6 ms·

ITT people are so clever in creating a workaround but are unable to perform basic maintenance. Replacing washers is a fundamental skill

devb 8y ago
Just in case you didn't read the article, it makes no mention of the researchers' maintenance ability. "According to the researchers, while the study was purely curiosity-driven, the results could be used to develop more efficient ways to measure rainfall or to develop a convincing synthesised sound for water droplets in gaming or movies, which has not yet been achieved."
ars 8y ago
Because of course everyone carries a stock of washers, in case of drips happening in the middle of the night. And of course you can shut down the water to the faucet at a moments notice, without disturbing anyone. And the replacements never fail, so it's perfectly fine to start such a project during non business hours, because you'll never have to keep the water off for hours or a weekend waiting for stores to open so you can get the parts you need. And obviously everyone has time to do such a project the moment the drips start, because that's the highest priority.
- King-Aaron 8y ago
  > Because of course everyone carries a stock of washers I was taught that you should always have a set in the toolbox... > And of course you can shut down the water to the faucet at a moments notice I was under the impression that even apartment/units have a separate water main valve to isolate the individual unit? My previous places did, although I more frequently rent houses. > And the replacements never fail They honestly rarely do fail when you put a fresh washer in. > And obviously everyone has time to do such a project the moment the drips start It honestly takes so little time to change a washer, I'm surprised that you've made such a long post about it, haha. A tap is a machine with one moving part... It's pretty straight forward and you can change a washer in like a minute.
  - ars 8y ago
    Unless the bibb screw is rusted to nothing and you can't get it out. Or you got it out but you don't have a new one. I've changed washers before, the things I posted are from experience not theory.
wruza 8y ago
In my own experience, it is not an easy skill though. In the end it may look bad, behave bad (you bought wrong washer/materials/tools) or simply drip in another place, become greasy, leaky, squeaky, etc. It is an usual thing to outsource hard problems to professionals (and look at things as trivial when you’re one). I think that everyone should do what they really like to do and what they are satisfied with.
kwhitefoot 8y ago
Stop using taps that need washers. All the taps in my house (in Norway) are over thirty years old and none of them drip. The reason is simply that they use a cartridge with ceramic mating surfaces.
- simongr3dal 8y ago
  I know of at least one of these ceramic valves that began leaking, but it was because of a gasket, not the ceramics. https://youtu.be/6tddHSt6CUQ https://youtu.be/6tddHSt6CUQ
- inferiorhuman 8y ago
  > Stop using taps that need washers. All the taps in my house (in Norway) are over thirty years old and none of them drip. The reason is simply that they use a cartridge with ceramic mating surfaces. Cartridges (ceramic or otherwise) fail for a variety of reason. Gaskets come in some fairly standard sizes and cost a few pennies to replace. Cartridges typically cost $20-$40 each, are quite non-standard even from a single manufacturer, and some manufacturers will require special tools to remove/install their cartridges. Plus a cartridge will still typically have gaskets that can fail (e.g. I recently had a diverter valve that was part of a cartridge leak and flood the under-sink area).
thunderrabbit 8y ago
When I read the title, I thought it was /r/theonion

devb 8y ago

Just in case you didn't read the article, it makes no mention of the researchers' maintenance ability. "According to the researchers, while the study was purely curiosity-driven, the results could be used to develop more efficient ways to measure rainfall or to develop a convincing synthesised sound for water droplets in gaming or movies, which has not yet been achieved."

ars 8y ago

Because of course everyone carries a stock of washers, in case of drips happening in the middle of the night. And of course you can shut down the water to the faucet at a moments notice, without disturbing anyone. And the replacements never fail, so it's perfectly fine to start such a project during non business hours, because you'll never have to keep the water off for hours or a weekend waiting for stores to open so you can get the parts you need. And obviously everyone has time to do such a project the moment the drips start, because that's the highest priority.

King-Aaron 8y ago
> Because of course everyone carries a stock of washers I was taught that you should always have a set in the toolbox... > And of course you can shut down the water to the faucet at a moments notice I was under the impression that even apartment/units have a separate water main valve to isolate the individual unit? My previous places did, although I more frequently rent houses. > And the replacements never fail They honestly rarely do fail when you put a fresh washer in. > And obviously everyone has time to do such a project the moment the drips start It honestly takes so little time to change a washer, I'm surprised that you've made such a long post about it, haha. A tap is a machine with one moving part... It's pretty straight forward and you can change a washer in like a minute.
- ars 8y ago
  Unless the bibb screw is rusted to nothing and you can't get it out. Or you got it out but you don't have a new one. I've changed washers before, the things I posted are from experience not theory.

wruza 8y ago

In my own experience, it is not an easy skill though. In the end it may look bad, behave bad (you bought wrong washer/materials/tools) or simply drip in another place, become greasy, leaky, squeaky, etc. It is an usual thing to outsource hard problems to professionals (and look at things as trivial when you’re one). I think that everyone should do what they really like to do and what they are satisfied with.

kwhitefoot 8y ago

Stop using taps that need washers. All the taps in my house (in Norway) are over thirty years old and none of them drip. The reason is simply that they use a cartridge with ceramic mating surfaces.

simongr3dal 8y ago
I know of at least one of these ceramic valves that began leaking, but it was because of a gasket, not the ceramics. https://youtu.be/6tddHSt6CUQ https://youtu.be/6tddHSt6CUQ
inferiorhuman 8y ago
> Stop using taps that need washers. All the taps in my house (in Norway) are over thirty years old and none of them drip. The reason is simply that they use a cartridge with ceramic mating surfaces. Cartridges (ceramic or otherwise) fail for a variety of reason. Gaskets come in some fairly standard sizes and cost a few pennies to replace. Cartridges typically cost $20-$40 each, are quite non-standard even from a single manufacturer, and some manufacturers will require special tools to remove/install their cartridges. Plus a cartridge will still typically have gaskets that can fail (e.g. I recently had a diverter valve that was part of a cartridge leak and flood the under-sink area).

thunderrabbit 8y ago

When I read the title, I thought it was /r/theonion