This week I have learned, or maybe it’s received a reminder, that cheap is not always the best alternative.
A few years ago I replaced the kitchen faucet here with one I bought at Costco. Usually Costco has good quality products so I didn’t think much of it. Recently that faucet handle has fallen off a couple of times and then it started dripping so I decided it was time to replace the entire unit.
I went to Home Depot to find another kitchen faucet. Who knew that there are so many choices in kitchen faucets?! And depending on if you have two or three or four holes in your sink you can only use certain models. Prices range from $40 to $400.
Well, I didn’t think I needed anything super duper and didn’t want one of the pull-down type because of the issue I have with faucets becoming clogged with the sand that is in my water. So I bought a decent looking $70 faucet.
Came home. With some difficulty I removed my old faucet and proceeded to install the new one. Other than the fact my arms are not long enough to lay on the base of the sink cabinet and reach to where you have to tighten bolts which required me to have to raise myself with some blankets, the job looked to be rather simple. And it was. Until the point where I tried to screw the hoses onto the valve fittings. My existing hoses were too short.
I took a deep breath and told myself this was not a big problem. I could live from the bathroom sink for one day until I could get to HD after work the next day to buy the proper hoses, which I did. Came home tried again to install the hoses. Right length, wrong size to fit the valves. Many expletives and another night washing dishes by carrying water from the bathroom to the kitchen sink. (I really need a dishwasher). Tomorrow at lunch, I tell myself, I will run into Emmett and buy the proper hose.
So into Emmett I go. I buy the hose, come back home and install. Finally fits! Hurray! Turn the cold water handle and voila water comes out of the tap. Again hurray! But wait! What is that trickling out of the base of the handle—water? Turn off the valve, wipe away water, turn on again. Yep there it is again. Check the hot water handle. Again water comes out of the base of the cold water handle. CRAP!! I check all the fittings all are tight. Wipe water, turn handles, leaks, crap.
Finally I call American Standard and they tell me that I appear to have a defective valve and they can send me another one. Um no thanks I say. I’m taking this back to Home Depot and I’m not getting another American Standard product. In fact, I think I’m buying a much more expensive model this time because replacing faucets every few years along with hoses is more expensive than buying good quality in the first place. And that is my life lesson!
Where is Prince Charming? Wait a minute. I don’t really mean that. What I really mean is when am I going to win the lottery so I can pay people to do these things for me.
