Being a homeowner, any problems that happen at home are your responsibility to fix. And while some might require the assistance of a professional to take care of, there are plenty of issues that might arise that you can likely handle all on your own.
For homeowners that have noticed that they have a faucet that’s been leaking, here are three things to try to fix it yourself before you call in a professional plumber to repair that leaking tap for you.
Try Determining What Type Of Faucet You Have
The very first thing you’ll have to do before you even attempt to start repairing a leaky faucet is to identify what type of faucet you have. Different faucets are going to require different parts or processes for fixing leaks. So until you know what type of faucet you’re working with, you can’t hope to make any kind of lasting repair.
Some of the most common domestic faucets and one that you might have in your home include a cartridge faucet, a compression faucet, a ceramic disc faucet, or a ball-type faucet. If you’re not sure which type you have based solely on the name, you can do a quick online search to see what the images of each type of faucet look like to help you determine the type of faucet you have and what you’ll need to repair any leaks.
Replace The Washer And O-Ring
Regardless of the type of faucet you have, one of the most common issues that can cause a faucet to leak is a bad o-ring. Knowing this, replacing the o-ring should be one of the first things you try when trying to fix your own leaky faucet.
When attempting to replace the washer and the o-ring on your faucet, make sure the replacement you get is an exact match for the faucet you have. Otherwise, you could make a small leak much worse than before. If you don’t know how to tell if the product you’re getting is an exact match on your own, take your faucet and o-ring to a hardware store and ask an employee there to help you find the exact match you need.
Check The Diverter Valve
If it’s not the o-ring that’s causing your faucet to leak, you may want to check the diverter valve.
Faucets that have a sprayer attachment will have a diverter valve. If this part is causing the leak, you can first try just cleaning off the diverter valve and then replacing it back where it was. But if this doesn’t work, you might have to do a much deeper clean of your faucet or look at a whole part replacement.
If you have a leaky faucet that you’re wanting to try to fix yourself, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you troubleshoot the problem and find the solution.