It’s the middle of the night, and all you hear is the dripping sound from your bathroom. The dripping seems to appear out of nowhere, disturbing your sleep. Having a leaky faucet can be annoying to hear and see. If the problem persists, you could waste a ton of water and spend extra money on your water bill.
When you have a leaking tap, take care of the problem as soon as possible. Continue reading to learn how to fix your leaky faucet!
Turn off the Water Valve Before you even start working on your leaky faucet, you first need to shut off the water valve. The water line constantly holds water at a pressurized level, and the faucet holds it back. If you fail to turn off the water valve, you'll have a very wet surprise. In most cases, the valve should be located just underneath or behind the sink. Turn it off, and drain the water out of the sink by running the faucet until it's out of water. Remove the Handle or Faucet Head The next thing you need to do is remove the sink handle or the faucet head, whichever one is causing the leak. Oftentimes, these parts are held in place with a small bolt or screw that requires an Allen wrench or Phillips screwdriver to remove. Afterward, you'll want to gently pry the handle or faucet head off with a flathead screwdriver to avoid damaging the piece. Remove and Replace the Cartridge or Gasket Finally, you get to deal with the problem at the source. The faucet cartridge, or faucet stem, is the part that helps regulate the flow of hot and cold water. If your leak lies in your sink's handles, this is likely how you'll fix the matter. Remove the old cartridge with a wrench and replace it with a new one. If the leak is around the faucet head, it's time for a new gasket. This main piece holds the water back in the faucet itself. Replace the gasket and reapply a seal to complete the fix. Stop the Leaking at the Source A leaking faucet is never a good thing, but with these tips and some elbow grease, you can take care of the problem before it worsens. However, you may encounter some problems that an amateur plumber can't handle. If that happens, we're more than happy to lend a hand. Tiger Plumbing is dedicated to providing the best services to our customers, and our top-tier track record proves it. We offer drain cleaning, bathroom renovation, and emergency & general plumbing needs to help you out. Contact us if you’re dealing with a plumbing emergency in Kitchener. We'll be ready to patch that plumbing problem right up!