Did I mention I have no idea what I'm doing?

[Tourless]

Hi Folks.

So I got involved in replacing a bathroom sink faucet and so far it's been a royal PITA! The homeowner originally tried to remove the old hardware and stripped the brass under the sink to the point that I had to dremel out one of the pieces from the top. Did I mention I'm not a professional myself, just a handy guy who puts myself out there for some extra cash? Anyway I'm no pro.

I've got most of the new hardware setup and installed and realize the homeowner didn't purchase supply lines. I'll pick those up today, no big deal. What is a big deal (at least to my lack of knowledge and experience is connecting the supply lines and that stupid plunger for the sink stopper. I'm including some pictures in hopes that some of you will be able to offer some advice, do's, don'ts, etc. You'll see in one of the pics that the plunger is tight and doesn't seem to line up due to the other hardware sticking down from the center part of the faucet. Can I bend the copper? Can I reorient the spout to try to get the plunger to line up? I really want this to be over, I spent way too much time last night sweating under this woman's sink. Any help or constructive advice is truly appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

 

[havasu]

You are almost there. Get a short supply line, coil in a loop and secure that. As far as the plunger, I can't really see it but the adjustment rod will allow you to adjust it 5" horizontal and about 6" vertically, so you just need to find the sweet spot where the rod will slide up and down freely.

 

[Tourless]

Thanks for chiming in Havasu, I do appreciate it. With Regards to the supply line, I'm removing the copper as it's connected to the shut off values right? If I'm not mistaken supply lines will come in standard 1/4" or 3/8". Not knowing which I'm dealing with I'll probably get both just to be safe.

The problem I'm having with the rod is that it's having a problem being plumb with the copper and tubing in the way. Can I bend that copper or should I consider heating it first or am I blowing it out of proportion and just need to take my time and find the sweet spot? I don't think I can twist the inner parts or the faucet without turning the spout on the top of the sink. I've already tried taking the spout off (two or three times) to check, adjust, and check again. I've had no luck.

 

[havasu]

The threaded rod (coming out of the center hole) is brass and you can't bend this. You can easily bend the soft copper lines under the handles, if it will help you get the plumbing to align better, but do is slowly and avoid kinking, or pinching the very soft copper.

I do see that you have that black plastic extension way too high on the rod. Drop it down about 3", which should allow better movement to slide up and down to allow the stopper to stop the water in the bowl.

 

[havasu]

I had a similar faucet under my master bath sink. I just had new granite installed, and as you will see, those one way plastic tabs are easy to slip on, but a real bear taking them off without breaking the clips. I ended up breaking the plastic clips when I had to remove the faucet a few days ago, and got so frustrated that i just threw away this $150 faucet, and changed it to a single hole faucet. I hate throwing away money, but I also hate being frustrated.

 

[havasu]

And yes, remove that small extension leading up from your valve, and just get a stainless steel flexible line, about 15" long, with 1/2" on one side and 3/8" on the other side. Since there is rubber at the base of the threads, no teflon tape is necessary, but I do use a small bit of Rectorseal # 5 on the threads, which allows it to cinch up into the rubber.

 

[Tourless]

Thanks Havasu. I appreciate all the advice. I'm going back Friday to finish the job. I'll post how I make out, for closure.

 

[Tourless]

Apologies for my tardiness but life, as we all know, got in the way of my closure for this post. In the end, Havasu, you were very helpful and was able to slowly bend the offending copper faucet feed out of my way to adjust the plunger assembly to within near perfection! Also I picked up 12" and 16" braided flex lines (x 2 each of course) and removed the old copper and replaced with the 16"s (just looked better in a loop than an "S") and tested without a leak!! Wasn't able to find the Rectorseal #5 that you mentioned but had some caulking handy just in case

The moral of the story is don't go in blind. I had no idea what I was in for and would have been better served asking a bunch of questions and requesting pictures and/or taking the time to visit in person since it wasn't all that far from my home.

Anyway, job done to my personal level of satisfaction (I'm a perfectionist living in a mostly imperfect world).

Thanks again Havasu!

 

[Matt30]

Hav's pulling a Frodo and doin the whole job himself. Good work!

 

[havasu]

Sometimes, as a dumb retired cop, I get something correct. As they say, even a blind squirrel will occasionally find a nut.