Youtube

[vrdiver]

Mrs VRD threatened to call a plumber to fix the kitchen tap, which has developed a slow drip. Spurred into action by the idea of a plumber's callout charge, let alone the hourly rate, I searched on Youtube and, within a few seconds had a screen full of videos showing me how to change the ceramic cartridge (which I hadn't even known was the term to look for, but "dripping kitchen tap" was a good start).

Flicking down the comments below one video, somebody had complained that the Amazon link to the recommended cartridges hadn't been correct for his tap (so not "universal" then, despite the name on the one I was looking at...) but that he had taken his old one apart, cleaned and reassembled it, and that had cured the problem.

Another search for a video on cleaning ceramic cartridges and I had one that looked like the one from my tap, plus a handy tip (soak ceramic pieces in white vinegar, smear vaseline on ceramic seal etc.) and I was good to go.

Tap is no longer dripping, Mrs VRD is happy and I have not needed to disturb the wallet moths.

Of course a plumber would have done the job faster, not least because they wouldn't be watching videos on the job!

VRD

[James]

Youtube has become my go-to for fixing computers, bikes, cars and odd things around the house. Some things will require pros, but it is amazing how much you can do yourself with a resource like that.