No Need for a Plumber! Fix a Leaky Faucet By Yourself!
Kaye Fretz
It's just about time you learn how to fix a leaky faucet if you constantly experience having to wake up in the middle of the night to the irritating noise of drip, drip, drip from a leaky faucet. By doing so, you will eliminate the need for a plumber, and consequently, high plumbing costs. And of course, the best part is, no more sleepless nights.
You can fix a leaky faucet by yourself, without the need of a plumber. And to show you exactly how to do that, this article will enumerate simple to follow and easy to understand steps.
Here are just some of the basic materials and tools you will need:
- Screwdriver - Washers
Before You Start
1. Turn off the water supply. Look under your sink and search the pipes for a shutoff valve. Once you locate it, turn its handles counter-clockwise to shut it off.
2. Always keep a collection of replacement parts like washers and O-rings handy. This is to save you from time in looking for one.
3. Make sure to plug down the drain (maybe with rags). This is to avoid having small parts like screws and washers go down the drain.
4. While working, line up the parts according to the order it was taken apart. This will later on guide you in reassembling it correctly.
Begin Working!
1. First, take the faucet handles off. You can do this by using your screwdriver to remove the screw that is holding them on. Once you've removed the screws, lever the handles open using a flathead screwdriver.
2. Once the faucet handles are removed, detach the old washer located behind the handle. Don't worry if there isn't one. Instead, go buy one.
3. With the new washer that you just bought, replace the old washer. Put it where the old washer used to be. Keep in mind that the hole in the washer must be just a little bit bigger than the post where the handle turns.
4. Reassemble the faucet. Put the handle back on to its post and screw it in. Make sure that you do not tighten it too much, as this can damage brass fittings. Just keep it hand-tight.
5. Check if you did the right thing. Turn your water back on by moving the handles of the shut-off valve to the left or clockwise. Remember, righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.
6. There shouldn't be any leaky faucet if everything went well. If not, though, try tightening the screws a wee bit more, or repeat the whole process again. If that still doesn't work, and if all else fails, admit defeat and call a plumber.
Miscellaneous Tips
When you go to the hardware to buy a washer, ask assistance from the employee available. He or she might be able to suggest to you a specific type of washer that is suited especially for the type of sink you have at home.
Lime build up can be a cause for leaky faucets. If you observe lime build up on your faucet handle post, you can clean it off using lime away products.
There's no need for you to stay awake at night and listen to the annoying noise of a leaky faucet instead of enjoying fitful sleep. Learn to fix a leaky faucet yourself and say goodbye to plumbers, high plumbing costs, and sleepless nights.
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