better)

Faucet Valve (the culprit)



Obviously fixing it was the choice! The problem was the left handle would turn past its stopping point thus water never being totally shut off.

My faucet had shut off valves which was going to make my job so much easier.  I tore it apart and pulled out the valve stem and yep, it looks like it was broke.  I took the valve to Lowe's and found a match! YESSSS!!! This was a good start. The valves were about $7.50 a piece. I decided to replace the cold also, because it was not if, but when, it would it was going to break. Then I bought and addition $60.00 worth of "other stuff" at Lowe's. Isn't that how it always goes?

Back at home I worked feverishly, at a moderate pace on the faucet. It took me about a half hour and minimal frustration. Then I turned the faucet shut off valves on and ............. What the ??? Crap! What the ??? The hot water (left) handle was fine. ON- OFF- ON - OFF! Good. It worked fine. But the cold, which was NOT broke to begin with, was backwards. You had to turn the handle away from you to turn it on and back toward you turn of off. Now cussing I took the cold valve out which proceeded to fall apart which made me cuss all the more. I got on my Blackberry and Googled my problem but Blackberry and 45 year old eyes are a bad match. No help there. So I put the valve back together without knowing what I was doing and was going to put it back in the faucet just so I had water. After I got it in the handle worked properly. What the???? That is all I questioned it because the end result is that it worked. Evidently you have to "switch something around in the valve" to make the handle work clockwise vs counter clock wise. hummmmm

Total cost: around $15.00