How To Remove Decorative Handle From Flush

Plumbing and heating practiced, Richard Trethewey, shows you how to fix a leaky faucet.

At that place are few things more annoying than a leaky faucet. Information technology's a constant reminder that you lot're wasting water, plus the baste, drip, dripping sound is beyond irritating. Don't put up with it—fix it! Repairing a leaky faucet is an easy and cheap project. The central is in knowing how to fix your particular blazon of faucet.

What Causes a Faucet to Drip?

There are four kinds of faucets: cartridge, compression, ceramic disk, and ball type. A compression faucet relies on condom washers to seal the valve seat, which can wear out and need to be replaced. With the other three types of faucets, either the O-ring or neoprene seal that's causing the leak needs to be replaced. Nosotros'll go over each of these fixes in more detail beneath.

How Do You Prepare a Dripping Faucet?

Before you lot start, shut off the water under the sink. Cover the drain with a rag to catch dropped parts, and establish a spot nearby to lay out the parts in the club of their removal. Tape the jaws of your wrench with a layer of duct tape to avoid scratching the fixture, and accept some distilled white vinegar and a soft scouring pad ready for removing any mineral deposits found on the parts.

Faucet Cartridge

How To Fix a Leaky Cartridge Faucet:

Pry off the decorative cap on the handle, remove the handle screw, tilt the handle back, and pull it off.
If in that location's a threaded retaining prune holding the cartridge in place, use needle-nose pliers to remove it, then pull the cartridge straight up.
Remove the spout and cut off the one-time O-rings using a utility knife. Coat the new O-rings with nontoxic, heat-proof plumber'southward grease.
To replace the unabridged cartridge, lucifer the length of the old cartridge with the length of the replacement. Likewise friction match the stalk stop where the handle attaches.

Compression Faucet

How To Fix a Leaky Compression Faucet:

Most leaky compression faucets demand new seat washers. Use a small slotted screwdriver or utility pocketknife to pry off the decorative cap on the handle, exposing the attachment screws.
Apply a screwdriver to remove the handle screw, then pull off the handle.
Use a crescent wrench to unscrew the packing nut and an adjustable wrench to loosen the stalk from the faucet body.
Unscrew the rubber washer from the bottom end of the stem to remove and supercede the seat washer.
Coat the washers with nontoxic, heat-proof plumber's grease.
Popular the stalk out of the packing nut and replace the O-ring, the culprit for leaky handles. O-rings range in size from iii/8 to five/8 inch, so it's crucial to match the exact size of your faucet. Coat the new O-ring with plumber's grease.
The washer sits in a round, recessed deejay called a servant. If the original servant is damaged, grind it flush and install a replacement retainer ring. If your faucet continues to leak, the seat may exist pitted.
Remove the stem and sand the top end of the seat with emery cloth to smooth it out.
If you lot tin can't repair the original seat, replace it with a new one.

Ceramic-disk Faucet

How To Fix a Leaky Ceramic Disk Faucet:

Push the handle back to access the set screw. Remove the screw and lift off the handle.
Remove the escutcheon cap, unscrew the disk cylinder mounting screws, and lift out the cylinder.
With a blunt screwdriver, lift out the neoprene seals from the cylinder. If the seals are damaged, replace them.
Use distilled white vinegar and a soft scouring pad to clean the cylinder openings, so rinse them thoroughly.
Supercede the seals and reassemble the faucet.
Move the handle to the "on" position and plough the water back on slowly—the force of the returning h2o can fracture the ceramic deejay.
If you're replacing the entire cylinder (usually non necessary), set it in place and secure it with the new mounting screws.

Ball-type Faucet

How to Fix a Leaky Faucet Ball-Blazon:

This type of faucet contains a lot of parts, which often makes it difficult to find the crusade of the leak. You can avoid the bedevilment by ownership a replacement kit and putting in all new parts.

Use a pocketknife to pry off the small index cover from the side of the faucet and reveal the hex-head spiral.
Loosen the screw with a hex-central wrench and pull off the faucet handle.
Use adaptable pliers to remove the cap and collar.
Using the special tool included in the faucet-repair kit, loosen the faucet cam and elevator it out, along with the cam washer and the rotating brawl.
Reach into the faucet body with needle-olfactory organ pliers and remove the rubber seats and springs.
Slip a new spring and condom seat onto the tip of a pencil and lower it down into the faucet.
Echo to install the 2d seat and spring.
Reinstall the stainless-steel brawl, making certain to align its keyway with the corresponding tab within the faucet trunk.
On tiptop of the stainless-steel brawl, install a new condom gasket and cam cap.
Marshal the keyway on the cap with the corresponding slot.
Hand-tighten the superlative cap assembly back onto the faucet.
Use a spanner wrench to tighten the nut to provide the proper tension against the stainless-steel brawl.

Looking for help with repairs effectually your home? A habitation warranty may help. Bank check out these in-depth guides from the This Old House Reviews Team:

Best home warranty companies
American Home Shield reviews
AFC Home Order reviews
Select Abode Warranty reviews
Selection Home Warranty reviews