Town & Country Services - 3 Things to Check on a Leaky Faucet and How to Fix It

A leaky faucet can be a nuisance, wasting water and driving up your bills. Worse, it can cause damage to your fixtures and pipes. Do you want to know how to fix a leaky faucet?

A worn-out washer is one of the most common causes of a leaky faucet. Washers are simple discs that seal between the valve seat and the spout. Over time, they can become worn out, allowing water to seep through.

O-rings are tiny rubber rings that create a seal between moving parts in the faucet. If they become cracked or twisted, they can allow water to leak. Fortunately, replacing an O-ring is just as easy as replacing a washer.

Replacing a washer or an O-ring is a relatively simple process that anyone can do. Just turn off the water supply, remove the handle and escutcheon plate, unscrew the packing nut, and pull out the valve stem. Then replace the washer or the O-ring and reassemble the faucet.

If, after replacing the washer and O-ring, your leaky faucet repair is a failure, it may be due to a problem with the valve seat. The valve seat is the metal surface that the washer seals against but becomes pitted or corroded, causing the washer to leak. To repair a damaged valve seat, remove the handle and escutcheon plate, unscrew the packing nut, and pull out the valve stem. Then use a file or sandpaper to clean up the surface of the seat. Once the seat is smooth, reassemble the faucet.

Leaky faucets in the kitchen, the bathroom, or anywhere can be annoying and costly, but they’re also easy to repair. By troubleshooting common issues like worn-out washers or corroded valves, you can stop that drip for good.

If you can’t find the source of the leak, it may be time to call a plumber.

Call the professionals at Town & Country Services in Tonica at 812-242-0819 or Princeton at 815-872-2200 to diagnose and fix the problem quickly.

Town & Country Services 220 LaSalle Street

Tonica, IL 61370 www.towncountryservices.com/

Copyright © 2022 Shaw Local News Network

Copyright © 2022 Shaw Local News Network