Questions, questions

[days_unfolding]

How hard is it to replace faucets? I have some instructions, and it doesn't look that hard. What should I look for to buy the right kind of faucet at Home Despot?

To steal from Alex, "segue".

I'm thinking of taking a biofeedback class at Kaiser. Apparently they'll sell a Galvanic Skin Response machine for only $60. If it's relatively portable, I could use it to check my tension levels during the day. Has anyone had any experience with biofeedback?

Comments

[cyberpigue.livejournal.com]

I went through a biofeedback clinic in the AF back in 1980 when the gov was experimenting heavily in such. I had already learned relaxation / hypnosis techniques while in high school so it was easy for me.

I can relax easily by suggesting the final stage of self hypnosis. A few deep breaths and a fertile imagination is all it takes.

You can learn the same thing from a book on self hypnisis...

[days-unfolding.livejournal.com]

I learned some self-hypnosis techniques in a relaxation class that I took at Kaiser (and, to my surprise, it worked). I might still take the biofeedback class out of curiosity.

Re:

[cyberpigue.livejournal.com]

It's fun. They hooked you up for heart rate and temperature and so on. It's amazing that we can control such...

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

The faucets themselves are pretty much interchangeable as far as how far apart the hot and cold water inlets are. So unless you have a weird setup, you should be okay with just about any faucet.

Typically, the biggest "gotcha" will be having the right tools on hand to install the thing, but many faucet kits will tell you what tools you'll need. If the clearances are tight up under where the faucet is installed, you may also need a special faucet wrench to be able to loosen and tighten the fitting that holds the faucet in place, but you can check that in advance by sticking your head under the sink and trying to get at the fitting with your fingers.

The second biggest "gotcha" will consist of figuring out whether the hot and cold water lines that are attached to the current faucet will survive being disconnected from the old faucet and then reconnected to the new one (unless your faucet is really old, this ought not be a big risk). If they look bad, or if they leak after you reattach them, you'll have to get new ones.

But the whole thing is doable... heck, if I can do it, anyone can.

Biofeedback? Great stuff, though I don't know if one needs the hardware you mention.

Cheers...

Often, the

[days-unfolding.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[bandicoot.livejournal.com]

You shouldn't have much of a problem with the faucets. Alex covered it pretty well, except I suspect your setup is fairly new and should disconnect and reconnect without danger of anything breaking.

As for what to look for, it depends on whether you're getting a kitchen or bathroom faucet and what features you want. Really good fixtures are expensive, but I usually get inexpensive ones and figure on changing them when my hard water buildups get out of hand.

One big difference in quality (besides finish) is the mixing ball or disk, if the faucet is lever type. Poor quality ones tend to leak eventually.

On biofeedback, I'd say go for it. It would help to teach you self-hypnosis. Like Pigue says, once you know the feeling, you can get it quickly. A friend with high BP used biofeedback to bring his BP under control and was able to back off on his drugs. It can be very useful as a teaching tool. I wouldn't buy the machine unless you have to, though.

[days-unfolding.livejournal.com]

The setup is about 8 years old, so yes, it's relatively new. They're bathroom faucets (both of them won't stop running now). I wouldn't want to spend a lot of money on them because they'll need to be replaced again eventually. Apparently my water company doesn't do a very good job of filtering and small pebbles get into the faucet. (A plumber showed me one when I got the faucet fixed a couple of years ago. He said that they would leak again and would need to be replaced, and he was right.)

Speaking of hard water buildup, how can I get hard water stains off of my sink?

As for the biofeedback class, I can rent the machine rather than buy it. Maybe I'll ask them if I can rent the machine, and if I think that it would be useful, buy it later. Sometimes I don't realize how tense that I am, and I like the idea of being able to check my levels.

[bandicoot.livejournal.com]

Some single-handle brands, like Delta, have a ball mixer that's fairly immune to sand. I don't use Delta, but I've picked Peerless faucets, which use the same ball and are cheaper.

You can get rid of hard water stains with diluted white vinegar, warm works best. If the stains are built up, you might have to repeat it quite a bit. I also soak shower heads and faucet spray ends in the stuff to dissolve off the hardened calcium.

The best stuff I've found for keeping up with hard water is Lysol Tub and Tile Cleaner, but they've changed the formula several times recently. Avoid the one whose main active ingredient is citrus. The good formula contains several forms of Ammonium Chloride as the active ingredient, and might be sold as some form of Lysol Kitchen or Bathroom cleaner.

[days-unfolding.livejournal.com]

Huh--I wish it was sand. The plumber showed me some small pebbles in the faucet. Kind of scary.

A Peerless faucet matches closely to my current faucets, so that's probably what I'll get. The problem is that WalMart had only one of them, so I didn't get it. I'll see if Orchard Supply has them.

Thanks for the info on hard water stains!