I have a recurring problem with a badly leaking tub faucet. At least once a year I have to hire someone to fix it. I am a single mom living on a very tight budget and, unfortunately, I often can't afford to hire someone right away so we have to live with a leaking faucet for several weeks and longer. At this point, it is running continuously and making me crazy. I called a plumber on Thursday who told me he would be over this weekend and not to worry because he does not charge overtime for weekends or evenings. On Saturday I called him again to get a time-frame of when to expect him and he claimed he told me he couldn't be over until next Wed. or Thursday. I know this was not the case and now I don't want to do business with him. I guess I have two questions for whoever is out there. First, is this normal to have a leaking faucet so often? Second, is this something I can learn to do myself or is it for the professionals only? Warning: I am not a mechanically inclined sort of person! The last guy to come over said the wall behind the faucet is pretty much rotted out. He also cracked my tile trying to get the faucet off and said the handle could not be attached securely again, so it has been wobbly ever since. Does this kind of experience sound familiar to any other people, in particularly women? I am very, very frustrated.

I have a steel pipe that goes from an outside faucet underground to my sprinklers. The pipe broke in two at the ground level. It is 1/2" and threaded at the shutoff valve. I don't know how it's connected under the ground. Is there an easy way to permanently repair this without having to replace the pipe? Thanks in advance for your help