I’m with you on “hand tight is enough”—I’ve definitely stripped a few screws by cranking too hard, trying to stop a drip. Agree that direction doesn’t seem to matter much for wear, but I do think the hot side always seems to get more use (at least in my house), so maybe that’s why it wears faster.
“no sense tossing out good hardware if a washer swap or seat grind will do the trick”
Couldn’t agree more. I’ll take an old brass valve over some of these cheap new faucets any day. Half the time, the new ones don’t last long enough to bother fixing anyway.
Funny thing, I’ve actually had better luck with the old hardware too—my kitchen faucet is probably older than I am, and it’s outlasted two “modern” replacements in the bathroom. I do wonder, though, if anyone’s ever just swapped the handles left-to-right to even out the wear? My hot side’s always loose while cold still feels solid. Maybe I’m just overthinking it... but it’s crossed my mind more than once when tightening things up under the sink.
Swapping the handles is actually a pretty clever idea, but most faucet stems are threaded opposite ways—hot’s usually reverse-threaded so you don’t unscrew it when turning it on. If you swap them, you might end up with a real brain teaser every morning. Honestly, I’ve seen folks try it and just get confused (or wet). Sometimes tightening the packing nut or replacing a worn washer on the hot side does the trick without all the handle gymnastics. Those old faucets really do take a beating and keep going, though... can’t say that for most of the shiny new stuff.
Yeah, swapping handles sounds simple until you’re fighting muscle memory every morning. I’ve tried tightening the packing nut before and it usually helps with leaks. Those old brass stems really do last forever... just wish they were a bit more intuitive sometimes.
I get what you mean about the old brass stems—they’re practically indestructible, but I’ve always wondered if the “opposite ways” thing is really that big a deal. Isn’t it just a matter of getting used to it? I mean, sure, muscle memory’s a pain at first, but after a week or two, doesn’t your brain just adapt? Or maybe I’m just used to working on so many different setups that nothing feels intuitive anymore...
About tightening the packing nut—have you ever had it where that only works for a bit, then the leak comes back? Sometimes I feel like it’s just masking a worn washer or stem. Curious if you’ve tried swapping out the washers instead of just cranking down the nut. I’ve seen folks over-tighten and end up with a handle that’s way too stiff.
And as for swapping handles, do you think it’s worth it, or does it just mess with your head more than it helps?