How To Fix A Leaky Kitchen or Bath Faucet By Yourself
How To Fix A Leaky Faucet By Yourself? Free tips to help you to repair A Leaky Kitchen or Bath Faucet By Yourself. A leaking faucet can be annoying at best and wasteful at worst. The sound of water continuously dripping, drop by drop, into a sink or filling a bowl or cup can be downright maddening. Luckily, repairing a leaky faucet can be a simple home improvement task that anyone can take on with a few simple tools.
The water needs to be turned off before fixing the leaky faucet. Look under the sink for a shut off valve. Older homes may not have a shut off under the sink, and the water will need to be turned off from the basement.
After the water is turned off, open both faucets to let any water already in the pipes out. Be sure to place a drain stopper or the bottom tray of a dish rack on the bottom of the sink, to keep any parts from going down the drain while you repair the leaky faucet.
Easy Fix for Leaks
if you have an old lever handle, you’ll need to use a screwdriver to unscrew the screw from the top of the handle. Newer handles will not have visible screws on the top. Instead, use an Allen Wrench to undo the set screw. After the screw is removed from either type of handle, remove the handle.
For knob handles, pull the knob off the fixture to access the screw.
Use an adjustable wrench to take apart the inner workings of the handle. Line up the pieces as you take them out. Keeping them in order will make it easier to replace them in the right order.
Remove the washer, which will need to be replaced. Take the washer to the hardware store and buy a replacement. Using the old washer will help you buy the right size.
Set in the new washer and replace the faucet handle and any screws.
For a double handled sink, repeat these steps for the other faucet if the leak is not fixed.
More Faucet Troubleshooting
If replacing the washer does not help with the leaky faucet, it’s possible that the seats, springs or stem assemblies need to be replaced. Remove the bonnet nut, which looks like a big ring. If it’s too tight to unscrew and remove by hand, give it a little help by using a crescent wrench. With the bonnet nut removed you can pull the stem straight up and out of the faucet setting. Remove the remaining spring using an Allen Wrench. Replace the seats and springs. Also replace the stem assemblies in both faucets of a double-handled fixture.
When the leak is coming from the handle, remove the handle and tighten the bonnet nut. If this does not solve the problem, it may be time to replace the stem beneath the bonnet nut. Or it could be a good excuse to upgrade your sink fixtures.
For more serious faucet leaks or reoccurring leaks, contact a plumbing professional in your area.
