Faucet Repair

Well here is my first attempt at a Home repair post. Today's subject is going to be Faucet Repair! I know, boring right? Even simplistic. It surprises me though, how many people don't have any idea as to where to start. The first thing you want to do is identify the problem. Is the faucet leaking out of the handle? Dripping out of the Spigot? (that's the part where the water is supposed to come out of). Help us if it is spraying out of some other part of the faucet, the only fix is a full replacement. Once you have identified the problem area, believe it or not, the next thing to do is identify the BRAND of faucet you own. This is a very important step for two reasons. Number one is parts are brand specific. However the other will make you lucky home owners very happy. Most brands offer certain parts FREE under warranty replacement, however not all the brands offer free warranty parts right now. Many of the brands will mail you out the parts you need, while others leave a supply of the most commonly needed parts at your local home renovation store. For fastest service, stick to the biggest brands like Moen, or Delta, which can be found just about anywhere that sells plumbing fixtures. Brands like Price Pfister, Kohler and Hansgrohe, while still offering a fantastic product, need you to call in to the 1-800 number to get parts mailed directly to you. Some of the big box stores also sell a "house brand" that they will usually stock parts for as well.

Once you have identified your faucet, you can with confidence go into your local home repair shop, and tell the employee exactly what the problem is, and what kind of faucet you need a part for. The vast majority of problems wind up being that the cartridge inside the handle of the fixture which controls the flow of water is failing. Newer faucets use the cartridge style of control mechanism, which is a plastic cylinder which has rubber and ceramic discs to limit water movement. Older faucets us a full brass mechanism which uses rubber O rings and rubber flat washers. Another version uses the brass cartridges along with a zinc spring with a rubber "seat" which sits on top of the spring and pushes against the bottom of the cartridge. It has a very telling call sign of water dripping from the spigot no matter how tightly you close handle. The other way to see that the cartridge is failing is if the water leaks from the handle itself when you turn the water on and off. If water continues to leak from the handle when you stop moving it, it usually means that the cartridge is well worn. If you, or the home builder, or the previous owner has taken some precautionary steps, you will have an in line shut off valve below the faucet in the cabinet. If not find the main shut off valve near the water meter. Turn the water off. Find another faucet in a different bathroom and turn both the taps on. This alleviates the back pressure of water and lowers the water level inside the pipes under the faucet you are working on. Drain the faucet that needs the repair. There is generally a plastic cap on the top of the faucet handle which you can pop off using a small flat headed screwdriver. Under that cap is a small screw which usually needs a Phillips head screwdriver to remove. Make sure you hold onto the handle while taking the screw out to alleviate any torque on the cartridge or faucet body. Once the screw is out pull the handle off, this may take a little wiggle action if there is a large amount of calcium build up on the cartridge from hard water. Using a pair of pliers, or crescent wrench, loosen the cartridge from the body of the faucet. For single lever faucets, remove the retaining pin, then use pliers to pull the cartridge, or in Delta's case, the stainless steel ball they use for a valve.

Once the cartridge is out, you can either replace the O-rings or seat washer, or change out the entire cartridge for a new one. Quite often replacing the cartridge is the easiest option, as there are several dozen different sizes of O-rings and flat/bevelled seat washers. Replace the handle, the screw and the cap. Turn the water main on, shut off all faucets left on for pressure release, and check for leaks on the faucet you were working on. Try the faucet a few times to make sure everything is running smoothly. Now pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

That wasn't so hard was it? A big thanks to @teedub78, for being the inspiration for this posting. The next few will probably be shorter quick tips on different home repair situations and product information.

Any requests? Please let me know, on Twitter @kulukuku Email coming soon!

Happy Building!