You nailed it—those “smart” faucets can be more trouble than they’re worth sometimes. I’ve had to crawl under more sinks than I care to admit, just to reset a sensor or swap out batteries that barely lasted a year. The manual overrides are a joke half the time. I get the appeal of touchless, but when you’re dealing with constant callouts and mystery leaks, the old lever handles start looking pretty good. At least you know what you’re up against with those.
I hear you on the smart faucets. I tried one in my kitchen, thinking it’d be a cool upgrade, but it kept acting up whenever my hands were wet or I was holding groceries. Ended up swapping it for a regular one—less fancy, but way less hassle. Sometimes simple is just better, especially when you’re watching your wallet.
I get where you’re coming from—those touchless faucets sound great in theory, but in practice? I had one in my last place, and it’d randomly turn on if the cat jumped on the counter or if I just waved a dish towel too close. Drove me nuts. Ended up going back to a classic lever style. Ever dig into how those old-school compression faucets work? I always thought it was just a simple valve, but there’s actually a bit more going on inside than I expected.
Ever dig into how those old-school compression faucets work? I always thought it was just a simple valve, but there’s actually a bit more going on inside than I expected.
Yeah, they're sneakier than they look. I took one apart once thinking it’d be a five-minute fix—turns out there’s all these washers, packing nuts, and little bits that love to get gunked up. The washer’s usually the culprit when it starts dripping, but sometimes the seat gets all pitted too. Not as “simple” as I hoped.
Honestly, I kinda trust those old compression types more than the fancy touchless ones. At least you know what’s going on when something breaks. Had a sensor faucet in a rental and it’d go off if you sneezed nearby... felt like living with a haunted sink.
Funny how we keep circling back to the classics. Sometimes low-tech just works better.
I get the appeal of the old-school stuff, but honestly, I’ve had more luck with the newer cartridge faucets. Less fiddly parts to wear out, and when they do start leaking, swapping the cartridge is usually way less messy than digging out a stuck washer or dealing with a chewed-up seat. Maybe I just got unlucky with my last compression faucet, but it felt like every fix was a mini project. The techy ones can be annoying, but there’s something to be said for not having to wrench things apart every couple years.
