How should I handle a faucet that hurts me?
August 12, 2010 2:46 AM Subscribe
How should I handle faucets that are too far away for me to reach easily? Are there any DIY remedies or should I just replace them?
Here's my problem - I just moved into a new apartment and the sink faucets are just terrible. The bathroom sink's faucet is low and very close to the basin (I've jammed and scraped my fingers trying to wash my hands twice in just a few days - I don't want to have to concentrate when I'm washing my hands!) and the kitchen faucet is similar. It's low and pretty far back - not as far as the bathroom's but far enough that I have to lean over to wash the dishes and it's killing my back.
Now I've thought about changing the faucets but can anyone think of any way around this? It doesn't have to be pretty. I really don't have a problem with changing the faucets, but since it's an apartment I'm not sure my landlord would want that (and the water control valve is not under my sink so I'm assuming I would have to contact them to turn off the water if I were to change the faucet).
Now if I were able to actually change the faucets are there any recommendations about faucets that wouldn't give me this problem? All the ones I've looked at so far don't seem like they'd be an improvement?
Here's my problem - I just moved into a new apartment and the sink faucets are just terrible. The bathroom sink's faucet is low and very close to the basin (I've jammed and scraped my fingers trying to wash my hands twice in just a few days - I don't want to have to concentrate when I'm washing my hands!) and the kitchen faucet is similar. It's low and pretty far back - not as far as the bathroom's but far enough that I have to lean over to wash the dishes and it's killing my back.
Now I've thought about changing the faucets but can anyone think of any way around this? It doesn't have to be pretty. I really don't have a problem with changing the faucets, but since it's an apartment I'm not sure my landlord would want that (and the water control valve is not under my sink so I'm assuming I would have to contact them to turn off the water if I were to change the faucet).
Now if I were able to actually change the faucets are there any recommendations about faucets that wouldn't give me this problem? All the ones I've looked at so far don't seem like they'd be an improvement?
Since you're not in this bathroom upgrade for beauty or long-term durability, check craigslist for used faucets. Replacing a faucet is a minor hassle, but at least you can do it for $20-40 instead of $100+. I got lucky and found a gorgeous sleek Delta long-neck kitchen faucet for $35; results may not be typical.
They also sell swivel-sprayers for (primarily kitchen) faucets. The good news is, you could angle the water flow toward the center of the sink; the bad news is, the source of the water would be another 2 inches lower.
posted by aimedwander at 7:23 AM on August 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
They also sell swivel-sprayers for (primarily kitchen) faucets. The good news is, you could angle the water flow toward the center of the sink; the bad news is, the source of the water would be another 2 inches lower.
posted by aimedwander at 7:23 AM on August 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Are you sure your landlord would care? Mine will do it for me if I ask, and my last one didn't care what I did. They both just want tenants to keep the hardware for when they move out. I mean, faucet upgrades are easy to undo as long as you don't do anything other than switch out faucets while doing it.
And my experience suggests that to fix this, you have to go UP as much as out - if you stay at the same height you're going to have fit problems, and if you don't come out some more you'll be spilling water everywhere.
posted by SMPA at 8:27 AM on August 12, 2010
And my experience suggests that to fix this, you have to go UP as much as out - if you stay at the same height you're going to have fit problems, and if you don't come out some more you'll be spilling water everywhere.
posted by SMPA at 8:27 AM on August 12, 2010
The main water valve won't be in the apartment, but surely at each sink there are valves for that faucet.
Nthing everyone who's pointing out how easy this is [assuming this is not some really old sink in a 1920s building or something like that], and doubts the landlord with mind. I'd ask ahead of time to be sure.
Also, even if you buy new faucets, they don't have to be expensive. Any big-box store should have some "Bob's Pretty Good" brand for something like $20 that may be suitable. I replaced one of my bathroom faucets with a $20 BPG 5 years ago when I found replacing a part on the [not particularly special] Kohler that was there would cost $80. It's still going strong.
The kitchen has a BPG pull-out sprayer high-arch faucet that's been going strong for three years. I sure didn't pay more than $50 for it.
posted by chazlarson at 10:29 AM on August 12, 2010
Nthing everyone who's pointing out how easy this is [assuming this is not some really old sink in a 1920s building or something like that], and doubts the landlord with mind. I'd ask ahead of time to be sure.
Also, even if you buy new faucets, they don't have to be expensive. Any big-box store should have some "Bob's Pretty Good" brand for something like $20 that may be suitable. I replaced one of my bathroom faucets with a $20 BPG 5 years ago when I found replacing a part on the [not particularly special] Kohler that was there would cost $80. It's still going strong.
The kitchen has a BPG pull-out sprayer high-arch faucet that's been going strong for three years. I sure didn't pay more than $50 for it.
posted by chazlarson at 10:29 AM on August 12, 2010
s/with/will/
posted by chazlarson at 10:29 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by chazlarson at 10:29 AM on August 12, 2010
I would expect the landlord to not care as long as you held onto the original hardware. Personally, unless you had to, I wouldn't even mention it to them and just replace the original when it comes time to move out.
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 6:34 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 6:34 AM on August 14, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jon1270 at 3:31 AM on August 12, 2010