Tossing your faucet merely because it is leaking is wasteful and
costly. Lots of brass, steel, silicone, chrome-plated plastic, and die-cast zinc
yearly end up in garbage dumps due to
the fact that faucets are old and have reached the end of their life
expectancies. But many other tons are
unnecessarily disposed of due to leaks that house
owners did not believe could be fixed.
Hanging onto a leaky faucet is expensive, too. The United States
Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the typical U.S.
household wastes 9,400 gallons of water each year from
home leaks. This is enough to run 300 loads of laundry. Leaks alone represent almost one trillion gallons of wasted water throughout the U.S. annually.

Water is an increasingly dwindling resource.
Given that the monthly price of water for
a typical U.S. family increased by 52% from 2010 to 2017, this is a pressing issue that goes beyond just a matter of a bothersome drip during the night.
Become part of the solution by repairing your own dripping faucet, both
for your own sake and for the good of the earth. This short article will assist you
fix any of the four most fundamental kinds of
family faucets. It may be simpler than you
expect, and it normally will be less expensive than acquiring a new faucet.
Before You Start Your Repair
Faucet repair utilizes relatively couple of tools, a number
of which you may already have on hand. Before you begin
your repair, you will want to have all tools and products nearby.
Tools and Products
Screwdrivers
Allen Wrenches (Hex Wrenches).
Pliers.
Channellock-Style Pliers.
Bucket.
Clean Towel.
Clean Plastic Bin.
Egg Container, Optional (ideally Styrofoam).

Duct Tape.
Distilled Vinegar.
Different Cleaning Up Implements: Q-Tip, Scouring Pad, Fabric
Rags, Old Toothbrush.
Plumbing professional's Grease.
Utility Knife.
Components Specific to Your Type of Faucet.
Preparation and Shut-Down Procedures.
Shut Water Off: Shut down water at the faucet.
Place Bucket: Put container listed below sink, near the water system lines. This will gather drips after you detach the
supply lines.
Disconnect Water: Shut down the two water system lines
under the sink (cold and hot). Disconnect supply of water valve
to sink under the cabinet. Let water drain into bucket.
Close Drain: Close with stopper. Make sure that no parts fall down the sink by
sealing the sink drain with a couple of strips of duct tape.
Safeguard Components: Apply duct tape to plier jaws to avoid
scratching fixtures. One great tip is
to cut off the fingers from an old pair of gloves and slip the fingers onto the plier jaws. For the
ultimate in security, purchase soft-jaw pliers at your local hardware
shop.4.

Prepare Collection Area: Set out bin, towel, and optional egg carton next to
sink to aid in parts removal. Styrofoam egg cartons work best,
considering that they are not affected by water.
Prepare Cleaning Items: Location distilled vinegar and cleaning
implements near bin to get rid of 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
require you to turn them clockwise to shut down the water.
Time Allotted: 30 minutes.
Tools and Materials: Channellock-type pliers; flat-head and Phillips screwdrivers; replacement
washer; plumbing professional's grease; O-ring (optional).
Get rid of the faucet handles with pliers and flat-head screwdriver.
Get rid of the screw that attaches the handles to the valve stem with your
Phillips head screwdriver.
Pull the handle up to remove it.
Remove valve stem assembly cover, then eliminate the assembly
itself.
With your soft pliers or wrench, eliminate the hex-nut area of the valve stem
assembly by turning nut counter-clockwise.
Unscrew the hex nut the rest of the way and eliminate.
Locate the stem washer, which will be located at the bottom of the valve assembly. It
may be worn down and in need of replacement.
Get rid of brass screw protecting the stem washer in place.

Clean the washer holder area with vinegar and tooth brush to eliminate mineral deposits.
Get rid of old washer and use this as your model for when you go to the
store for a replacement. If the O-ring appeared to be worn, you can change this as
well.
Reassemble: push the brand-new washer into valve seat, then connect with the
brass screw and the brand-new or existing O-ring.
Coat with plumber's grease.
Reassemble rest of faucet assembly.
How to Fix Ceramic Disk Faucets.
Double-control ceramic disk faucets have separate hot and cold controls. The
gadget that begins and stops water circulation is a cartridge
including a set of highly refined ceramic
disks. In some cases, only one side of this assembly may be
leaking. Test this out by alternately turning off the
supply of water listed below the sink to see which side is
stopping working.
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 protected 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.

Remove the locking nut with Channellock-type pliers. In some models, you
might also discover a brass screw on top of the cartridge. If so, remove it and keep it, as you might need it when you install the brand-new cartridge.
Slide out the retaining clip (or locking ring) with pliers, then raise out the cartridge. Take the old
cartridge to a hardware shop for a specific replacement.
Soak remaining parts in vinegar, then brush off to eliminate 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. Test the system
for leaks.
How to Fix Single Cartridge (Sleeve) Faucets.
Cartridge faucets, often found in cooking areas,
usually have a single lever that fulfills a large,
cylindrical base. The lever brings up to begin the water flow. Side to
side movement manages the cold and hot functions. The optional one-
for-one replacement of the self-contained cartridge implies less fussing with
little parts.

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

Lift the decorative cap straight off. These are typically
fragile, so beware. Use your hands, not pliers.
With pliers, thoroughly 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, take in vinegar and brush off deposits with a Q-tip or old toothbrush. If the
deposits do not free quickly, purchase a new cartridge.
With your screwdriver, get rid of the O-ring from the faucet, coat with
plumber's grease by hand, then re-install in the faucet body.
Replace the cleaned old cartridge or brand-new cartridge, tightening with
the Channellock pliers.
Gently replace the decorative cap.
Re-install handle, tightening up the set screw with the Allen wrenches.910.
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