What Do You Do When You Have a Leaking Faucet?

Is your faucet producing water long after the dishes have been washed and put away? Those steady dribbles of H2O when the faucet is off are not only unwelcomed, but can also lead to other issues later on.

A leaking faucet can warp surrounding surfaces due to rotted wood, and subsequently, mean remodeling the affected area. Before you start calculating the cost of replacing cabinets, shelves, and countertops, let’s take a look at a few common situations to potentially avoid the dreaded dribble.

In order to keep a faucet handle from moving out of place, a stem screw is used for assurance. The O Ring is a tiny disk attached to the stem screw, which is a common factor of dripping issues. With regular use, the O Ring can loosen or wear out, which leads to a handle drip. You can wave this issue away by simply replacing the damaged O Ring as soon as a new one is needed.

Each time the washer is used, a friction occurs non-stop against the valve seat. Inevitably, this friction results in wear out overtime. If you spy drips around the spout, you can take comfort in knowing you’re not alone in this situation. Washer wear out is one of the most common causes of faucet leaks. Thankfully, this can be solved by replacing the part with a fresh one.

Did you replace the washer? Is it still leaking? This is likely due to the washer either not being installed correctly, or the selected size is incompatible. It may appear to be a quick and simple fix, but if you’re not the handiest individual on the planet, it may be worth your while to have a plumber properly replace it the first time around.

While a “valve seat” could sound like a car part, it’s definitely not used to repair your sedan. This is actually an important compression piece that acts as a middleman between the faucet and the spout. When water sediments build up, the valve seat can corrode and create leakage around the spout itself. This corrosion can be prevented by having your plumber clean the valve on a regular basis.