Spent 6 hours trying to change a kitchen faucet and it should have taken 45 minutes

I thought I could swap out this old faucet in my apartment in Portland over a weekend morning. Figured it was a simple twist and pull job like the YouTube videos show. But the nuts underneath were completely rusted onto the supply lines and I didn't have a basin wrench. I ended up having to cut the old lines with a hacksaw while lying on my back in a cabinet. Then the new faucet's threads didn't match the sink hole spacing so I had to drill new holes in the granite countertop. Total time was like 6 hours across two days and I broke two drill bits. Has anyone else had a simple plumbing job turn into a nightmare because of hidden rust?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaret_jackson7319d ago

Gotta say, I've done a good number of these swaps over the years and six hours sounds like a lot but not exactly a nightmare. Rusty nuts under a sink are pretty standard, not some hidden surprise. That's just old plumbing, you know? I've had to cut lines before too, it's annoying but part of the deal with older homes. The granite countertop drilling part does sound rough though, I'll give you that. But breaking two bits on granite is kind of expected if you don't have the right ones. Take it with a grain of salt, but this sounds more like a learning curve than a total disaster.

gibson.elizabeth18d ago

I read something about how Portland's water is pretty hard compared to other cities, which makes that rust situation way worse over time. That detail about the granite countertop drilling is the real kicker though - regular bits just don't cut it on that stuff. I saw a forum post where someone used a diamond core bit and still had to keep it wet with a spray bottle to stop it from overheating.

alice_kim19d ago

Exactly. The rusted nuts are basically a rite of passage in any apartment over 30 years old. That learning curve you mentioned is real. My place in Portland is from the 70s and every single plumbing fixture has been a hidden battle against corrosion. I learned the hard way that you need a whole extra tool kit for old homes. Basin wrench, hacksaw, penetrating oil, diamond drill bits if you have stone counters. I keep a spare bucket and rags under the sink now too, just in case. Six hours isn't crazy, it's just the time it actually takes when you're fighting decades of hard water and neglect.