Plumbing the Depths

I've had to become something of an amateur plumber over the years.  In addition to that, I have undertaken minor electrical work, some carpentry, and other household-y skills that, I guess, qualify me for the "jack of (some) trades" designation.

In the last 48 hours, I've worked on the toilet (removed it, re-seated new bolts, replaced the wax ring, placed the toilet back on its spot, and replaced the inside fill column), got the bathroom sink moving a little more steadily, and, today, declared war on the kitchen faucet.

A few months back, the hand-spray on the old one decided to quit working after the diverter, which stops the water coming out of the faucet and redirects it into the sprayer, broke.  I contacted the faucet maker and, naturally, the part was no longer made.  Fun, right?

I made do without it for a few months, but I have my limits.  Now, since I'm going to be on my way out of the house, it seemed as good a time as any to put in a new fixture.

The problem?  Our sink, unlike 99.99999999% of homes with indoor plumbing, is in a diamond-pattern set in the corner.  That means the pipes are farther back, the confines smaller, and the reach that much harder to make.

Ultimately, I had to unscrew the wooden column between the doors to wedge myself in deep enough to be able to reach the faucet connections.  That, on sixty year old cabinetry, is a dangerous proposition... one that led to a minor crack on the interior.

Then, after undoing the water lines, I couldn't get the plastic fastening nuts that hold the blasted faucet to come loose.  I cursed the living, the dead, and then, as anyone in a something-Anonymous program could tell you, admitted defeat to a higher power.  The nuts came loose, the old faucet came off, and I replaced it with a shiny new gooseneck model (not unlike the old one...).

The moral of the story isn't patience.  It's not preparedness.  God knows, anyone who's ever spent time with pipes can tell you that no amount of being ready is enough.  Something will go wrong.

The point then?

Learn to do these things!  Get your hands dirty (believe me, they will...) and learn how the systems inside your house work for yourself.  It's not that hard and plenty of videos/tutorials exist on the internet to help you through.  Ultimately, it comes down to this:  either you become at least slightly proficient at doing these things or pay someone else a whole lot more in the end.  It seems that a professional might charge you as much as $200 to do what it took me about an hour and change to do.

I don't mean to go all after-school special on you, but knowledge is power!