Rental Repair Experience#
Plumbing and Electrical Issues#
Renting at the landlord's place, the quality of plumbing and electrical fittings is very poor. I have replaced and repaired the water pipe on the toilet, the washing machine faucet, and the washing machine itself.
Faucet Damage#
The faucet has also been broken for two weeks. When Da Bao was washing dishes, he probably used too much force, and the seven-shaped faucet got bent. Upon inspection, the fastener fixed to the sink had issues; it wasn't stripped but was worse than that—it was completely unscrewed. I tried to install it and found it wouldn't hold; at first, I thought it was broken, but now I see it was deformed and unscrewed. It seems to be made of thin copper, probably around 600g, though I didn't weigh it.
Troubles with Buying a New Faucet#
Choosing a Taobao Discount Version#
Buying a new faucet is a headache. What's the headache? Wanting to spend little money and buy good quality—that's a luxury. I found a 39 yuan one on Taobao's discount version and added it to the cart, then found a 49 yuan one and added that too. I asked about the weight; the Taobao factory's 600-800g is acceptable at this price. However, after seeing a buyer dismantle one, I realized it was made of 304 stainless steel, originally 0.8mm thick, filled with black iron sand—clever design. The appearance is impressive. I suspect others that don't dare to label the weight are for the same reason. I passed on the Taobao discount version.
Concerns with Pinduoduo#
I really don't want to mess with Pinduoduo. Although our poor labor is not worth much, frequent replacements actually cost more. Previously, I used an 8 yuan faucet; after 3 years, the pipe rusted and leaked, so I replaced it with a stainless steel pipe, and after 2 years, the valve body broke again. I stopped messing around and replaced it with a whole set of stainless steel.
Memories of JD#
I opened JD to check the 304 stainless steel hot and cold faucet I bought for my hometown. I remember it was either 1.2 or 1.4kg. The quality was pretty good. It's been used for over 4 years, I guess. 99 yuan seemed reasonable. I clicked the link to check the data and found the store had closed.
Price Comparison on 1688#
I recalled comparing prices between JD and 1688 back then. 1688 was about 69 yuan, but the after-sales service was lacking; however, the price was cheap and the quality was decent. You can't just look at the text data; you have to see the workmanship and various detail images. Don't rely on text; it's too imaginative. For example, beauty—everyone's imagination is different. Personally, I prefer heavier weights; for computers with the same configuration and price, the only difference is the brand and weight. I choose the heavier ones. At least when scrapped, I can earn more scrap metal money; maybe I developed a sentiment from stealing iron as a child.
JD's After-Sales Service#
At JD, I received a deformed microphone pipe. After taking a photo, the seller directly sent a replacement for the pipe. The pipe is probably not thick; the heavy part is the section of the faucet that wraps around the valve core, which is made from a lathe.
Final Choice on 1688#
I directly compared prices on 1688. The faucet was over 60 yuan, and after using a coupon, it was 58. I also got two one-meter stainless steel coiled pipes for about 65. The faucet weighs around 1.4kg. Now it shows 95. I don't know what's going on.
School Duty and Daily Family Life#
School Duty#
This morning was school duty. It was my fourth time on duty. Two kids. The new principal places great importance on how students enter the school in an orderly manner in the morning. Overall, they shouldn't enter through the main gate; it's more like separating people and vehicles. Actually, there are no vehicles entering the school in the morning, and the principal stands in the middle of the gate. He has movable barriers in front of him, arms crossed, standing like that since he just took office. Now he is chatting with a female teacher next to him. From 7:30 to 7:45, I felt a bit cold when the security guard recognized me and said, "You're here again, for the third time, right?" I know he got the number wrong, but it doesn't matter; it's enough that he remembers me. When I walked out of the security room, the principal greeted me, or rather, he should greet all parents, saying, "Thank you for your hard work." I replied, "You're welcome. I have to go." Today is the second-to-last day of classes.
Daily Family Life#
My mother-in-law arrived in the morning, preparing to take the two kids back to her hometown. They set off at 5:30. After picking them up, we went for breakfast. I got up at 6:30. We left at 7:00 to walk to school for duty.
Steps to Replace the Faucet#
Replacement Process#
After returning from duty and having breakfast, I started replacing the faucet, which took about an hour and a half. The landlord's previous faucet had one pipe that was a faux stainless steel cover. I didn't want to disassemble it, so I tried to cut it short but found one couldn't be cut, while the other was easy to cut. It seems to save costs, one pipe is 60cm and the other is 80cm.
Installation Order#
The final installation order was to first install one rubber hose, then connect it to the sink, and then secure the fasteners, which were basically in place. Then I installed the other rubber hose, connected the faucet to the fittings, and secured it under the sink. Finally, I fixed the end of the rubber hose in place. Last time, I made a mistake, and this time I made another mistake. I need to record this error.