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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 02:43pm
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Boy, did I get myself into it, sigh. While I'm dealing with insurance/roofing, I'm doing some minor "prettification" on my house to make it more attractive to the potential buyers. The kitchen faucet leaked around the base a bit. Yeah, caulk would have taken care of it but I figured, eh, I'll put in one of those new faucets with the built-in sprayer that pulls down from the tap. I had picked up and installed a dish detergent dispenser where the sprayer hole is so the complete package would be cool.
Indeed, the new faucet would be an easy install IF I could get the old one out!!!!! Now, the old one isn't that old. I bought this house about 8 years ago and had a plumber put it in when he installed my new dishwasher. So it's not like decades of corrosion and gunk are a problem.
The problem is these thick plastic things flush against the underside of sink cabinet and faucet holes that are holding the faucet in. WE CAN'T GET THEM OFF! I worked on it for a whole day and couldn't get them to budge. My son tried and didn't have any luck, either. I went to Home Depot and talked with the plumbing pros there (who totally commiserated) and tried their tips, including flooding the area with WD-40. Nope.
My son went and talked with them yesterday, too, and we bought a special basin tool to take them off. It didn't fit, even though it was adjustable. These things are just too big.
What on Earth can I do to get this stupid old faucet OUT?! At this point, the sink is unusable because we removed the faucet levers, trying to get the faucet off from the top. It's loose but not budging.
The new faucet totally secures in the middle with metal rings, washers, and collars, and doesn't need these 2 stupid plastic things underneath because it doesn't have levers/handles over the other 2 holes. Short of using fire, dynamite, or acid, lol, I'm totally cool with destroying them somehow just to get the faucet off. But I don't know how. I've tried using a drill to remove some of the plastic around the periphery of these things but it's slow going and doesn't seem to loosen the seal at all.
HELP!
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 03:00pm - Edited by: Julie2Oregon
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Oh, I should add that the way my cabinets are, there's a wood divider on the outside for the doors, which makes the outside opening to the underside of the sink challenging. I'm small and fit under. My son is wider than me and was able to barely contort his way under. But a plumber who was even slightly bigger than my son wouldn't be able to get under there without having to remove the wood divider on my cabinet. This could turn into a big mess. 
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1tentman
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 03:49pm
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Julie
The plastic rings that you are talking about do they have 4 flanges on them, if so they thread on the pipe. Get a piece of schedule 40 pvc and cut 4 slots at equal intervials in the end of the pipe,slide the slots over flanges and turn pipe with pipe wrench.pvc need to be long enough so you can put wrench on down low where you can reach it and push upward while turning. Hope this helps
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Jebediah
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 03:52pm
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Not sure of the type of faucet set up you have or if its metal or plastic base, but you might be able to cut it off flush or dismantle it from the top ...or buy and whole new kitchen
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 04:10pm
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Julie, remove the entire sink, its easier than it looks, then set new faucet into sink on bench (bench work so much easier), drop into place. Seal using plumbers putty where sink sets on counter.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 04:21pm
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Quoting: 1tentman Julie The plastic rings that you are talking about do they have 4 flanges on them, if so they thread on the pipe. Get a piece of schedule 40 pvc and cut 4 slots at equal intervials in the end of the pipe,slide the slots over flanges and turn pipe with pipe wrench.pvc need to be long enough so you can put wrench on down low where you can reach it and push upward while turning. Hope this helps
Yes, they do. That's an excellent idea. Thanks! (A friend's boyfriend is here trying to remove the thing so I'll talk to him about it.)
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 04:24pm
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Julie, remove the entire sink, its easier than it looks, then set new faucet into sink on bench (bench work so much easier), drop into place. Seal using plumbers putty where sink sets on counter.
Yeah, that's the ultimate and solution of last resort. The sink underneath looks to have some sort of braided jobby with a bunch of screws that looks like it would be a pain to deal with in that cramped space, as well. I swear, this kitchen sink, etc. was built for Armageddon.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 05:41pm
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It's off! Yay! Somehow, the guy did by patiently working at it using a series of wrenches. Clearly, he's better at it than we were, lol. Now he's off to buy a new cold water supply line because I broke the top connector thingy in one of my previous attempts. 
Thanks, guys!
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 05:44pm
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I've ad that problems before... I used a long Needle Nose pliers, Some cantankerous Encouragements and a dash of hard patience of got the cotton picking )*(^#&*^@#) Big Nylon nuts off... It did it but what a 'PITA'.
Toyota_mdt 's suggestion to pull it and do it on the bench will absolutely minimize any Drunken Sailor Talk that is likely percolating up to the air.
Unless you have that special order tool J-346B-Rev.2 to get at the danged doohicky. (I just had to add the Car Guy joke that some of you may appreciate.)
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 08:19pm - Edited by: Julie2Oregon
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I will remember this collective wisdom for the cabin. Thanks! Doubtful that there will be this type of faucet at a place I buy. It was such a bear to get done that it rather sux I won't be able to enjoy it much and will have to go through the process again, lol.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 08:37pm
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Now you know why plumbers charge so much.
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Don_P
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 10:18pm - Edited by: Don_P
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Unless it "makes the sale"... like if your other one was a real eyesore, you won't recoup those kinds of upgrades IMO. They would have been happy with the old one, or, are going to gut the kitchen.
Back in the day there were 4 of us BIL's and we would go down to my in laws at the coast for vacations and to check on them. I noticed on one trip the kitchen faucet was leaking and I couldn't seem to get anywhere with it, the water there was tough. Time was short so I just went down and bought a new one and plopped it in. Figuring they might need one for the cleaning sink out on the dock I took it down to the shop to put on a shelf. Yup, there were 3 others already lined up. We had each at some point sung our particular version of the "I hate plumbing" song.
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ChuckDynasty
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 10:19pm - Edited by: ChuckDynasty
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Should be able to get up there and cut it off with a cheap harbor freight Oscillating Multi-Tool. Good tool to have anyway.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 9 May 2016 10:53pm
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Quoting: 1tentman The plastic rings that you are talking about do they have 4 flanges on them, if so they thread on the pipe. Get a piece of schedule 40 pvc and cut 4 slots at equal intervials in the end of the pipe,slide the slots over flanges and turn pipe with pipe wrench.pvc need to be long enough so you can put wrench on down low where you can reach it and push upward while turning.
1.5 inch Schedule 40 PVC, 24" long.
Cut slits with hack saw at 12:00, 6:00, 3:00 and 9:00. 24" long enough to get torque on it.
Its now living in my tool chest.
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Jebediah
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# Posted: 10 May 2016 05:47am - Edited by: Jebediah
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There's also a tool for every job, a basin wrench.
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 10 May 2016 07:06am
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Chuck nailed it!
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 10 May 2016 08:03am
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Quoting: Jebediah There's also a tool for every job, a basin wrench.
We bought one. It supposedly adjusted to accommodate most of these things. Well, mine were too big. Back to Home Depot it goes later on today.
I think I'm going to get one of those oscillating things. After a weekend of no water usage in the kitchen, I would have loved to do some serious destruction on that faucet with something that oscillates, hahahahaha. (I did whack it with a hammer a bunch of times. Not nearly satisfying enough.)
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 10 May 2016 08:15am - Edited by: Julie2Oregon
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Quoting: bldginsp Now you know why plumbers charge so much.
Yep. But cynical me wonders if a plumber designed that method of securing faucets so that stupid women like me who want fancy new ones every so many years will have to call them, lol. (In my defense, though, I think it would have taken more than caulk to stop the leak and I couldn't let a leaky faucet go or sell a house with that going on.)
It is interesting that this new, super-nice one does NOT secure that way. Not even close. Heck, the only reason it comes with a plate is to cover up the other two holes you don't need at all. Hallelujah!
Great faucet, btw. I love the fact that you can set the faucet itself to dispense water as a spray, without having to pull out the sprayer. That's a water-saver if you're not needing to fill the sink or a pot and just want to wash your hands, rinse veggies, or something.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 10 May 2016 10:27am
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Blame the design on an engineer, not the plumbers. Like with anything often all that is needed is the correct tool and the knowledge of which tool is the correct tool. Caulk doesn't stop leaks when the water has pressure pushing it out. Maybe a new o-ring if there was one.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 10 May 2016 06:23pm
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MtnDon
Eh, I wasn't blaming the plumbers. It was a weak attempt at humor. 
From all of the Googling I did and speaking with the pros at Home Depot, it's a common nightmare so I'm not sure the correct tool actually exists for these things. As I wrote above, we did buy an adjustable basin wrench but these particular things were too big for it. We tried a specialty hardware store, too. Same stories. Guys with experience HATE having to remove old faucets because it can be a total bear.
Folks have had to cobble together their own solutions. You shouldn't have to take out the sink just to remove a faucet. That's really overkill and speaks to a problem with the design/components.
This new one went in easy-peasy and doesn't have anything like that system. Metal collar and connectors, standard metal nuts/bolts. The new owners will appreciate that, at some point.
As for me, it's a good lesson learned. Whenever I buy fixtures in the future, I'm going to consider them from the standpoint of how difficult it is to remove them, if desired or necessary, either before I buy them if possible or after I get home and see what's what. Back they'll go if they have anything like that nightmare we encountered!
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NorthRick
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# Posted: 10 May 2016 08:32pm
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Quoting: Julie2Oregon Folks have had to cobble together their own solutions. You shouldn't have to take out the sink just to remove a faucet. That's really overkill and speaks to a problem with the design/components.
Ha! You should try working on a modern automobile. I was replacing a headlamp bulb on my wife's Subaru (by lying on the ground and reaching up from around the front tire) and accidentally snapped off a plastic tab that was key for keeping the bulb in place. You couldn't see and reach the area at the same time so I was doing it by feel. Didn't help that it was -10f at the time.
With the tab broken, I had to replace the headlight housing. Had to remove the bumper, grill, and quarter panel for that.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 10 May 2016 10:14pm
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Quoting: NorthRick Ha! You should try working on a modern automobile
I do, daily. That was easy stuff. Now days, any serious engine works, all require complete engine removal.
Miles of tiny wiring, networking, body computers, blind spot monitors, yaw rate sensors, sonar sensors, laser cruise control, collision avoidance systems, parallel parking systems, lane drift systems, wipers turn on with rain, memory seat/mirror adjustments, traction control, skid control, anti lock brakes, hill assist control (HAC), downhill assist control (DAC), variably valve timing, variable valve lift, CVT transmissions, Valveomatic, Variable valve lift...
Its gotten stupid now.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 11 May 2016 07:37am
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NorthRick
Note to self: Take the Saabaru to the Subaru dealer for even stupid little things. I'm not sure if Saab or Subaru brought the headlamps to the marriage, lol. It's basically a safety-feature- filled. all-wheel-drive, turbo Impreza called a Saab 9-2X.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 11 May 2016 08:48am
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toyota_mdt_tech
I've been checking out used Toyota trucks and would like to buy one when I get to Oregon. Has to be auto transmission. Are some years better than others? And how old is too old? I'm just looking for one to occasionally haul biggish or awkwardly sized stuff. But if I could get a snow plow for it, it might be very helpful in the winter. (Saabaru is 4-wheel-drive and goes through weather like a champ, otherwise.)
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upndown
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# Posted: 11 May 2016 09:09am
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That's why today's mechanics have tool boxes the size if small cabins! 
I've always enjoyed new plumbing. Figuring and cutting pvc, sweating copper pipes etc. just don't ask me to repair it. I can no longer become a small contortionist.
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 11 May 2016 01:43pm
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It's funny because the one's I put on and came with my faucet 4 years ago have crumbled and fell into pieces! If only you were that lucky.
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Just
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# Posted: 11 May 2016 08:32pm
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Quoting: Jebediah basin wrench.
been in my tool box for years
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 11 May 2016 11:07pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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Quoting: upndown That's why today's mechanics have tool boxes the size if small cabins!
You have no idea how close you are to the truth.
This is my toolbox which I used to have at work. The top horizontal locker shown is temporary and I now have the Snap-On horizontal top locker which makes it even taller (just under 8 feet tall, 6 feet wide, almost 3 feet deep). The entire toolbox with nothing in it cost $16,100. That is more than I have in my cabin build. I had to rent a moving truck with a liftgate to get it home. And 4 people to stabilize it.
I have another MAC rollaway toolbox a home full of tools too. But the store I work at did a full remodel and now have built in toolboxes, so that mammoth yellow beast resides in my garage with my MAC toolbox.
OK, sorry for OT. 
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 12 May 2016 03:07am
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toyota_mdt_tech
LOL, I don't care about off-topic. Kind of matches the way my ADHD brain works. ;)
But you missed my question to you about Toyota trucks!!! ^^^
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 12 May 2016 08:54am
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Quoting: Julie2Oregon But you missed my question to you about Toyota trucks!!! ^^^
No, I didnt, but there is so many variables, email me when the time draws closer. Its my user name at yahoo.com.
There is no such thing as a bad Toyota, some are just better than the others.
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