"Not saying plumber's grease doesn't help at all—just that it might not be the silver bullet some folks think it is."
Totally get your point about vinegar maintenance, but have you considered silicone grease instead of traditional plumber's grease? I've had better luck with silicone—it doesn't break down or leave as much residue behind. Plus, who really wants to schedule faucet "spa days" every six months...right? Maybe silicone grease could stretch out those vinegar baths a bit longer.
Silicone grease is decent stuff, but honestly, I've found it doesn't always play nice with certain faucet materials—especially older rubber seals. Had a client once who switched to silicone grease thinking it'd save him maintenance headaches, ended up with swollen seals and leaks instead. Not saying silicone grease won't work for some setups, just be cautious and double-check compatibility before making the switch...sometimes old-school plumber's grease still has its place.
Had a similar experience myself—thought silicone grease would be the ultimate fix, but nope, ended up with a drippy mess. Switched back to plumber's grease and things have been smooth since. Guess newer isn't always better, huh?
I ran into something similar a while back when I was fixing up the bathroom sink. Thought I'd be clever and grabbed some silicone grease from the garage—figured it was newer tech, so it had to be better, right? Well, after about a week, I noticed the faucet handle felt weirdly sticky and sluggish. Then came the drips...slow at first, then annoyingly steady. Ended up taking the whole thing apart again (fun times...) and switched back to good old plumber's grease. Haven't had an issue since.
Funny how we sometimes assume newer products automatically mean better results. Guess there's a reason some things have stayed the same for decades. Lesson learned on my end—stick with what works, especially when it comes to plumbing.
Had a similar experience myself—tried some fancy new sealant once, thinking it'd save me time. Ended up redoing the whole job twice. Curious though, anyone know why silicone grease doesn't hold up as well in faucets?
