Leaky faucets are among the most common household plumbing issues. We use our faucets every day, hence why leaky faucets are such a prevalent problem, due to all of the wear and tear they’re subjected to. A dripping faucet may seem more mild annoyance than legitimate problem, however, a faucet that won’t stop dripping can end up causing your water bill to skyrocket.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a single dripping faucet with one drip per second can end up wasting thousands of gallons of water a year per household. Additionally, if you have a faucet that won’t stop leaking, this can be indicative of a larger plumbing problem. It’s important to understand what causes faucets to leak in order to save yourself money on your water bill, costly plumbing repairs, and to keep your faucet in good condition.
Common Causes Of Leaky Faucets
There are several common reasons why your faucet keeps dripping, even if you’re sure you’ve turned it off all of the way. Here are some of the most common reasons behind your leaky faucet.
Broken O-Ring
There are many parts to a faucet. The O-ring is a stem screw that is used to hold the handle of your faucet in place. When the O-ring becomes loose or worn out, this can cause the faucet to drip by the handle. This problem occurs with cartridge faucets, which are faucets with valves that control the flow of water that goes into your faucet’s spout. Simply replacing the O-ring is usually enough to resolve this issue.
Loose Screws
It’s common for the screws in your faucet to wear out over time. If your faucet has a jiggly handle and you can turn it in ways you’re not supposed to be able to other than to turn it on, the culprit of your leaky faucet is likely a loose screw somewhere.
Corroded Valve Seat
The valve seat is the connection in your faucet’s compression mechanism that, as the name suggests, the valve seats against. If this is why your faucet keeps dripping water, you may be able to either repair the valve seat or you may need to replace the entire unit. You can avoid valve seat corrosion by cleaning it regularly.
Worn-Out Washers
The washers rest against the valve seat and can cause leaking when they wear out. Your washer could also cause leaking if it either isn’t installed properly or is the wrong size for your faucet. Replacing the washer will typically resolve the problem. If the washer wasn’t installed properly, a professional can show you how to properly install washers.
Water Pressure
If the leak in your faucet isn’t consistent but only happens at certain times, then your home’s water pressure could be to blame.
Do You Need A New Faucet?
If you have a leaky faucet, chances are that you will be able to fix it yourself, unless the repairs necessitate professional assistance. Most of the time, when your faucet won’t stop dripping water, you won’t need to replace it, but rather just need to do a few little repairs, such as tightening screws or replacing parts, like washers. How you do this can vary, depending on the type of faucet that you have.
Different types of faucets have different parts, and ergo, require different methods in order to repair them. Your faucet comes with an instruction manual that you can consult in order to figure out how to fix it. If you don’t have a manual for your faucet or if the problem is more serious, your local plumber will be able to help you.
Do You Have A Leaky Faucet?
S&B Plumbing has extensive experience with all manner of faucet issues, including faucets that won’t stop leaking. There are many different things that can impact your faucets, from hard water to chemical cleaners. When you contact the professionals at S&B Plumbing, you can count on us to be able to figure out what the problem is, as well as to repair or replace it.
You rely on your faucets every day, so when it has an issue, it’s important to have it fixed as soon as possible. Doing so can save you a lot of money in the long run, both on repairs and on your water bill. We provide faucet repairs for both leaky faucets and for other faucet problems. If you have a faucet that won’t stop dripping water, please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about our faucet repair services.