Replacing vanity fasit

[homelesshartshorns]

I have a 20 year old suncruser that has calcium build up in stim of vanity foist. Old plastic lines will not come loose with out breaking. Any suggestions as to how to get calcium out or how to cut old lines and replace with new fittings? 

[Chalkie]

Only way I know of to get lime out from the inside out would be white vinegar and because it is considered an industrial cleaner you can get it in gallons just like the pink RV antifreeze. So, you could pretend to winterize but use vinegar. And just like the pink stuff you will need to flush the lines thoroughly to get rid of the taste.

Having said that, if the faucet is a standard vanity faucet with 4" o.c. fittings it might be time to visit Lowes or HD, or Walmart even and get a new faucet. Presuming the plastic lines are PEX or similar in a standard size (3/8" or 1/2") you can cut back the pipe and with some new bits of pipe use Sharkbite fittings, which require no special tools and can be found at Lowes or HD or just about any plumbing supply, and then replace it. 

I did this to ours since the original faucet was so low to the sink you could hardly get your hands under it. I replaced with a higher rise faucet I found at Lowes. 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Chalkie

[Kirk W]

26 minutes ago, Chalkie said:

Having said that, if the faucet is a standard vanity faucet with 4" o.c. fittings it might be time to visit Lowes or HD, or Walmart even and get a new faucet. Presuming the plastic lines are PEX or similar in a standard size (3/8" or 1/2") you can cut back the pipe and with some new bits of pipe use Sharkbite fittings, which require no special tools and can be found at Lowes or HD or just about any plumbing supply, and then replace it. 

That is pretty much what I would do as well. I found that faucet sets from Lowe's were of better quality and cost less than the ones in RV supply stores. As to the new fittings, there used to also be some compression fittings available if you don't like the Sharkbite ones but I've not shopped for either lately. If you aren't sure what your water lines are made of, it will be printed on the sides of the tubing. 

[Bill Joyce]

Sharkbite fittings did the job for us on our 2004 RV.  My wife didn't like the faucets she found at the hardware stores, so she ordered what she wanted on Amazon.  

[Ray,IN]

I like Chalkie's suggestion "winterize" with white vinegar.  Allow to soak overnight so the vinegar reacts with the calcium deposits. It is OK to "winterize" the commode with that solution too.

 Once cleaned, the faucets should work normally, if not it will make replacing them easier.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Ray,IN

[homelesshartshorns]

On 11/10/2020 at 6:52 AM, Chalkie said:

Only way I know of to get lime out from the inside out would be white vinegar and because it is considered an industrial cleaner you can get it in gallons just like the pink RV antifreeze. So, you could pretend to winterize but use vinegar. And just like the pink stuff you will need to flush the lines thoroughly to get rid of the taste.

Having said that, if the faucet is a standard vanity faucet with 4" o.c. fittings it might be time to visit Lowes or HD, or Walmart even and get a new faucet. Presuming the plastic lines are PEX or similar in a standard size (3/8" or 1/2") you can cut back the pipe and with some new bits of pipe use Sharkbite fittings, which require no special tools and can be found at Lowes or HD or just about any plumbing supply, and then replace it. 

I did this to ours since the original faucet was so low to the sink you could hardly get your hands under it. I replaced with a higher rise faucet I found at Lowes. 

Thanks for the tips with Shark bite and the winterizing option.