Dreamcet

There she sat, perched on the sink, neck extended in a mocking stare. Weathered and leaking… her taunting presence the topic of a few nightmares… her demise the topic for a few dreams.

this story's antagonist

Those dreams began morphing into reality during a three-hour mega trip to Home Depot. You may ask how spending three hours in Home Depot was dreamy? Well, in full disclosure, it was not. In an effort to get all of the necessary supplies for our extended DIY list (and take advantage of a 10 percent off coupon) we walked through every isle of the store. That plan proved futile and since, we’ve made nearly daily trips to the DIY Mecca.

one stood out from the rest

However, during that stroll we spotted her, our dreamcet, and the DIY wheels started churning. After researching prices on our iPhones, we passed on snatching her up at first glance. A survey of online prices found that we could save $80 by ordering her online (technology rocks!). Sorry, Home Depot…while you kicked your blue-clad competitor’s butt in pricing, you couldn’t compete with your online rivals.

ready to become part of the dream

Installing a new faucet is straightforward. However, removing an old faucet, one that has been leaking, thus rusting into place, for 10 plus years is a whole other beast. A basin wrench is a must as well as a great deal of patience. And remember…when finesse fails a little brute force with pipe wrench pliers is a great problem solver. And–FYI–remember to shut off the water lines before removal.

With the old nightmare removed, it was a breeze installing our dreamcet. Just tighten the mounting bolt and appropriately connect the hot and cold water lines.

installed and ready for action

The coup de grâce was adding the coordinating soap dispenser, again, courtesy of an online retailer ($56 savings).

the finishing touch

In recap:

1. Installing a new kitchen faucet is straightforward.
2. Removal of your existing faucet can be (is likely ;)) difficult. Don’t forget your brute force.
3. Conduct research if you want to score a deal on a faucet.