I just had to replace an expensive kitchen faucet because a rat apparently chewed through one of the supply lines. See the little nip in the line on the right picture?
Apparently this is quite common. Rats seem to know that they can get a drink by chewing through a faucet supply line. Unfortunately, these very expensive faucets – about $300 for any of the major brands – all use nylon other plastic for the mesh around the supply lines rather than stainless steel mesh. As you may know, replacement supply lines for toilets and many other faucets are covered in a stainless steel mesh, which rats will not chew. But the supply lines on these expensive faucets cannot be replaced or easily repaired.
The rat only chewed a little hole to get a drink, so it drip drip dripped and I didn’t find it for a couple of days when I noticed water on the floor.
So after a new $300 faucet and a $150 plumber’s visit, I have a new faucet.
Now there’s a big rat trap in the cabinet defending the faucet from rats.
Update: I had a brainstorm early this morning. I just bought this and will slide this over the faucet lines.
That ought to keep the pesky rats off the faucet lines. So there.
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