Faucet Repair Tips

As any homeowner knows, dealing with leaking faucets can consume not only a lot of time, but money and resources as well.  Not only can it keep you wide awake at night, but it is also a waste of vital resources: water and cash. A dripping faucet can amplify your water bill in very quickly.

Proper maintenance as well as inspections of faucets is important in residential plumbing and construction plumbing to keep your faucets in top condition. Through pre-emptive maintenance and inspections you can almost certainly steer clear of having to employ a plumber to fix a faucet that has been neglected.

Residential plumbing needs repairs and inspections from time to time to prevent plumbing malfunctions.  For a simple leak or low water pressure, you should be able to do the repairs and maintenance yourself. The two most ordinary problems with a faulty faucet is loose nuts or a shabby washer.

The common problem of water leaking from the base of a handle is a easy loose connection you can easily repair with a wrench. Find the nut located below the handle (you may have to remove the any decorative cover on the handle to find the nut). Tighten the nut a bit, but be careful not to tighten it too much. Then check to see if the drip has been resolved by turning the water on. If spray is still coming out, tighten the nut a little at a time until the leakis fixed.

Another common source of a dripping faucet is a worn out washer.  Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation beforehand, since some faucets are washerless, like the Moen one handle faucets. In this case try checking out a local hardware store for some popular faucet manufacturers. Otherwise, you can change out the washer yourself. You will need a screwdriver, a wrench and a package of washers that you can buy at hardware stores.

Fixing a shower or tub faucet may require a little extra work since the valves are commonly located behind walls. Check for an access door to the plumbing. If you can't find an access door, you might have to create one yourself, or, if you are not comfortable creating one, you should call a professional plumber.

1. Turn off the water supply, which should be located under the sink (or behind an access door if in a tub or shower).

2. Inspect to see if to turn the water off by turning the faucet to the on position.

3. Hinder off the drain with a washcloth to stop items from going down the drain by placing a cloth over it.

4. Disregard any decorative handle to locate the nut.

5. To prevent scratching the faucet finish, pad the wrench with electrical tape or masking tape.

6. Use the wrench to loosen the packing nut that is inside the handle, make sure to turn counter clockwise.

7. Twist the handle until you can remove the valve unit.

8. Remove the screw at the bottom of the valve. Locate the washer.

9. Match the old washer with one from the package of new washers you bought. Be sure they are precisely the same size. If there is a different washer for hot and cold, make certain to use the washer marked for hot or cold water properly.

10. Install the new washer(s), replace the valve, turn the handle back to its proper position, and then tighten the nut(s).

11. Test for leaks by turning the water valves under the sink back to the on position and turning on the faucet.

If you still have major problems or leaks in the plumbing, it is be best to contact a professional plumber for faucet repair.

Faucet repair is not hard with the proper tools and replacement parts. Preventative maintenance in addition to inspections will help deter issues. Dripping and leaky faucets ought to be repaired immediately to avoid expensive water bills and wasting of water resources.