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LuckyCharms

(22,218 posts)
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 01:56 PM Yesterday

Whew! I love it when a plumbing job works out.

I'm a great carpenter, a mediocre electrician, and a shitty plumber.

I have a $500 pull down kitchen sink faucet that was leaking (I installed it in 2015). I've repaired a shower faucet successfully before, but that had seats and springs. This kitchen faucet had a cartridge. I had to research how to fix it, as well as research the correct part numbers.

Couldn't turn of the water under the sink because I had to lay on my back and I couldn't get any leverage on them, so I shut off the water at the main.

Hit the handle set screw yesterday with some PB Blaster to let it soak in overnight. That still took me a good 5 minutes to unscrew.

Tried to remove the trim on the bonnet nut, it wouldn't budge. Wrapped it with electrical tape and tried again with the channel locks. The trim piece didn't come off the bonnet nut...instead, the entire bonnet nut came out with the trim piece still attached. So, I was glad I ordered a new bonnet nut because I had to put it tight in a vice, essentially crushing the old one, in order to get the trim piece off.

Plumber's grease on the O-ring on the new bonnet nut, installed like a charm. Took a good 15 minutes to get the handle back on, because my fat fingers have trouble with those little set screws. Everything is nice and tight now, no leaks, wife is happy. Less than 45 minutes, including clean-up.

Probably a $250 job if I called a plumber. DIY was less tan $20 in parts.

Money saved will be used for a fancy dinner at a favorite Italian restaurant.

I'm always on top of the world when even simple plumbing jobs work out, because I am really bad with plumbing.

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Whew! I love it when a plumbing job works out. (Original Post) LuckyCharms Yesterday OP
So , did you check it dweller Yesterday #1
Yes, I checked it before I even reattached the handle. LuckyCharms Yesterday #3
Wow. I was insufferably pleased with myself EverHopeful Yesterday #2
I had to use YouTube because I had no idea how to replace the cartridge. LuckyCharms Yesterday #5
Good job! 2naSalit Yesterday #4
We have a really old school, high-end Italian restaurant in town... LuckyCharms 23 hrs ago #6
AI is already replacing plumbers, gab13by13 23 hrs ago #7
we're doing a little plumbing project right now Kali 21 hrs ago #8
I'll be right over with... LuckyCharms 21 hrs ago #9
one of the crew called the boss looking for a 10 mm socket a little while ago! Kali 20 hrs ago #11
The 10mm ones grow legs and walk away! LuckyCharms 20 hrs ago #12
I hate plumbing Mosby 20 hrs ago #10

LuckyCharms

(22,218 posts)
3. Yes, I checked it before I even reattached the handle.
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 02:05 PM
Yesterday

Once I got the cartridge and the bonnet nut installed tight, I turned the water back in and manipulated the stem in the new cartridge. No leaks. Then, I had to go down and shut the water off again to put the handle back on.

The kit I ordered came with two different sizes of set screws for the handle. The old set screw didn't work anymore, probably the threads were stripped. So I had to use the smallest set screw that came with the new parts, but that was too long. It worked, but since it was so long, I couldn't get the tiny little decorative cap to fit back on the set screw hole. That's ok, it is so small, nobody will ever see that.

EverHopeful

(667 posts)
2. Wow. I was insufferably pleased with myself
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 02:03 PM
Yesterday

because I was able to replace the bar in the toilet tank that attaches to a chain and successfully replaced the flapper that had lost its enthusiasm for the job. YouTube videos can be so helpful but no amount of video watching could have gotten me through your plumbing adventure. Congratulations.

LuckyCharms

(22,218 posts)
5. I had to use YouTube because I had no idea how to replace the cartridge.
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 02:08 PM
Yesterday

I found a great video. But you know how it is with videos...they make it look easy until you go to do it yourself, and find that everything is so corroded that you have to be inventive to get everything disassembled without breaking anything.

2naSalit

(101,186 posts)
4. Good job!
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 02:06 PM
Yesterday

All home repairs seems to go the way this particular job did! Congrats on the opportunity for a nice dinner!

LuckyCharms

(22,218 posts)
6. We have a really old school, high-end Italian restaurant in town...
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 02:19 PM
23 hrs ago

that is over 100 years old. it has been passed down through generations of the same family.

It's the kind of place you put a shirt and tie on for.

I'm looking so forward to going there again...probably in the spring.

gab13by13

(31,689 posts)
7. AI is already replacing plumbers,
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 02:28 PM
23 hrs ago

My daughter called a plumber because her dishwasher quit working, when he failed to show up she hit the internet, diagnosed the problem, ordered the replacement part and fixed it herself.

I have a push mower (self-propelled) that was shutting down and being a beast to start. I would hit the carburetor with a hammer to get it to run. After I kinked in the carburetor housing I went on line and ordered a new one. Yeah I probably should have just cleaned the old one but I kinked the housing. I told my 12 year old grandson that he was going to change the carburetor for me. I got him the tools and stool to sit on.

Well as he was putting the new carburetor on I butted in and hooked up a linkage and said, it's not working right, he says, grandpa, back off, the linkage was in the right hole but needed to be put on the top not the bottom.

Job finished, I put gas in the mower and told him to give it a pull. It started on the 1st pull.

Kali

(56,710 posts)
8. we're doing a little plumbing project right now
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 04:49 PM
21 hrs ago

but the alternator on the backhoe went out.





(just drilled a new well, hooking it into existing pipeline. backhoe for trenching and a little side job filling in a sinkhole by the barn)

LuckyCharms

(22,218 posts)
9. I'll be right over with...
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 04:52 PM
21 hrs ago

my little crescent wrench and Phillips screwdriver!

Sounds like a huge job, Kali. Good luck with it!

Kali

(56,710 posts)
11. one of the crew called the boss looking for a 10 mm socket a little while ago!
Wed Feb 11, 2026, 05:13 PM
20 hrs ago

20 miles from the shop or town. 2 work trucks and another ranch truck.

I was ready to go rummage in my tool box but they found one eventually.

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