Tossing your faucet simply since it is leaky is wasteful and
costly. Lots of brass, steel, silicone, chrome-plated plastic, and die-cast zinc
annually end up in land fills because faucets are old and have reached completion of their life
expectancies. However many other lots are
unnecessarily discarded due to leaks that house
owners did not believe could be repaired.
Hanging onto a leaky faucet is pricey, too. The United States
Environmental Protection Agency approximates that the average U.S.
family wastes 9,400 gallons of water each year from
home leaks. This is enough to run 300 loads of laundry. Leaks alone account
for almost one trillion gallons of wasted water across the U.S. annually.

Water is an increasingly diminishing resource.
Given that the month-to-month cost of water for
an average U.S. household increased by 52% from 2010 to 2017, this is a
pushing problem that exceeds just a matter of an irritating drip in the evening.
Become part of the solution by repairing your own leaky faucet, both
for your own sake and for the good of the earth. This article will assist you
fix any of the four a lot of standard types of
household faucets. It might be much easier than you
expect, and it typically will be less costly than purchasing a new faucet.
Before You Start Your Repair
Faucet repair uses reasonably few tools, many of which you may currently have on hand. Before you start
your repair, you will wish to have all tools and materials nearby.
Tools and Materials
Screwdrivers
Allen Wrenches (Hex Wrenches).
Pliers.
Channellock-Style Pliers.
Bucket.
Clean Towel.
Clean Plastic Bin.
Egg Carton, Optional (ideally Styrofoam).

Duct Tape.
Distilled Vinegar.
Numerous Cleaning Implements: Q-Tip, Scouring Pad, Cloth
Rags, Old Tooth Brush.
Plumber's Grease.
Utility Knife.
Parts Specific to Your Kind Of Faucet.
Preparation and Shut-Down Procedures.
Shut Water Off: Shut down water at the faucet.
Location Pail: Put container below sink, near the supply of water lines. This will collect drips after you disconnect the
supply lines.
Disconnect Water: Turn off the two water system lines
under the sink (hot and cold). Disconnect supply of water valve
to sink under the cabinet. Let water drain into container.
Close Drain: Close with stopper. Make sure that no parts fall down the sink by
sealing the sink drain with a few strips of duct tape.
Safeguard Fixtures: Apply duct tape to plier jaws to avoid
scratching components. One great recommendation is
to cut off the fingers from an old pair of gloves and slip the fingers onto the plier jaws. For the
ultimate in protection, purchase soft-jaw pliers at your local hardware
store.4.

Prepare Collection Area: Set out bin, towel, and optional egg container beside
sink to assist in parts removal. Styrofoam egg containers work best,
given that they are not affected by water.
Prepare Cleaning Items: Location distilled vinegar and cleaning
implements near bin to remove mineral deposits on parts.
How to Repair Leaky Compression Faucets.
The simplest and oldest type of faucet, the compression faucet is
distinguished by its different cold and hot controls which
need you to turn them clockwise to shut off the water.
Time Allotted: thirty minutes.
Tools and Materials: Channellock-type pliers; flat-head and Phillips screwdrivers; replacement
washer; plumber's grease; O-ring (optional).
Get rid of the faucet handles with pliers and flat-head screwdriver.
Remove the screw that attaches the handles to the valve stem with your
Phillips head screwdriver.
Pull the handle up to remove it.
Get rid of valve stem assembly cover, then get rid of the assembly
itself.
With your soft pliers or wrench, get rid of the hex-nut area of the valve stem
assembly by turning nut counter-clockwise.
Unscrew the hex nut the rest of the way and remove.
Find the stem washer, which will be found at the bottom of the valve assembly. It
might be worn down and in need of replacement.
Get rid of brass screw protecting the stem washer in place.

Clean the washer holder location with vinegar and tooth brush to eliminate mineral deposits.
Eliminate old washer and utilize this as your model for when you go to the
shop for a replacement. If the O-ring appeared to be worn, you can change this as
well.
Reassemble: press the new washer into valve seat, then attach with the
brass screw and the brand-new or existing O-ring.
Coat with plumber's grease.
Reassemble rest of faucet assembly.
How to Repair Ceramic Disk Faucets.
Double-control ceramic disk faucets have different cold and hot controls. The
device that begins and stops water flow is a cartridge
containing a pair of extremely refined ceramic
disks. In some cases, only one side of this assembly might be
dripping. Test this out by alternately turning off the
supply of water listed below the sink to see which side is
failing.
Time Allotted: 45 minutes.
Tools and Materials: Pliers; flat-head screwdriver; replacement cartridges; plumber's grease; O-
ring (optional).
Open the plastic or metal cover plate that covers the handles.
The faucet body is secured to the cartridge typically by a Phillips
head screw, though in some cases by an Allen screw. Eliminate the
fastener and separate the faucet body from the cartridge stem.

Eliminate the locking nut with Channellock-type pliers. In some models, you
might likewise discover a brass screw on top of the cartridge. If so, remove it and hold
onto it, as you might require it when you set up the brand-new cartridge.
Slide out the retaining clip (or locking ring) with pliers, then lift out the cartridge. Take the old
cartridge to a hardware store for a specific replacement.
Soak staying parts in vinegar, then brush off to get rid of deposits.
Reassemble the faucet in reverse. If you saved the brass screw from earlier and it is needed,
install this now.
Switch on your water system. Evaluate the system
for leaks.
How to Fix Single Cartridge (Sleeve) Faucets.
Cartridge faucets, often found in kitchen areas,
generally have a single lever that fulfills a large,
cylindrical base. The lever brings up to start the water circulation. Side to
side motion controls the hot and cold functions. The optional one-
for-one replacement of the self-contained cartridge means less fussing with
little parts.

Time Allotted: 45 minutes.
Tools and Materials: Allen wrenches; screwdrivers; Channellock-style pliers;
cleansing supplies; replacement cartridge (optional, if existing cartridge can
not be cleaned).
With your Allen wrenches, unscrew and loosen up the set screw, then remove the handle.

Lift the decorative cap straight off. These are typically
fragile, so beware. Use your hands, not pliers.
With pliers, carefully pry the cartridge loose and remove further by
hand. The cartridge will have seals on the bottom that you can pry out with the flat-head screwdriver.
With your cleansing implements, clean the seals and the location where the seals rest. To
do this, soak in vinegar and brush off deposits with a Q-tip or old toothbrush. If the
deposits do not free easily, purchase a new cartridge.
With your screwdriver, get rid of the O-ring from the faucet, coat with
plumbing's grease by hand, then re-install in the faucet body.
Replace the cleaned old cartridge or new cartridge, tightening up with
the Channellock pliers.
Carefully replace the decorative cap.
Re-install handle, tightening up the set screw with the Allen wrenches.910.
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