Plumber Advice: Repairing Leaky Faucets

Faucets play an important role in your home, and as professional plumbers we know what it takes to keet in good working order. Whenever they start dripping, you may start to wonder why. There are actually several reasons for a leaking faucet, including:

1. Problems with the O ring, which is a small disc that’s attached to the stem screw that holds your faucet’s handle in place. This will become loose or worn out with regular usage causing your faucet to leak near the handle.
2. A corroded valve seat occurs whenever water sediment accumulates there. This valve seat connects the faucet with the spout and so the leakage occurs around the spout.
3. A washer that’s either worn out, improperly installed or the wrong size will cause your faucet to drip. This is quite common because washers are forced against the valve seat, causing both friction and resistance, each time a faucet is turned on.
4. Loose parts (i.e. adjusting ring, packing nuts) within the steam screw may become loose and leak. This will cause your faucet to leak from its handle.
5. A worn out inlet or outlet seal can have sediment accumulate around inside of them and thus become worn out causing your faucet to drip.
6. Broken plumbing may occasionally be due to a broken pipe or broken fittings. This is because whenever your pipes develop cracks this will interfere with your water pressure leading your faucet to occasionally drip.

With so many different things that could lead to a leaking faucet, it’s hard to know for sure what the real issue is. This is why it’s a good idea to have a professional plumber take a look at your leaking faucet and give you their opinion. Only then will you know for sure what the real cause of your leaking faucet is.