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.

As the weather warms and the landscapes turn green, it’s time to do some spring plumbing maintenance! You want to ensure that your plumbing system is in good shape to face spring rain and that the freezing winter temperatures didn’t damage your pipes. We’re all already doing spring cleaning – adding spring plumbing maintenance to that is essential in order to avoid costly repairs. The last thing you want is to have clogged drains and leaky pipes. 

A little spring plumbing maintenance can go a long way to prevent extensive problems and to catch any issues before they get the chance to escalate into major expenses. Here are some helpful spring plumbing tips you can utilize in order to help you stay on top of your plumbing and keep it in good condition. 

#1. Check Your Sump Pumps

Your sump pump is a pump at the lowest point of your home that drains water in order to prevent groundwater from rising to your basement floor’s level. It’s key to preventing flooding, especially in areas that get a lot of snow and rain. If you want to avoid water problems and a potential floor, you’ll want to check your sump pump as part of your spring plumbing maintenance. 

You can do this by pouring a bucket of water into your sump pit. This will raise your float switch and should activate the pump. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to call your local plumbing company to come out and fix it. In addition to testing it, you’ll also need to clean out any debris from the pit that could be blocking its discharge line. 

#2. Check Your Water Heater

Another key component of spring plumbing maintenance is checking for any leaking or corrosion in your water heater. If your water heater is corroding, this indicates that there’s a leak, which can cause it to fail. You’ll want to call your plumber as soon as possible in order to avoid system failure and severe water damage.

You’ll also want to flush your water heater in order to remove any sediment buildup. Draining a few gallons of water can remove buildup that can lead to corrosion. Additionally, you’ll want to turn its temperature down to around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This is so you don’t have scorching hot water that can both hurt you and increase your energy consumption when you don’t need it that hot in the warm months.

#3. Clean Your Gutters And Downspouts

It’s easy for debris such as fallen leaves and pine needles to build up in your gutters over the winter. This can clog them and prevent water from draining off your roof properly. When water gets backed up because of clogged gutters, it can result in leaks and water damage. You also want to ensure that your downspouts are facing away from your home so that they don’t damage its foundation. 

You need water to be able to drain easily and away from your home, otherwise you could end up with floods, leaks, and other problems that could have been easily avoided. Cleaning your gutters is an essential part of spring plumbing maintenance.

#4. Test Your Sprinklers

It’s an unfortunate reality that pipes can freeze in the winter. Before you’ll need to rely on them to keep your landscape beautiful, test your sprinklers as part of your spring plumbing maintenance. You want to keep an eye out for leaks and signs of frozen and broken pipes. If you notice anything abnormal, you’ll want to call your plumber to come out and fix it. 

#5. Check Your Water Pressure

Your water pressure can indicate whether or not you have leaks or issues with your pipes or water main. If your water pressure is low, this can be a sign that you have a problem on your hands. You can double check this by checking your water pressure when appliances aren’t running. If it’s low even when it isn’t being used in other areas of your home, you likely need to have repairs done in order to avoid damage.

#6. Be Wary Of Toilet Leaks

Toilet leaks aren’t just annoying; they can also make your water bill skyrocket. Part of your spring plumbing maintenance should be to check your toilets. If you need to hold the handle down for it to flush or if you put food coloring in the toilet’s tank and it ends up in the bowl, they can be signs you have a leak on your hands. Having leaks fixed will save you money and prevent annoyance at fixable issues.

#7. Schedule Spring Plumbing Maintenance

S&B Plumbing offers professional plumbing services. Just like everything else, your plumbing system needs regular maintenance in order to keep running smoothly. Having maintenance done can save you a lot of money in the long run by preventing damage. Contact us today to schedule your spring plumbing maintenance service or for any repairs you need to have done!

Clogged drains are among the most common plumbing problems out there, which necessitates the question: why do your drains get clogged so easily? The inconvenience when your drain gets clogged is not just annoying, but can also result in further issues and damages to your plumbing system. Do your drains get clogged easily? There are several reasons for this. Here’s what you need to know about why your drains get clogged and how you can prevent further clogs from happening in the future. 

Common Causes Of Clogged Drains

Some reasons why your drains get clogged frequently are more common than others. The more common the reason why your drains get clogged, the easier it is to prevent. Needless to say, when your drains get clogged, you’ll want to have it fixed as soon as possible. This isn’t just for your convenience, but also to prevent flooding and other such damages to your property. If your drains get clogged repeatedly, this can be an indicator of more serious problems with your plumbing.

Some of the common reasons why your drains get clogged include:

• Hair

This is one of the most common reasons why your drains get clogged, most frequently seen in bathrooms. Hair can bind with sticky substances down your drains and form blockages. Ensuring that your drains have guards to catch any hair that gets down them and cleaning said guards regularly can go a long way to prevent clogged drains.

• Soap

This comes as a surprise to many. How can soap make your drains get clogged? Isn’t its purpose to clean? Many soaps have fats and greases in them which can then combine with minerals in the water and leave soap scum that can end up clogging your pips. Pressure cleaning and switching your washes can prevent these clogs.

• Dirt

That dirt from our bodies and hands has to go somewhere when we clean ourselves – down the drain. However, excess dirt can build up over time and form clogs. You’ll want to either shake or rinse off any excessive dirt outside, if possible, before cleaning yourself or your clothes inside.

• Food Waste

Your garbage disposal is wonderful for getting rid of many things, however, there are some foods that just won’t break down or that will otherwise block your pipes, such as coffee grounds and starches. It’s a good rule of thumb that if it can’t be easily ground up into baby food, it shouldn’t go down your drain.

• Fats, Oils, And Grease

This goes along with the above point. It’s a common misconception that since fats, oils, and grease are liquids, it’s safe to pour them down your drains. These solidify, though, which will then block your drains. This is one of the most common reasons why drains get clogged in kitchens especially.

• Mineral Buildup

Minerals in hard water can build up over time, which results in clogs. If your drains get clogged because of this, installing a water softener in your home can resolve this issue.

• Toilet Paper

You know all those advertisements about how you only need a few squares of toilet paper? This applies for your drains too. Too much toilet paper can make your drains get clogged and make it so that you either need to use a plunger or call a plumber to clear the blockage. 

• Tree Roots

Roots in your pipes can block water from getting through them, which can lead to serious issues over time. Even the smallest crack in your pipes can attract roots to grow into them. 

What Happens If You Don’t Fix Clogged Drains?

Some of the reasons why drains get clogged are an easy fix. Most people have plungers they can use for their pipes. Plumber’s snakes can also help. But there are some clogs that are harder to fix, which makes some think maybe they can put off fixing their clogged drains. However, left unchecked, clogged drains can cause sewer blockages, corrosion, flooding, slowed water drainage, and expensive, complex repairs over time.

It’s important to have clogged drains fixed as soon as possible. S & B Plumbing has experienced plumbers who can repair clogged drains. We want to help you keep your plumbing system in the best condition possible. The best way to deal with clogged drains is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. If you are unsure of what you can do to keep your drains from getting clogged, don’t hesitate to contact us. Whether you need advice or repairs, S & B Plumbing is here to help!