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Faucet Repair Chantilly

Fixing A Broken Faucet: A Comprehensive Discussion

The anxiety that a leaking faucet makes you suffer is as problematic as the anxiety that a cheating partner brings. That constant ticking sound makes it hard to sleep at night. Moreover, the spillage is very messy. Never settle for less. This applies to your house’s faucet. As soon as it leaks, consider replacing or repairing it right away.

 

So Why Does Damage Happen To A Faucet?

A faucet gets damaged due to a lot of factors. The first is time. Of course, if the faucet has been around for many years (say 10-20 at most), it will get busted sooner or later. Regardless of the type of faucet, its brand, and the material that the manufacturer used for making it, a faucet will only last for 15-20 years on average.

The second factor is water pressure. To stop the water from flowing, the faucet only holds or keeps the water from flowing out. If you can’t picture it, think of a faucet as a dam and the water from the pipe as a river. If the water pressure is too strong for the faucet, it gets damaged because the water pressure loosens the fittings. Normally damage occurs on the knob, o-rings, seat and springs, ball valve, etc.

The third factor is the elements, especially heat and rust. Heat and rust can make the faucet develop cracks on its outer and inner components. Water then goes through these cracks. The cause of leaking is minor at first. However, if left alone, it will eventually wreck the whole faucet system.

 

What Happens If You Don’t Fix A Leaking Faucet?

Increased Water Bills

Since a leaky faucet doesn’t effectively shut off the water flow on your sink, it’s only proper to associate increased water bills with it. The simplest slightest leak can generate an additional $20 on your bills. Twenty dollars isn’t that pricey but accumulate that per day the faucet keeps leaking, and you’ll shake your head in disbelief. Also, aside from money, you are wasting water, which is an insult to 790 million people who don’t have access to an efficient water supply. 

Damaged Sink and Countertop

Kitchen Sink Leaky Faucet

A leaky faucet constantly wets the sink and, sometimes, the countertop. Such constant wetting causes these to develop rust or moss. Such rust or moss damages the sink or countertop by making them more susceptible to denting and cracking. Sometimes, they also cause the sink and countertop to smell.

 

What Is The Fastest Way To Fix A Leaky Faucet?

The fastest way to fix a leaky faucet is to get it replaced. You can do the replacement. However, please call the plumbers if you’re not very familiar. Sometimes, DIY leaky faucet replacement can cause damage on the hose that attaches to the faucet once it’s being installed. Other reasons why you should call for replacement are:

  • the design and construction of the shape make it hard to install
  • avoid a lacking flow of water after installation
  • avoid breaking the faucet during installment
  • avoid the task of finding the right faucet yourself (plumbers already have the best ones in-store)

Still, if you don’t want a faucet replacement service because you don’t want to do the installation process again, go ahead to fix the faucet.

 

How To Fix A Leaky Faucet?

First of all, if a faucet is leaking, don’t immediately assume that it’s busted. The first thing you have to think about is minor complications that might make the faucet look like it’s leaking. For example, it might be that the water line’s pressure is too intense, someone just forgot to close the faucet properly, there’s leaking on the roof that’s directly above the faucet, etc.

If none of the above causes leaking, the culprit is the faucet, and then these are the steps you should do to fix it:

 

Turn The Main Water Line Off

Turn the main water line off before starting. While fixing, what you don’t want to happen is to have a sudden stream of water flowing out after removing the faucet, which comes from the pipe that connects to it. If you don’t do this, not only will reinstalling the faucet be challenging, but you and the whole place will get wet.

 

Remove The Faucet

Faucet Removal

The second step is to remove the faucet. Doing this is case-specific based on the brand and type of faucet you are about to fix. Still, the most common approach is to loosen the screws or the knot that locks and attaches the faucet to the pipe under it.

 

Dismantle the Faucet and Clean Everything 

Dismantle the faucet after detaching it from the pipe. Again, how to dismantle is case-specific and depends on the brand or type of your faucet. Commonly, the first thing to do is to remove the handle or knob from the faucet since it acts as the lock that binds all other components. After removing it, taking the faucet apart will be easy.

After taking the whole faucet apart, clean everything such as valves, inner hoses, ball valve, cam, packing, etc. Why clean anyway? You have to assume that dirt is the reason why the faucet is malfunctioning. After cleaning, assemble the faucet and reattach it to the pipe to see if there’s no leaking anymore.

 

Replace the Parts

Faucet Parts Replacement

If the leaking persists even after you have cleaned the faucet’s components, dismantle it again and check for defects on the components. The part of the faucet that commonly suffers from damage is the gasket. When damaged, the gasket shrinks or becomes thin. You can buy a gasket online or in break-and-mortar stores. Bring a sample for size reference.

 

Conclusion

To repair a faucet by yourself is easy. However, it’s best if you call our faucet repair Chantilly service. We have all the expertise and the essential parts for making your faucet work again. Furthermore, we do everything safely and quietly so that we won’t bother your living space while we’re working. Ring our customer hotline now because we’re waiting.