Question:
Within weeks of each other, the hot and cold faucet handles on our bathroom sink dis-attached from the post. The bathroom was remodeled by a previous owner and my guess is that these are perhaps 12-18 years old. This is a powder room (no bath/shower), so the dis-attachment of the handles is not the result of the room being steamed up by a shower — just how it is constructed and time.
The ceramic faucet handles fit on bronze colored metal posts, but there is no thread.
My wife attempted to reattach these with plumber and marine adhesive/sealant but the faucet handles still spin on the post, instead of binding.
Should I redo this using the same adhesive and teflon (or some other type of) tape on the post to make a tighter fit? Do we need a different adhesive?
Answer:
Adhesive won’t work. Most faucet valve bodies have a nut on the underside of the sink and a second nut on top. Try shutting off the water and removing the handles and escutcheons.
If there is no nut on top as you state, the valve should just drop thru the hole in the counter. Inspect the valve and see if there is a thread on the body and a retaining nut. Loosen the nut downwards and push the valve body back thru the hole. You should now have some thread to put on a retaining nut that you can pick up at a supply house. If not, I would just replace the faucets with something that will mount correctly.