Bathroom Faucet Replaced

  Our old bathroom faucet on the first floor has been slowly dripping for some time. The last time I had a plumber here I asked if the washers could be replaced. No, the Sears faucet was made in the 1980's and parts are no longer available.

Sears faucet - 1980's style

 Mom always loved that faucet with the porcelain handles that said Cold and Hot. But most of the lettering on the hot side had worn away, And the drain was non-functional. The only way to hold water in the sink was with a rubber stopper. And the drain hole had begun to rust.

 So it was time to have it replaced. A few days ago when I was in  the car repair shop I asked Greg if he knew of a good local plumber, someone who was working independently. He did. With a replacement faucet on order from Amazon (thanks Eric!), I now had a way to have it replaced as a reduced cost.

 Could I have done the work myself? Possibly. But would I have known the sink lifts off the vanity so it can be more easily worked on? Not on your life. And I have neither the proper tools nor the proper attitude to do plumbing. So I was happy to have a local guy do it.

 The new faucet is also in a brushed gold (Mom's choice to match the wood paneled bathroom) and comes with a popup drain (my choice).  The plumber had everything installed quickly and cleanly. Why did I wait so long?

 Total bill: $80. That was $60/hour for the labor plus $10 each for two new supply lines. I wrote the check for $100 and consider even that amount an embarrassment (but I'll get over it).

 If I get even a decade of use out of the new faucet I'll have gotten my money's worth and more. Mike (the plumber) said parts of this sort are now usually replaced, not repaired.  Since I'm 74 this faucet will likely outlast me.