One of the most under-inspected aspects of a home’s structure is the faucet. If these aren’t in good, working condition and kept up regularly, a lot of things can start to go wrong.
A leaky faucet or spigot, for example, can inconvenience many aspects of your life, from disturbing your beauty sleep in the middle of the night to causing your water bill to rack up every month. Here are 6 reasons why this might be happening:
1. The Valve Seat is Corroded
The valve seat is the thing that acts as the connection between the spout and the faucet for compression. Sediments found in tap water can accumulate within the plumbing, which can cause corrosion in the valve seat. This creates all kinds of leaking problems around the spout.
It will be really difficult to clean this yourself, so it is important to contact a professional plumbing service to thoroughly clean the valve seat.
2. There is a Problem with the O Ring
The handle of your sink is held in place by a stem screw that has what is called an O-ring, or a small disk, attached to it. This is the main place that any dripping usually occurs.
After a lot of regular use, which many sinks receive, the O-ring can get worn out or loose, which can allow the faucet to leak around the handle. If this is the problem, a simple O-ring replacement will fix it right up. Look out for this fix specifically with cartridge faucets.
3. A Worn-Out Washer
Another common issue that can cause a dripping faucet is a worn-out washer. Every time you use your sink, the mechanism forces the washer up against the valve seat which creates a constant source of friction, wearing the washer out.
As a result of this, dripping can start to happen around the spout. Worn-out rubber washers can fortunately be easily mended by a quick washer replacement. Compression sinks usually experience this problem.
4. Incorrect Washer Installation
If a washer is the wrong size or if it is installed improperly, it will inevitably lead to leaking. A professional plumber is always recommended in these scenarios to ensure that a new washer is correctly installed. You want to say farewell to that leak, and correct installation is the only solution if it was installed incorrectly.
5. Bad Seal
Many sink designs incorporate inlet seals that allow for the free flow of water when the tap is on. The seal also controls the stop when it is shut. Over time, excessive water pressure, scale, and sediment can damage a seal, which can lead to this issue.
6. Broken Hardware
If some part of the mechanism that is made up of internal hardware that turns the water off and on breaks or malfunctions, this could also lead to a constant drip in your sink.
Read more: How to fix a leak under the kitchen sink
Sick of the Dripping? It’s Time To Fix That Leak
There are various types of sink construction layouts that determine how the water flow and temperature are controlled. Since each are built differently, they each require unique repairs and understanding of how the inner mechanism works. Knowing the type of mechanism that you have will help you diagnose what type of repair it will need.
The three major types of faucets are:
- Rotary Ball
Rotary ball types utilize a rotating hollow ball that lies in a socket, which controls the temperature and water flow. This ball can be stainless steel or plastic. The simple O ring and ball construction allows for quick and easy repairs. - Cartridge
This extremely common style has a handle that can be lifted down and up. On the inside, the design gets a little more complicated with O rings being contained within a cartridge at each end, controlling the temperature and flow of water. - Ceramic Disc
This kind is very similar to cartridge styles, however instead of an O ring these use ceramic discs. These hardly ever need repairing as the discs are much more durable than rubber O rings.
While these repairs may appear simple at first, they are not as easy as they look. The entire assembly needs to be taken into consideration. Otherwise, your earnest maintenance attempt could turn sour. Some people will mistakenly think that their problem could be solved with a quick DIY project, when in fact they end up doing more harm than good and still need to contact a real plumber. If you have water damage and need restoration services, contact ADU today!