Facing leaky kitchen faucet problem? Don’t you know how to solve it? You might be thinking of calling a plumber to solve this little issue. Without having proper knowledge of checking leaky faucets, it will be a daunting task for the first time. If you do it once then it will be a very easy task for you. Naturally, it takes 1 hour to complete the whole checking & resembling task.
EPA has said that due to faucet leakage we are wasting 3,000 gallons of water every year. Which is enough to take 180 peoples showers. So solving this leakage is not only saving your money but also saving our planet. Well, in this article we will show you all the steps of fixing a leaky kitchen faucet within a short time. So stop being annoyed by the droplets of water & solve it on your own.
Tools You Need
- Adjustable wrench
- Washers for replacement
- Penetrating oil
- Screwdriver – flat-headed
- Groove Pliers
- Needle-Nose Plier
- Hammer
- Plumber’s grease
- Hex wrench
Type of Faucet
Compression faucet which has 2 handles for hot & cold water. Gradually it comes from the central spout. To fix a leaky faucet you need to change the washer, O-ring, or the gasket of the valve stem. Valves will be seat inside the faucet.
Ball Faucet has a ball to control the water from the center of water flow. This hollow ball will also control the water temperature from the underneath of the dome assembly. The common replacement of a ball faucet is to replace the O-Ring, seats, or springs. Tight the ring properly & check the adjustment of it.
Ceramic disk faucet has a ceramic disk under its handle. Technically it will be the subtype of cartridge faucet. A series of discs with o-Ring used to regulate the water pressure. Very often you need to repair this type of faucet because of a lifetime guarantee.
Cartridge faucet has a single cartridge at a low range of handle. Here you will find an O-Ring along with the retainer to regulate the water flow & temperature. To stop the leakage problem you need to replace the rings or the clip of retainer. You may need to replace the entire cartridge if it is necessary.
Fixing a Leaky Kitchen Faucet
In the first experiment, you can think that it will be a hard task for you. Just follow our instructions to fix your kitchen faucet leakage. We have given a flexible guideline by which you will be able to identify the problem easily. Follow this guideline step by step.
Learn the design book of your faucet
First of all, you need to read out the faucet design book to know the name of all parts. Without knowing any parts of your faucet you can not set them properly. In the design book, you can see all the pictures by mentioning names & activities. If that book is not available to you then you can search on google. Just put the model number of your faucet on the google search ber & hit enter. You can see a lot of information come in front of you.
There are some common kitchen faucet parts. To make it easy we would like to give you a short description all about those.
Spout – is the past of the outer end from where the stream of water comes out.
O Rings – will stand between spout & handle to tight the seal by its rubber or plastic rings.
Dome Assembly – hides the faucets all mechanical elements to give it a uniform look.
Handle – is the most upper part of your faucet that will regulate the water flow & its temperature.
Turn off the water supply line of faucet
When you are going to work on your faucet leakage you should turn off the water supply line of the kitchen faucet. Turning off the main water supply line will be the best option for you.sometimes we can see that the water line is also connected with the main water supply line. So just turning off the faucet line can overflow the water of your kitchen.
Disengage the handle
Look, here has a cap on the faucet’s handle. It is usually used to cover or hide the screw which is used to hold the handle with the body part of the faucet. Most of the time the manufacturer would like to put on their logo on that cap. Use the flat screwdriver to wedge that cap.pry the cap to the upwards to remove.
Now you need to take the hex wrench for turning all screws. By removing all screw attachment you can easily lift off that handle. Old type handles can be stuck by the mineral buildup. Use a hammer to break the bonds of the handle. Tap it lightly.
Remove the faucet valve
After removing the handle you need to remove the retaining nut or the cooler. Use a wrench to unscrew the pin. With the pliers, you can also pull it off. Depending on the faucet type you can see a pin or collar or any nut for valve insert. While removing the ball faucet valve be careful to unscrew this collar. The loaded spring can be popping out into the drainage.
Replace all rubber components
If you are using the ball valve or cartridge faucet then you can find the rubber gaskets with the inlet holes. Use a well-fitting screwdriver to remove it & replace those. Must find the well matching model for this replacement. These will be available at any kind of hardware store.
Inspect faucets hardware
Ball faucet users can replace all the washers & balls. If you buy the kits of repairing your ball faucet you can find here the extra replacement ball. Cartridge users can feel some cracks or nicks. So it’s time to replace your cartridge.
Reassemble all & test again
After replacing all damaged components you need to reassemble your faucet & check the leakage is permanently goodbye or not. If it works properly then you can start reinstalling the valve. Tight the retaining pin or collar or retaining nut. Now time to set the faucet handle then screw all to hold it tightly. Put the cap to hide the screw.
Verdict
If your compression faucet is still leaking water drops, they have the possibility of a valve seat cracked or nicked. All the components of your faucet are metallic so you should use seat wrench for removing the valve seat of the faucet.
Hope this content will help you to fix a leaky kitchen faucet. After reading all over the content if you think that it will be very daunting for you then you can call a plumber. They will instantly fix this leakage & will take nearly $20 for their servicing.