Really Boring Stuff Only III: Resurrection

[Adam]

I might. Although I wonder how pissed the apartment people would get if I swapped the faucet. I already want to swap the shower heads. I wonder if this is one of those things where tis better to apologize rather than ask permission.

Shower heads are remarkably easy to swap out without anyone ever knowing that you did it, so unless they are coming into your place, they'll probably never know. Faucets are the same, as long you don't bust any of the plumbing.

 

[fuzz092888]

Shower heads are remarkably easy to swap out without anyone ever knowing that you did it, so unless they are coming into your place, they'll probably never know. Faucets are the same, as long you don't bust any of the plumbing.

I've done both before, just not the single thingy faucets. Those are actually probably even simpler than the multi-handle one's I've done. I did just run and take a peek under the sink and it's like they put as many things as possible between you and the underside of the faucet. Deep sink, electric, waste disposal, and whatever is on back side of the sink basin (should be nothing but I didn't look so who knows).

There is one upside and one downside to swapping the faucet that I can see. The upside is that we get a sprayer, which I know she misses. The downside is that I'd have to buy and install an undersink water filtration system since right now we have a faucet mounted one and without it, the water is nasty chloriney.

Something to think about. I'm sure I'll be revisiting this when the finances settle out (aka after I've actually received my first paycheck) and when the lack of a sprayer finally wears her down. Which I'm sure won't take long.

 

[crossedover]

Just replaced my heating element in my jacuzzi, not sure why since im in south Florida. Dad and Sis are coming from Chandler Az to enjoy the humidity...

 

[ImcLoud]

Best shower head ever.... Low-flow 1.5 gpm shower heads that don't feel like low flow showerheads 1.5gpm and it feels like more water and pressure than any 3.0gpm head I ever tried.... I have customers ask me all of the time how they can save money on hot water, sure there are many new dhw sources that you can install, hybrid tanks, tankless on demand units, solar with circ tanks, ect, but them units will most likely JUST ABOUT pay for themselves by the time they are ready to be replaced, a $35 high sierra shower head can save you 50% of your DHW energy costs for $35 and potentially NEVER need to be replaced... When I swapped them in ALL of my apartments {only a few of my units do I pay utilities for but I did them all at the same time} not one of my tenants minded and the savings were instantly noticeable, the very first billing cycle showed 30+% savings in summer months!!! So if there was a natural gas water heater and no gas stove, the summer bills went from $70 per month to $40 on average.... First month pays for the shower head the rest of the months put money in your pocket!!


Anyway- BUY THE SHOWER HEAD..

 

[Adam]

I've done both before, just not the single thingy faucets. Those are actually probably even simpler than the multi-handle one's I've done.

My guess is that it's pretty similar, but I haven't done a multi-handle kitchen faucet. Big picture - both kinds hook up to the hot and cold water lines. The extremely nice thing about that being a new place is that the existing faucet should be fairly easy to remove.

The Motion Sense versions have an electronic box that mounts under the sink, and while that does complicate it a bit, it really isn't bad at all. If you follow that link to the Arbor that I provided and watch the video that I put up, it shows that box and operation of the sensors.

I was in the exact same boat as you in that I replaced a faucet with a faucet-mounted filter with that one, and at the same time, installed an under sink filter. I've got a video on that, too.

When you do your shopping, check out if the faucets come with that optional three-hole cover if that's important to you.

 

[Adam]

Best shower head ever.... Low-flow 1.5 gpm shower heads that don't feel like low flow showerheads...

I looked at those years ago, but I went with this for five bucks. I love it.

Fuzz, if your water is overly chlorinated, you might want to try out one of these. I have one and really like it.

 

[Adam]

Dad and Sis are coming from Chandler Az to enjoy the humidity...

Well, it is monsoon season, so they're a bit better prepared. A bit.

 

[psbfan9]

I'll admit it...I don't get that at all.

A group of crows is called a murder.

 

[fuzz092888]

Best shower head ever.... Low-flow 1.5 gpm shower heads that don't feel like low flow showerheads 1.5gpm and it feels like more water and pressure than any 3.0gpm head I ever tried.... I have customers ask me all of the time how they can save money on hot water, sure there are many new dhw sources that you can install, hybrid tanks, tankless on demand units, solar with circ tanks, ect, but them units will most likely JUST ABOUT pay for themselves by the time they are ready to be replaced, a $35 high sierra shower head can save you 50% of your DHW energy costs for $35 and potentially NEVER need to be replaced... When I swapped them in ALL of my apartments {only a few of my units do I pay utilities for but I did them all at the same time} not one of my tenants minded and the savings were instantly noticeable, the very first billing cycle showed 30+% savings in summer months!!! So if there was a natural gas water heater and no gas stove, the summer bills went from $70 per month to $40 on average.... First month pays for the shower head the rest of the months put money in your pocket!!


Anyway- BUY THE SHOWER HEAD..

I remember you posting something about these awhile ago. I had meant to try it back then, but forgot. Perhaps now might be the time.

I looked at those years ago, but I went with this for five bucks. I love it.

Fuzz, if your water is overly chlorinated, you might want to try out one of these. I have one and really like it.

I will almost definitely try out that water filter. I'm still hemming and hawing a little bit about the shower head. Right now there's a Moen Eco performance on both showerheads. Claims 1.75GPM, but I'm not crazy about the pressure and neither is the woman. I think I'd probably end up trying the High Sierra, but then I'm torn between the 1.5GPM or the 1.8. Especially since it mentions the 1.8 for shower installs where the thingy is 6.5ft or higher and of course ours are.

I need to get off this site before I have completely renovated bathrooms and a whole new kitchen sink/faucet.

My guess is that it's pretty similar, but I haven't done a multi-handle kitchen faucet. Big picture - both kinds hook up to the hot and cold water lines. The extremely nice thing about that being a new place is that the existing faucet should be fairly easy to remove.

The Motion Sense versions have an electronic box that mounts under the sink, and while that does complicate it a bit, it really isn't bad at all. If you follow that link to the Arbor that I provided and watch the video that I put up, it shows that box and operation of the sensors.

I was in the exact same boat as you in that I replaced a faucet with a faucet-mounted filter with that one, and at the same time, installed an under sink filter. I've got a video on that, too.

When you do your shopping, check out if the faucets come with that optional three-hole cover if that's important to you.

Hmm. This is almost definitely going to happen after a little more research and a lot more paychecks.

 

[Adam]

Hmm. This is almost definitely going to happen after a little more research and a lot more paychecks.

Conversely, you could just get a separate sprayer that would go wherever you would have put the faucet for the filtered water...assuming that one isn't already on that sink. I'd be surprised these days if they didn't have a sprayer handle off to the side.

 

[fuzz092888]

Conversely, you could just get a separate sprayer that would go wherever you would have put the faucet for the filtered water...assuming that one isn't already on that sink. I'd be surprised these days if they didn't have a sprayer handle off to the side.

Right now there's only a single handle faucet on there and I haven't crawled all the way under there to see how many holes are in the counter top. If there's only the single hole, then I'm SOL since the counter top is granite. I had thought about getting a faucet mounted sprayer, but I would run into the same filter problem. If I'm going to add an undermount filtration system I might as well replace the whole faucet as well.

 

[Adam]

Yikes - just one fixture?

Okay, me thinks we need a picture of our new sink.

There are kitchen faucets with built-in filters, but I don't remember if I've seen ones with those filters and a spray nozzle.

 

[fuzz092888]

Yikes - just one fixture?

Okay, me thinks we need a picture of our new sink.

There are kitchen faucets with built-in filters, but I don't remember if I've seen ones with those filters and a spray nozzle.

Here's the kitchen sink. The only negative in the whole apt. that comes to mind.

 

[Swerd]

Here's the kitchen sink. The only negative in the whole apt. that comes to mind.

From the looks of the wide cover plate on that faucet, I'd guess you have 3 holes in the counter top under the plate. You should be able to find a faucet with a separate spray handle that sits to one side or the other. The faucets that work with single-hole counter tops don't seem to have that metal cover plate.

As far as water taste goes, you're now in Maryland, not New York. The New York area, in my experience, always had good tasting, softer water. Maryland, and most of the mid Atlantic area has very hard water. The rivers have cut through lime stone, and the water is saturated with lime salts, mainly calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. The lime salt deposits will significantly shorten the life of the washer-less valve mechanisms in faucets compared to what you've probably known. It's a fact of life where you are. Get used to it. Nothing short of an expensive central water softening system or de-ionizer will deal with that. The only people I've known who have those central systems own homes that have their own, very hard, well water.

The other fact of life where you are is warmer weather. I hope you enjoy the warmer winter and longer spring and fall. But with warmer weather, chlorine is a necessary water treatment. You may find there is less chlorine added in the cooler weather.

You can do something about the chlorine. Any filter with activated charcoal removes chlorine. Maybe you can find an under the sink filter that works with your counter top. I use an under the counter filter that has its own separate small tap. That way I don't have to change the filter so often. But I don't have a stone counter top, and I could drill a hole for the tap.

 

[Adam]

From the looks of the wide cover plate on that faucet, I'd guess you have 3 holes in the counter top under the plate.

That's the hope, but they may have just gotten a deal on those faucets with the wider base (or used an optional base because people like the look) even though the counter has a single hole.

Fuzz really needs to look. In case you hadn't thought of it, Fuzz, you can hold a camera under the sink and take photos without having to actually get down in there to look yourself.

 

[Bryceo]

The faucet boss reporting for duty.

Fuzz really needs to look. In case you hadn't thought of it, Fuzz, you can hold a camera under the sink and take photos without having to actually get down in there to look yourself.

Fixed that for you bud

 

[fuzz092888]

From the looks of the wide cover plate on that faucet, I'd guess you have 3 holes in the counter top under the plate. You should be able to find a faucet with a separate spray handle that sits to one side or the other. The faucets that work with single-hole counter tops don't seem to have that metal cover plate.

As far as water taste goes, you're now in Maryland, not New York. The New York area, in my experience, always had good tasting, softer water. Maryland, and most of the mid Atlantic area has very hard water. The rivers have cut through lime stone, and the water is saturated with lime salts, mainly calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. The lime salt deposits will significantly shorten the life of the washer-less valve mechanisms in faucets compared to what you've probably known. It's a fact of life where you are. Get used to it. Nothing short of an expensive central water softening system or de-ionizer will deal with that. The only people I've known who have those central systems own homes that have their own, very hard, well water.

The other fact of life where you are is warmer weather. I hope you enjoy the warmer winter and longer spring and fall. But with warmer weather, chlorine is a necessary water treatment. You may find there is less chlorine added in the cooler weather.

You can do something about the chlorine. Any filter with activated charcoal removes chlorine. Maybe you can find an under the sink filter that works with your counter top. I use an under the counter filter that has its own separate small tap. That way I don't have to change the filter so often. But I don't have a stone counter top, and I could drill a hole for the tap.

Hmmm looks like I have some Amazon searching to do. This is like moving to a different country with so many things changing. Well I guess it pretty much would be now that I look at a map of Europe.

That's the hope, but they may have just gotten a deal on those faucets with the wider base (or used an optional base because people like the look) even though the counter has a single hole.

Fuzz really needs to look. In case you hadn't thought of it, Fuzz, you can hold a camera under the sink and take photos without having to actually get down in there to look yourself.

I'm gonna have to get the GF to do it. My arms are too short/I'd have to crawl all the way under for my arms to reach anyways.

 

[Swerd]

That's the hope, but they may have just gotten a deal on those faucets with the wider base (or used an optional base because people like the look) even though the counter has a single hole.

Fuzz really needs to look. In case you hadn't thought of it, Fuzz, you can hold a camera under the sink and take photos without having to actually get down in there to look yourself.

OK, you're probably right – you are the faucet boss.

From the looks of the wide cover plate on that faucet, I'd guess you have as many as 3 holes in the counter top under the plate.

Fixed it.

The only way to know is to look under the sink or pull up the cover plate.

The real reason why I posted again, is to add the point that since I've lived where such hard water is available, I've always found those separate kitchen sink sprayers don't last long before they get clogged and dribble instead of spraying. I've tried soaking them in vinegar to dissolve the lime salts, but that never made them work much better, so I'm only guessing its the fault of the lime salt deposits.

 

[fuzz092888]

So, I don't know if this is a valid test or not but I tried this test I found on wikihow and according to it our water is not very hard. Of which I am very glad because it just means I need to filter out the Chlorine and not worry about a de-ionizer.

How to Determine if You Have Hard Water: 5 Steps (with Pictures)

 

[Swerd]

So, I don't know if this is a valid test or not but I tried this test I found on wikihow and according to it our water is not very hard. Of which I am very glad because it just means I need to filter out the Chlorine and not worry about a de-ionizer.

How to Determine if You Have Hard Water: 5 Steps (with Pictures)

I guess that means there are other places with harder water.

My own way of knowing is when I wash my hair. If it squeaks after rinsing out the shampoo, the water is hard. What happens is the calcium in the water (with a charge of +2) binds to the detergent (with a minus charge of -1) forms an insoluble deposit. As you rinse your hair it makes the squeaking. The same thing causes those white soap spots on a glass shower door.

With truly soft water, detergent rinses out so completely that no squeaks occur. When I felt that, at first I wondered why I couldn't rinse the soap out.

Was your water in NY considered hard or soft?