Fix a Leaky Faucet Without a Plumber! Do it Yourself!

It's just about time you learn how to fix a leaky faucet if you constantly experience having to wake up in the middle of the night to the irritating noise of drip, drip, drip from a leaky faucet. By doing so, you will eliminate the need for a plumber, and consequently, high plumbing costs. And of course, the best part is, no more sleepless nights.

You might think you really need a plumber to fix a leaky faucet. But no, you can do it by yourself! And with these simple and easy to follow steps, you will never have to dial a plumber again.

Here are some basic tools and materials you will need:

- Screwdriver - Washers

Before You Start

1. Look under your sink and search for a shutoff valve. Turn its handles counter-clockwise (off) to switch off the water supply. Remember the saying "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey". This will guide you in switching your water supply on and off.

2. Keep an assortment of replacement parts at hand. This includes washers, O-rings, and etc.

3. Make sure to plug down the drain (maybe with rags). This is to avoid having small parts like screws and washers go down the drain.

4. As you work, keep in mind the exact order of the parts from the moment it was taken apart and line them up. This will serve as a guide when it's time to reassemble it, so you wouldn't have a hard time tracing what goes in first.

Begin Working!

1. First, take the faucet handles off. You can do this by using your screwdriver to remove the screw that is holding them on. Once you've removed the screws, lever the handles open using a flathead screwdriver.

2. Faucet handles removed, you may now proceed to removing the old washer located behind the handle. If no washer is present, then don't fret. Buy one and use it later on.

3. With the new washer that you just bought, replace the old washer. Put it where the old washer used to be. Keep in mind that the hole in the washer must be just a little bit bigger than the post where the handle turns.

4. Start putting things together. Put everything in place, according to the opposite order of how you took it apart. After, you can put the handle back to its post and screw it on. When you screw it on, make sure that you don't screw it in too tight so that you wouldn't damage the brass fittings. Just keep it hand-tight.

5. Test it. Turn your water on by turning the handles of your shut-off valve clockwise or to the left.

6. Hopefully, your faucets wouldn't be leaking by this time. That is if everything went well. If not, you can always try to tighten the screws a little bit more or do the whole procedure over again. If you were still not able to stop the leak, it's probably time you face it and call a plumber.

Miscellaneous Tips

In going to the hardware when buying a washer, ask an employee for assistance. He could recommend the specific washer that is used for your sink.

Sometimes, leaky faucets are due to lime build-up. If you notice that a lot of lime build-up is on your faucet handle post, remedy this by using lime away products to clean the build-up.

There's no need for you to stay awake at night and listen to the annoying noise of a leaky faucet instead of enjoying fitful sleep. Learn to fix a leaky faucet yourself and say goodbye to plumbers, high plumbing costs, and sleepless nights.