Dripping faucet? Need a faucet installation? Submit the form on your right and receive plumbing estimates by local professional plumbers.
American standard faucets, Delta faucets or Price Pfister faucets – regardless of brand, your kitchen and bathroom faucets will probably fall under the following types:
The first three types (ball, disc and cartridge) makeup the "washerless faucets" category since they operate without neoprene or rubber washers. Faulty washerless faucet parts result in leaky fixtures. The fourth type (compression) is a basic washer faucet. Worn washer seats will cause compression faucets to leak.
Dripping faucet? Low water pressure? Submit the form on your right and receive plumbing estimates by local plumbers.
Most kitchen faucets are also ball type faucets. Identifiable by their single handles, ball faucet bodies contain plastic or metal balls made from chambers that control hot and cold water flow. Numerous faucet parts make ball type faucets more vulnerable to leaks than other washerless faucets.
Leaking faucet handles occur from improper adjusting-ring tension or worn cam gaskets. Dripping faucets are usually caused by worn spring-loaded, rubber seat assemblies.
Disc faucets are made from single handles over wide cylindrical bodies that contain two ceramic discs which slide over each other to control water flow and mix temperature. Worn discs cause leaky faucets.
Single handle cartridge faucets move up and down to regulate water volume and from side to side to control temperature. Replacing worn cartridges will probably solve leaking cartridge faucets.
The least expensive and most vulnerable to water leaks, compression faucets have separate handles for hot and cold water flow. Each handle contains a valve that opens and closes to let through or stop water flow. The seat washer is located on the base of the valve, and is compressed by the valve to stop water flow. Leaky compression faucets are usually caused by worn seat washers that are impossible to compress and consequently leak out droplets of water.
To Repair Noisy Faucets:
1. Turn off water flow to a washer-type faucet.
2. Disassemble faucet parts.
3. Tighten or replace the washer seat.
4. After situating the stem back into the faucet body, try moving it up and down. If it moves, the stem is worn and an entire faucet replacement is needed.
To Repair Bath and Shower Faucets:
1. Turn off water flow to either your shower or bathtub faucet.
2. Dismantle faucet parts.
3. Your shower or tub faucet may contain a renewable seat that can be smoothed with a seat-dressing tool.
4. Replace a worn, non renewable washer seat using a seat wrench.
Low Water Pressure
When your faucet runs slow, try the following measures to increase low water pressure:
1. Check that under sink supply valves are fully open.
2. Check for a clogged faucet aerator. Unscrew the aerator and clean thoroughly with hot water.
3. Shut off water supply to the faucet. Dissemble faucet parts and clean out any debris lodged inside. Tighten loosen washer seals.
When in doubt simply call your plumber for professional kitchen, shower or tub faucet repair, replacement and installation. You can also submit the form on your right to receive multiple plumbing quotes.
- American Standard
- Barclay Products
- Belle Forêt
- Chicago Faucets
- Delta Faucet Company
- Elements of Design
- Elizabethan Classics
- Fisher Manufacturing
- Franz Viegener
- Fusion Hardware
- Glacier Bay
- Kraus Products
- La Toscana
- LDR Industries
- Newport Brass
- Premier Faucet
- Price Pfister
- St. Thomas Creations
- T & S
- Universal Rundle
- Waste King