Tried to fix a leaky faucet and flooded my bathroom

I was in my upstairs bathroom last Saturday thinking I'd be clever and swap out a worn washer myself. Got the handle off fine, but when I twisted the valve under the sink the whole thing cracked and water sprayed everywhere like a broken fire hose. Spent 20 minutes sopping up towels and calling my landlord who laughed for a solid minute before coming over. Anyone else ever have a simple home repair turn into a total disaster?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.derek1mo ago

Did you use a wrench on that valve or just twist by hand?

lindab491mo agoOG Member

@king.derek I just twisted by hand and it worked fine for me.

linda5001mo ago

Hand tightening usually does the trick for most valves but if you've got an older one like mine that's been painted over a few times you might need a small wrench to break it loose. @king.derek I've seen those brass valves strip if you crank too hard with a pipe wrench so start with the hand twist and only grab a tool if it's stubborn. The key is to not force it past the point where it feels smooth because that's how you end up with a drip. Once it's seated snug just give it a quarter turn back to avoid overtightening and you should be good.