There’s nothing more annoying to deal with as a homeowner than a leaky faucet. Leaky faucets can lead to water waste.
It’s not a big enough problem to call a plumber, but how do you fix it yourself?
We know how frustrating a leaky faucet can be. That’s why we want to help you fix it! We’ll walk you through how easy it is to fix a faucet.
What You Need to Fix a Leaky Faucet
The first thing you want to do when fixing a faucet is gather everything you need.
Rags will clean up any mess that happens while fixing. White vinegar will make cleaning faucet parts easy. Unless you know what screws you have, bring both a flathead and a Phillips screwdriver with you.
It can be hard to tell if you’ll need replacement parts until you start fixing the leaky faucet. We recommend if you know what parts you need, bring them. Otherwise, wait until you get a look at the old parts.
Step 1: Turn Off the Water
Before you begin dismantling, turn off your water supply. The water valves are under the sink or in the basement.
After shutting off the water, turn on your faucet to release any water that might remain.
Step 2: Cover the Drain
Faucets have really small screws. Covering, closing, or plugging your drain will reduce the risk of losing them.
Step 3: Take Your Faucet Apart
Different faucets will are taken apart differently. Removing the fixture head or handle will be the first step for all of them. Different faucet types, like compression or cartridge faucets, will have more parts to take out.
When you take the faucet apart, keep track of the removal order. This way when you put the faucet back together, everything is in the right place.
Taking photos as you go can make it easy to remember how you took the faucet apart.
Step 4: Check the Faucet Parts
Check all faucet parts and clean them with white vinegar as you remove them. Rubber washers, seals, and o-rings could be the reason why your faucet is leaking.
Check for any wear and tear. If there are any damaged parts, bring them with you to the hardware store to find the exact part.
Step 5: Put Everything Back Together
When everything is clean and you have new parts in hand, put the faucet back together. This should be quick and easy.
Step 6: Turn the Water Back On
Now that everything is back together and bad parts replaced, turn your water back on slowly. Letting the water slowly run back into the faucet will prevent any damage from happening.
Replacing Your Leaky Faucet
Sometimes it feels like your leaky faucet never stops leaking, even if you’ve replaced every part. If your faucet is constantly leaking, we recommend upgrading to a new brass faucet. These brass faucets are durable and easy to install in any room.
Brass faucets are also easy to fix if they begin to leak. You just remove the stem, replace the part, and you’re done. You don’t have to worry about replacing almost every part.
If you’re looking for advice when it comes to fixing your home, check out our site for more handy tips and tricks.
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