Drip That Cost Money (and it’s not jewelry)

Another one of those common household repairs new homeowners aren’t told about are leaky faucets. These water hazards will waste your money increasing your water bill if left unattended. They’ll also keep you up at night with a constant “drip, drip, drip” into your sink. Let’s look at some DIY ways to fix your leaking faucet.

Determine Where the Leak Comes From

Leaks can come from the handle(s) or at the nozzle end. If water is leaking from the base of the handle, a new O-ring or other seals are needed around the base. If the leak is coming from the nozzle, new seats and springs are needed. You may also have a leak at the water supply line underneath the sink, but if this is the case you’ll want to call a plumber since your main line will need to be shut off.

Step by Step Leaky Faucet Repair

Step 1: Turn off the water supply lines

Underneath your sink you’ll see two different water supply lines. It’s important to find out which line is causing the leak. Start by turning off the cold line, watch the leak, then turn off the hot line. Depending on when the leak stopped you can figure out which side is responsible for the leak. Once both lines are shut off, open the sink nozzle to release any water left in the lines.

Pro tip; Place a towel over the sink outlet so no parts fall down the drain as you take apart the sink.

Step 2: Removing Faucet Handle

This newsletter is outlining the repair for a ball valve faucet. This type of sink will have a single handle controlling the temperature of the water coming out of the nozzle. First, unscrew the handle with either a Phillips head screwdriver or an allen wrench. Oftentimes with these facuet types, the screw used to keep the handle in place will be behind the blue and red label. Once the screw is loose, remove the handle.

Step 3: Remove the Handle Cap & Ball

Once the handle is off, you’ll be able to turn the handle cap counterclockwise to loosen it off the threads. There will now be a thin piece of metal sticking out attached to a ball. You’ll be able to lift up on the thin piece of metal pulling out the rubber washer and ball assembly. Note how the ball was placed in the plumbing as it will have to be put back in the same direction it was sitting.

Step 4: Replacing the Seats and Springs

A leaking faucet with this sink type will often be caused by the seats or springs. Once you pull out the ball, look into the now open plumbing and you’ll see two holes with rubber “seats”. Behind the seats there will be two springs. Your problem is going to be coming from one or both of these seats. Use a thin screwdriver to pick out both seats and springs.

Step 5: Replacing the Seats and Springs

After picking out the old seats and springs, insert the new seats the same way you removed the old ones. Put the ball back in the proper direction so flow isn’t interrupted once everything is back together.

Step 6: Putting the Faucet Back Together

Attach, screw, and twist all the parts back together in the reverse order you removed them. Once all the plumbing is set, turn the water supply lines back on and check for new leaks. If no new leaks, check to see if the old leaks still persist. If so, your problem is coming from another cause. We’ll cover other sink types in future newsletters.

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