I hear you on those repair kits. I tried one once when I was in a hurry, and honestly, it barely made it two weeks before it started leaking again. In my experience, if the faucet’s super grimy or the finish is shot, it’s just easier to swap the whole thing. Deep cleaning only goes so far—sometimes it’s just not worth the hassle. The new shutoff valves are a pain to get to, but at least you don’t have to mess with it again for a while.
I get what you mean about repair kits being hit or miss. I’ve tried to save a few bucks patching things up, but sometimes it just turns into a bigger headache. Swapping the whole faucet is more upfront work, but at least you know it’s done right. Did you end up replacing yours with one of those touchless ones, or just a regular handle? I’ve been debating if the techy ones are worth the extra cash or if they’re just another thing to break down the line...
I get the appeal of touchless, but I actually stuck with a regular handle for now. Honestly, I’m a little wary of adding more electronics near water—just feels like another thing to worry about if it malfunctions. Plus, if something goes wrong, it’s usually easier (and cheaper) to fix a basic faucet. Maybe I’m just overly cautious, but simple sometimes wins out for me.
Totally get where you're coming from. I’ve taken apart enough leaky faucets to know how straightforward the old-school ones are. Ever tried troubleshooting a sensor faucet? It’s not just a wrench and some plumber’s tape anymore… it’s batteries, wires, sometimes even circuit boards. I’m not against tech, but when something goes wrong at 2am, I’d rather not need a multimeter just to wash my hands. Curious though—have you noticed if the handle style affects how fast gunk builds up around the base? I always seem to get buildup no matter what.
Handle style definitely makes a difference, at least in my experience. Those single-lever jobs seem to collect crud faster, probably because water drips down the handle and pools around the base. I’ve seen some of those fancy cross handles stay cleaner, but then you’re fighting grime in all the little nooks. Honestly, I think no matter what you pick, if you’ve got hard water or kids who splash everywhere, you’re gonna be wiping it down a lot. And yeah, sensor faucets... I’ve had more luck fixing a toaster than one of those things.