5 tips to fix a leaky faucet
There’s nothing quite like the headache of a constant. Dripping. Faucet. It’s enough to drive anyone a little crazy.
But that’s not the only problem. Water waste from a drippy faucet impacts your utility bills, especially if it’s hot water.
The good thing is leaky faucets are pretty easy to fix. Here are 5 simple steps to hopefully fix your irritating leak.
Step 1 – For starters, let’s make sure not to make a mess worse by transforming your broken faucet into a waterfall. Before applying any wrench or screwdriver to your fixture, make sure your water supply is turned off.
Step 2 – Now let’s make sure you don’t leave any scars to your hardware. Remove any decorative parts of the handle knobs. A simple prying with a flat-head screwdriver will take care of that. Underneath each knob, there will be a screw that mounts the handle to the stem. Unscrew, then gently remove the handle with your flat-head. Using penetrating oil can assist in loosening it, allowing you to take the faucet handle off the stem.
Step 3: Use your wrench to loosen the packing nut. From there you should notice the stem. Remove that as well. Depending on the faucet, some stems pop right off, while others twist off from the valve. Check the removed parts for any damage.
Step 4: If everything is intact at this point, inspect the O-ring and washer inside the valve seat. This is more than likely your culprit.
Remove the washer and put a replacement inside the seat.
Step 5: From here, carefully reassemble all the parts (in order, of course!). Slowly and gently turn the knob to test the running water and check to see if you’ve plugged that leak.
If you have any other questions about leaky faucets, call your local Louisville Dauenhauer, any hour.
