Hundred dollars worth of water can be wasted by a minor leaking faucet, on the other hand, a bigger faucet leak can waste more than 30 gallons of water a day.
There are several causes of leaky faucets. Here are the main causes:
- Water pressure
If the faucet in your bathroom drips water during certain times. It could be your home’s water pressure that is causing the leaks.
2. Damaged cartridge
Cartridge-style is a model of faucet which have two handles, one for hot water and the other for cold. The cartridge is a valve on each handle that controls the flow of the water into the faucet spout. Damage to the cartridge can cause a dripping faucet.
3. Malfunctioning O-ring
An O-ring is a small disc that is attached to the stem screw to hold the handle of the faucet in place and it is situated in the sink’s faucet. Moreover, an O-ring can get worn out or loose. If your bathroom faucet’s handles are leaking, this is probably a sign of a damaged O-ring.
4. Broken washers
The washers can get worn out by friction after a while which leads to a leaking faucet. Apart from that, a washer that isn’t installed properly or is the wrong size can cause leaking.
5. Deteriorated valve seat
The valve seat connects the faucet to the spout, therefore, it has the ability to cause leaking.
“How to fix leaking”
Do the following steps to get rid of a leaky faucet:
1) Turn the water off
By deactivating the water you’ll avoid disasters like a flood in your bathroom from happening while trying to fix a leak. To shut off the water, look for the fixture shutoff valves below the sink and turn the handles clockwise. Turn off the main water supply for the house if your bathroom’s faucet doesn’t have any shutoff valves.
2) Disassemble the faucet handles
You can use a flathead screwdriver to remove the caps on top of the handle, however, The method to remove the handles of a dripping faucet depends on the type of fixture.
3) Detach the valve stem
After the faucet handle is removed, you have to see the inner valve stem or cartridge and remove them as well. Cartridge faucets can be pulled straight out. Nonetheless, compression faucets have a brass valve stem that can be unscrewed.
4) Inspect the parts of the sink
Now that you have taken all the parts out it’s time to inspect them to confirm what needs to be replaced to fix the leaking faucet. You should take a look at O-rings, rubber washers, and seals.
5) Replace the damaged parts
In case of need, replace the parts that are damaged or worn out. Keep in mind that the easiest way to get the right parts for your dripping faucet is to bring the old ones into a hardware store and ask for exact duplicates.
6) Sanitize the valves
Usually, there tends to be mineral buildup at the valve body when you remove the stem or cartridge. Pour white vinegar over the valve seat and let it soak for 2-3 minutes and scrub it away.
7) Turn the water supply on
Once you have the new replacement parts reassemble the faucet and check for any leaks.
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