subject: Ways To Repair A Leaky Faucet [print this page] Ways To Repair A Leaky Faucet Ways To Repair A Leaky Faucet
A leaky faucet causes a lot of inconvenience to a lot of people. It can also be a source of financial problems due to water waste. Water leaks can start to add up, and you must do your best to fix this as soon as possible. You have to act quickly in order to stop the leaking before you spend a lot of money on your water bill.
Leaky faucets occur because of two things. It happens because of either a loose connection, starting from the base of the handle, which you need to either replace or repair. These problems can be resolved either by the home owner themselves, or through the assistance of a professional plumber. If you want to be able to repair it by yourself, just follow the basic guide in resolving leaky faucets. This comes from our experience doing repairs for our San Marcos plumbing service.
In cases of slow leak stemming out from the faucet, what you need to do is to replace the washer. First, turn off the main valve which is mostly found in your basement or utility room. Then, uninstall the faucet by using a screw driver to unscrew the cap. Afterwards, just loosen the screw and pull the handle out of the stem of the faucet. Pull out the packing nut with the use of an adjustable wrench or a pair of pliers. Removing the stem is as simple as twisting it out as if turning on the water. At the very bottom of the stem, the old washer is located which you have to replace.
To replace the old washer, install the new washer into the stem. And then reinstall the stem, putting the packing nut back after. You then need to place the handle back to the faucet, where it properly belongs. Complete the job by putting the handle and decorative cap back on their respective places.
If you think the problem was caused by a loose connection, simply tighten the nut located right below the handle. It is a very simple fix. And of course, you need to check your faucet if it is still leaking.
Those are simple steps to fix a leaky faucet. If you cannot repair the problem by yourself, you can employ a plumber to assist you. We can help at Del Mar plumbing.
