So this is my kitchen sink. It is fairly unremarkable, as sinks go. It doesn't have a garbage disposal, which makes me frowny. I would love a garbage disposal, but installing one is magical trigonometry for which I do not possess knowledge and thus it is also scary. But I digress! My kitchen sink, like most kitchen sinks, has an associated faucet:
Click to embiggen
Like many faucets, if you want water to appear, you raise the lever thingamabobber (that's a technical term). Like so, see?
Click to embiggen
That lever doohickey is the troublemaker, and the topic of this post. You guys, it falls down constantly. If you have ever used a sink or context clues, you know this means that the water shuts off.
WHICH DRIVES ME INSANE.
I can't figure out how to fix this. There are no screws or removable parts or anything which seems like it can be tightened. Google isn't helping me because my Google-fu, on this topic, is weak.
Help me, Internet Nation. You're my only hope.
So...the top thingy behind the lever doesn't come off, revealing a screw?
ReplyDeleteThe lever thingy is all one piece with the top thingy.
ReplyDeleteThere has to be a way to access the assembly. I know you're trying to avoid the "call the plumber" outcome, but at this point I would defer to your local mechanophiles, as the next step of resolution lies in being able to be in physical proximity to the faucet itself.
ReplyDeleteThe interior assembly is likely made out of plastic and probably something broke off. At least that's been my experience with these. Might be easiest to just buy a new faucet. The more expensive ones come with mostly metal interior assemblies and they tend to last longer.
ReplyDeleteNew faucet time. Should be relatively easy to install one.... Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as the person you probably shouldn't listen to on this, maybe you could take some sticky or tacky stuff and kind of smear it right around where the handle rotates to give it more resistance.
ReplyDeleteThere should be a hex head screw on the front of the lever you remove to pull the lever off.
ReplyDeleteUnderneath there is an o-ring that holds a spherical valve against some rubber bushings leading to the hot and cold water. The o-ring has a couple notches on it that need a special wrench to tighten. If you tighten the o-ring down it will put more resistance on the ball valve and it should stop falling. You can buy a kit for 10 bucks or so at a hardware store that has the wrench and all new o-rings, bushings and valves.
EvilSkorp - Master Plumber
Skorp:
ReplyDelete1) ytmnd.
2) Um. Would it be easier to just replace the faucet? :P
Choose the ones with sturdier handles. This allows it to withstand pressure over time.
ReplyDelete