Hi, If your old faucet works and you can get parts put it back in.
New faucets look nice but have restricters that limit the flow of water. It takes forever to fill a sink or pan or your coffee pot. They are a real pain.
If you put in a new one you most likely regret your choice.
Woodbutcher

Reuse the old one. If it lasted 17 years its good quility and can be repaired,including new handles if old ones are worn.
You should replace the nuts and washers under sink that secure facuet to the sink.
Fyi,spread bore facuets that will fit any sink in the civilized world are available at any plumbing supply house.

Thanks so much! Most people get new sinks & faucets when they get new countertops, I guess. The contractor looked at me like I'm crazy when I said I wanted to keep my old sink and faucet. So I looked, and looked, and looked...but I bought years ago exactly what I wanted, and I guess I got the right stuff, since both sink (cast iron enamel covered Kohler) and faucet (mid-range Pfister with brass innards and porcelain handles) look almost new. The faucet does look brand new...the sink shows a little wear, but not much. They both glisten and gleam.

Thanks so much. I'll trek down to a plumbing supply place and pick up some nuts and washers to have them on hand, in case the plumber doesn't have them. I'll be using the plumber that the countertop contractor uses....not sure if he'll bother with any issues (but surely he has nuts & washers on hand).

I'm also thinking that the faucet doesn't even have to be removed from the sink at all. Just disconnected underneath. That saves some time & trouble (and maybe plumbing charges). Thanks so much.

I agree with your contractor. If you've looked at faucets and sinks until you're blue in the face, I'd suggest you're being too picky. If you're redoing part of your kitchen, either it's new or it's not.

When you get a new car, do you install the tires and seats of your old car?

Isn't there an adage about dogs working to earn their names?

If you like old adages, then you'll like old cartoon characters - like Snidely Whiplash. Sorry if you don't like my choice, when you see my name, pretend it's Elmer Fudd.

Snidely, my faucet looks brand new. And it operates the same way as when I bought it, except the sprayer shows a bit of wear (but not much). The sink doesn't look old or dull or damaged. No one would know it's not new.

When they're wiped down, they look new. So what's the difference? Only I and the contractor will know.

Like someone once said....we live in a throw away society, don't we? We get tired of something, we throw it away and get another. If something breaks, we throw it out and get another instead of fixing it. I'm coming from the viewpoint of....I made the right choice for me lo those many years ago, and I can't justify throwing out (or giving to charity) a nice sink and faucet for that reason of...just because that's what's done.

As far as looking as my being too picky about faucets, yes, I suppose I am. All the more reason to believe me when I say my current faucet looks new. One of the issues with faucets is....there is a depth that each faucet is rated for. Not just any faucet will fit a cast iron sink on top of a 3cm granite countertop. Also, the reach of the spout has to approximate the location of my drain (which is near the back of the sink). I also don't want to spend too much. I also want a faucet with two handles, quality to last, and not too tall that I can't open the shutters above the sink.

I can do like some people and just buy a faucet and find out when the plumber comes that it won't fit the thickness of my counter and sink. Or I can go out and buy a modern looking single handle one that won't fit the style of the house.

Having said all that, some things do need to be replaced. I've bought a new entry door. It works properly & isn't damaged, but it's an old, cheap door that is a bit of an eyesore.

The faucet and sink configuration are great. The faucet spout hits right over the sink drains, so I can turn it on and wash a rush of water down the drain, to ensure no bits get stuck in the nearby pipes. The sprayer works for the remainder of the sink, where water pressure isn't necessary.

"So what's the difference? Only I and the contractor will know."

If that's the attitude that guides your decisions, there's no end to the number of half-a$$ed shortcuts you can take. There's no need to put insulation in outside walls, as an example, no one will see it anyway.

You seem to have made your mind up before you asked the question so any discussion is pointless.

Don't worry about snidely. He is just one of those people that thinks asking for advice somehow obliges you to do whatever he says.

There is not a reason in the world your faucet and sink should suffer any ill effects from proper removal and re-installation. Just ensure that the sink drain is removed and the seal area cleaned and inspected to ensure there are no cracks or debris to impede a good seal when re-installed.

Your comments gave me a good chuckle, bpollen. You're wrong on all counts. And oh, what you'll never know.

alice, I was saddened by the "no one will ever know" comment. I've always tried to live by some measure of the Golden Rule, that's obviously not something the OP bothers to think about. I really don't care about people like this or what they do, so my comments are what they are. I just hope I don't run into them when I have my cars serviced or when I spend big money on something.

Take in to account snidely is obviously "special" and view his penchant for faux pas as intertainment. That is how an elementary school teacher told my classmates and I we should make "Sy" feel he was part of our group. Some of my fondest memories are of Sy with truely one of a kind observations on day to day life. Presently and years since any of us have heard from Sy,he continues to stick in our memory while many other people faded. Recolection was never stronger than when Snidely owned the adage above eventhough I didn't mention his name. From the first grade when teacher was lecturing us about not throwing used toilet paper on the floor,Sy"s little hand went up as he assured her he had nothing to do with that gross paper in the boy's room. To the Saturday morning teenager Sy flagged a deputy down to inform he was nowhere near the lake last night when the comotion took place. Thanks snidely, you do your part in your way. Though it never seemed to ring true with Sy,there is another adage that go's, "it's better to say nothing and alow people to think you are mindless than speak up and erase all doubt."

Alice, yes, I bought new sink strainers to replace in the sink.