Kitchen Faucet Repairs
Kitchen Faucet Repairs
It’s difficult to imagine anything more frustrating and annoying than the drip, drip, drip of a leaky kitchen faucet. When faced with this frustration, nothing seems more important than stopping the dripping noise and the slow leak of your water-bill dollars.
Basics Kitchen Faucet Repairs
Should you choose to try to fix a leaky kitchen faucet, first examine the faucet closely to determine where the dripping water is coming from. Different repairs are required for leaks around the base of the spout as opposed to those around the end of the spout. Once you determine where the leak originates, turn off the water supply to the faucet. Usually you will find shutoff valves under your kitchen sink. However, if you do not have a shutoff valve under your kitchen sink, you’ll have to close the main water valve to your house. Once you have turned off the water, open the faucet in the center position to release water pressure. Make sure the water is shut off, and then, cover your sink drain holes with strainer baskets or rags so as to avoid losing the smaller parts of the faucet down the drain as you disassemble the faucet. If you are not handy around the house you may also consider hiring a licensed plumber to repair your faucet.
As you remove the parts of the faucet, pay close attention to the order and orientation of those parts as you remove them. A good idea is to use a digital camera or video camera to record each step of this process in case you forget as you go along. For an easier reassembly, be conscientious to set the parts aside in the order you remove them. When you have removed all the parts of the leaky faucet, inspect the interior areas of the valve for bits of deteriorated gaskets and/or mineral deposits. Using a cloth or fine nylon abrasive pad, clean the surface. You can loosen stubborn mineral deposits by soaking them in vinegar. Slow water flow can be caused by plugged holes in the faucet body, so use a small screwdriver or penknife to clean the holes out. Before you replace the worn parts of your kitchen faucet and reassemble it, hold a washcloth over the faucet and open the water shutoff valve slightly as a way to flush out debris that you may have loosened during cleaning and inspection.
Once you have reassembled the faucet, open it to its middle position, gradually open the shutoff valves to turn on the water, and leave the faucet open until water flows freely, thus, removing all air out of the pipe. If water flows at its normal rate, unhindered, you have successfully repaired your kitchen faucet.
Post provided by: Plumbers Marietta GA