Basic Faucet Repair Reminders

Faucet repair isn’t rocket science. You may not need to hire a certified plumber to repair your faucet problems. There are however a couple of reminders that you shouldn’t forget when repairing faucets.

· We usually notice that a faucet has problems when it has a leak. Leaks can happen due to a couple of reasons. In minor cases, you may just have to replace an inexpensive washer with a new one. In more serious cases, you may have damaged seats or stem assemblies that require part replacement.

· If you want to inspect the parts of a leaky faucet, you should first turn off your valves. This is a common sense tip that many first time handymen often forget.

· Inspect the parts one by one. Do remember to keep a rag on the sink hole. Your parts could fall in and create a different problem for you.

· Faucet repair depends on the kind of faucet that you have. Before you do anything. Find out if your faucet type is disc, cartridge, compression or ball type.

· The most common cause of leaks in compression faucets is a worn out washer. In this case, all you have to do is to remove the handle and remove the screw that holds the washer. You then simply have to place a new washer in. In some cases, there may be more extensive damage to the stem assembly.

· A ball faucet may leak if the base of the spout is loose. Sometimes, all you need to do to fix the leak is to tighten the spout bottom. If the leak persists, the ball itself or the rubber seat valves may already be old and worn. They may have to be replaced.

· A leaking cartridge faucet may mean that the cartridge needs to be replaced. This is a straightforward procedure. Simply unscrew your faucet handle and replace the old cartridge with a new one.

· A disc faucet is often considered nearly maintenance free. These modern faucets rarely ever require repair. As with everything else though, even disc faucets do get damaged. If you have a leaking disc faucet, its interior may be dirty and may only require cleaning. It is also quite possible though that you bought a faucet with a defective disc in the first place.

· If you have an aerator installed, it could become clogged. Instead of getting leaks or good flowing water, you could get a restricted flow. In this case, all you need to do is to clean your aerator.

Faucet repair is really easy. Before you consider paying someone to fix your faucet, consider repairing it yourself first.