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Email a FriendLOL! WWW makes everything look easy! In fact, I was just contemplating switching my bathroom faucet and doing it myself since Dan is so busy with outdoor projects. But, hmmm… you’re making me think twice! 
Although, I have a few positives on my side: my house isn’t made in the 50s (so maybe I won’t face the dreaded corroded valves…), and, well, I know what a pair of pliers looks like… and I can always call in Dan if I start flooding the house. Although I’m not sure I can fit my body under a sink as easily as you can!
Tales from the DIY Diary: Part 1
How hard can it be to replace a leaky faucet?
Posted by Robyn Lee in Family on Friday, August 13, 2010 11:35 AM
As a single gal with a fixer-upper there is an occasional house project that I have to tackle. Being far from handy, my way of getting it done is to hire Mr. Local Professional.
Why deal with all the frustration when Mr. Professional can come in and do it in no time?
I used this reasoning to avoid all do-it-yourself projects … until I realized that you need some serious cash to hire Mr. Local Professional.
Hmm, how hard could it be to replace a leaky faucet? (okay, better description is gushing water faucet, spilling water all over the counter and sink).
I am a young independent woman (Helen Reddy anyone?) and I can totally do this by myself. I don’t need any man to help me.
Okay, maybe the men on YouTube could help me.
After watching several DIY videos about installing a faucet I heard the Helen Reddy theme song again. Piece of cake. I’ll be done by lunch.
Step one: Tighten water shut-off valves.
No sweat. I know exactly where the shut-off valves are.
I kneel down underneath the sink and grab the lever and try turning it. Even with all my strength (I am woman. Hear me roar!) I could not turn these valves.
Hmm, that didn’t happen in the video.
I decided to go back to the World Wide Web for assistance.
World Wide Web Tip: Try lubricating oil on corroded valves.
Too bad I’m fresh out of lubricating oil. Looks like I need to call in the Big Guns.
“Mom, what is lubricating oil?”
The Queen of DIY comes over with a bottle of WD-40 and a set of tools. We doused that sucker and it still wouldn’t budge. At this point the Irish temper was starting to rise and I grumbled something about, “why didn’t I hire a professional?”
My wise mother calmly responded with something like, “you can’t get frustrated when you hit a road block.”
She then hands me some sort of tool that grips the valve and it tightens easily. (I think the rest of the world has a name for this tool. Maybe pliers?)
Step one: finished. Time in YouTube video: 3 seconds. Time in real life: 3 hours.
Stay tuned for Step Two and more Tales from the DIY Diary.
What’s in your DIY diary? Do you normally hire Mr. Local professional or do you tackle the do-it-yourself projects around the house?
Comments
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Posted by Kathy on Friday, Aug 13, 2010 4:16 PM (EDT):
You’re a braver woman then I! Plumbing jobs are the worst. There is so much that can go wrong and water can be so….damaging. And yeah, then there is that whole Irish temper thing…yeah. One can see why plumbers charge such a pretty penny. Can’t wait to hear the outcome!
Posted by momof4 on Friday, Aug 13, 2010 4:18 PM (EDT):
So funny you should write about this. For many months we have had a leaky faucet in our kitchen. It has recently gotten much worse. Few months back I read about household tasks that are more costly to ignor. This is one of them because the damage it does costs more to repair. Yesterday my husband said he would go on-line to find out how to fix it. Nothing against him(I know he means well) but I also had played with the idea of looking into it myself. Reading this makes me think twice because I would not know how to take care of step 1.
Posted by tina on Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 1:25 AM (EDT):
I know I should not be prideful, but whenever I tackle a DIY task that I’ve never done before and have success, I do feel proud. Last month I bought a new exercise machine for the yard (aka lawnmower) after my old one was beyond repair. After so many hours of use, it required changing the oil which I had never done. I DID IT MYSELF!
This week I was using it and it was sputtering like the old one did when the spark plug had fallen off. Since it was a new machine, I quickly ascertained that the spark plug was intact. I checked the oil; still full. I cleaned accumulated detritus from the underside with hammer gently tapping onto screwdriver, then checked and cleaned off the air filter. (Needless to say my yard is not full of velvet grass, but of natural whatever grows on its own & survives.) After that it ran as it did the day I got it. Thank you, Lord, and St. Joseph (is he the patron saint of home maintenance?)!
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