It's a new day, so it must be time to tackle another house project. This time it's a simple one, the kitchen faucet. For whatever reason the valve on the hand washing spout decided that it was about time to no longer seal, and so I ordered up a replacement for it.
The replacement arrived, so it's time to get started, by first making sure that I don't lose any pieces.
The designers of this faucet did a pretty good job of hiding how to get inside to the guts, but luckily I'm not easily outsmarted.
The knob just unthreads from a set screw, which unlocks the first piece of the puzzle.
From there, a 2.5mm hex wrench loosens the set screw.
And a deep 17mm socket fits onto the cartridge.
And easily pops it out.
These ceramic cartridges are supposed to last a lifetime, but I think this one has seen its lifetime through to the bitter end.
Naturally the replacements come in pairs, since they're usually installed in a hot-and-cold set. I'll let you guess which is which. The only real difference is which direction the quarter-turn actuation opens the valve, so in another 20 years or so when the new cartridge wears out, I'll have to unlearn which way I need to twist the handle to turn the water on and off.
Anyway, we reverse the procedure to install the new one.
It does look all shiny and new in there. It's a shame, though, that we'll never see it again.
Interestingly, the clearance between the knob and the faucet arm seems a lot nicer with the new cartridge, which makes me think the old one might have got bent at some point.
A little bit of grease under the handle will help keep the water out of there.
And with that, the job is done. The valve works in the off position.
And in the on position.
And, uh... I'm gonna go ahead and take care of those water stains on the underside.
It's a good thing I'm prepared for these sorts of things.
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