There are a number of ways to treat a leaky faucet—but what’s the best way to fix a leaky faucet? In this blog post we’ll delve—head first—into how to deal with a leaky faucet and stop that incessant, anger-inducing, might-as-well-be-being-water-boarded drip.
Fix or Fire your Faucet
The first thing you need to do is decide if you are going to try and fix it—or if you’ll just ditch it. If the faucet is relatively new to your faucet/homeowner relationship then it deserves another chance and you should give it the good ole college try (and perhaps some human-faucet marriage counselling). If this is the last straw in a never-ending story or leaks, jams and the-faucet-needs-fixing-again honey-do lists—then this might be the end of the road for your beloved (or hated) faucet. Keep in mind that there are telltale signs when a faucet reaches near the end of its lifecycle, including: when the aerator threats are shot, when washer and o-ring replacement doesn’t work anymore and if the faucet has cracks/jams/poor flow.
What’s the Best Way to Fix a Leaky Faucet?
So you’ve decided to give your beloved faucet one more whirl? Good for you. Now it is time to fix the leak. But first, you need to assess what type of leak you have in order to know what to change:
Whistle While it Works
If your faucet is whistling—or screeching—while it runs and leaks then you likely need to replace its washers (these are in older faucets). You can generally find them at most home-improvement stores.
Spitting
Should you faucet be spitting, spurting or otherwise not be free-flowing, in addition to leaking, then you likely have a clogged aerator. The most common culprit is lime and mineral stains so take the aerator off and soak it in CLR until it clears up.
Good Ole-Fashioned Leak
For a good ole-fashioned leak that simply needs good ole-fashioned correcting, then try the following:
- Shut off the water then unscrew and remove the faucet’s handle.
- Check the faucet assembly by twisting-out the stern/spindle (turn it in the same direction you’d turn the faucet).
- Check the washers, screw and stem and see if any of them are damaged and need replacing.
- Replace the offending part with an exact match.
- Then reinstall the assembly by reversing the disassembling you did.
- Turn the water back on and check for leaks.
If that doesn’t work—call Hayes Plumbing.
We hope the above helped solved your leaky faucet issue, but if not Hayes has your back so give us a call and we can send one of our experienced plumbers out to help.
