A loose kitchen faucet handle with a set screw hiding underneath
A woman from down the block called. She said her kitchen faucet handle wiggled when she turned on the water,, and she worried it was coming off. I said a loose handle is a small thing. Nobody wants a handle coming off in their hand while a sink fills up. She said her husband kept saying he would look at it. I told her looking at it does not tighten it. She laughed. She said that was why she called me.
When I got there the handle looked fine from standing height. The moment you touched it,, it moved like it had its own idea of where it wanted to point. I told her it was loose,, not broken,, which is the better end of the two. I got low under the counter because I like to see things from underneath before I trust the top. Some people fix what they can see and stop there. I am NOT that kind of guy.
She handed me a little flashlight. I found a set screw hiding underneath,, tucked where you would never see it unless you were down low on purpose. That is how they do it,, you get a hex wrench in there and turn it firm. I told her it did not look stripped. It just had never been given a good steady squeeze since it left the box. She said that made sense. Everything in her kitchen was the install-it-and-forget kind of thing.
I turned it FIRM and tested the handle. It grabbed solid. The water came on even enough. I think people think a faucet handle is complicated,, but really it is one screw hiding where you have to get down to find it. Once you know it is there,, it is a thirty second job with steady pressure,, and you feel like you earned it. She asked if it would come loose again. I said not if you give it a squeeze every so often. Most people never do,, so if it gets loose again you know who to call.
Before I left she said her husband was going to be mad she called me for something so small. I said that is not a reason to live with a wobbly handle. Some jobs are easy,, but a personal kitchen visit can still save a person from standing there fighting loose hardware while the supper water runs.
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