Sudden dripping from your faucet
Wow! What next? You just got the drain unclogged and flowing again, now the faucet keeps dripping, or more like a steady trickle. Do you just ignore it, or do you need to call a plumber for faucet repair?
Let’s get some answers to questions about faucets dripping, faucet repair, and what happens if you don’t have a faucet repaired, starting with the question that you have probably asked yourself before:
Why is my faucet dripping?
Faucets are an important part of your day, and not just at home. Every time you got to the restroom at work and wash your hands. You go to a restaurant, everyone that has anything to do with your meal will have used a faucet more than once that day.
Faucet repair is a necessary thing to keep faucets operating correctly. When a faucet is left to drip or leak, at night it can disrupt your slip, all day and all night it is running your water bill up. The areas that are generally the cause of a leaky faucet are:
- The O Ring
- The Valve Seat
- The Washer
What causes dripping taps?
A dripping tap is an indication that the tap washer should be renewed. If left unrepaired, it can cause the valve seating to be damaged. If your faucet set up is a mixer nozzle, there are two tap washers, and both should be renewed.
Is a leaky faucet dangerous?
A leaky faucet is annoying with its constant dripping, not to mention the dangers that it can create. Four of those dangers are as follows, which also are faucet repair benefits you will reap with getting faucet repair done:
The Water Waste
Being eco-friendly may not be a focus for you, but as a responsible homeowner, you can take some steps toward conservation not only for the Earth but for your own sake, the water bill. If your faucet drips 4,000 per day, that is one liter of water. A faucet repair helps the Earth and saves you money.
Mildew to Mold
When you ignore faucet repair, a leaky faucet can result in mildew and mold developing, which will spread throughout your home. Mildew and mold are unattractive, but most of all, they are dangerous to the household’s health. As soon as you notice a musty odor or dark patches, check for leaks around and under all the faucets.
Moisture Leads to Rust
Metal and moisture aren’t a good combination and when metal is exposed to a surplus of moisture will create rust on the pipe, exterior and interior. That rust will travel through the lines, into your drinking water and over time, clog the faucet valves. The rust will weaken the pipes, the more leaks will develop, and pipes could burst.
Rot Spreads
Not when you avoid faucet repair for a leaky faucet, it will create rust on metal and weaken pipes, but the moisture will get cabinets, countertops, floors, any wooden surface. Those things will begin to rot and warp, wooden shelves will weaken, unable to support anything you place on it.
How much does it cost to fix a leaky faucet?
On average, nationally faucet repair costs start around $65 and can be $150 or more. The nature of the leak, the work required to do the faucet repair can affect the pricing. The steps that we mentioned earlier could prevent having to call a professional plumber by doing the work yourself. Sometimes you may have to decide to do faucet repair or replace is financially the best thing to do.
How do you repair a faucet?
Knowing how to faucet repair yourself as a homeowner can save you a lot of money. Here are some of the basic plumbing issues that you may be faced with:
The O Ring
The faucet handle is held in place with a stem screw that has a small disc connected. That disk is called an O ring, and it has an integral part of keeping a faucet from dripping or leaking. Once this faucet repair has been completed, it could very well be the culprit.
The Valve Seat
Between the faucet and the spout is the valve seat that connects them in the compression mechanism. Sediment in the water accumulates there and corrodes the valve seat, keeping it from seating and thus water leaks around the spout. The faucet repair for this can be as simple as removing the valve seat and cleaning it with light sandpaper. Sometimes it needs to be replaced.
Washer
Next to the O ring, a rubber washer is a common cause of faucets dripping or leaking that requires faucet repair. Each time the faucet is turned on, the rubber washer forces against the valve seat, creating friction. That friction wears the rubber washer out. Over time, the rubber washer wears out, allowing water to escape around it and leak around the faucet. Sometimes, when the rubber washer has been replaced, if it is not the right size or installed wrong, the water will keep leaking around the faucet.
Signs for Repair
The following are signs that you need faucet repair sooner than later:
- Dripping water is obvious. You hear it all night. Water damage is apparent by dark spots, mildew and mold growth.
- Damaged Components as we’ve covered in this article are the O ring, seat valve, and washer.
- Turn the water on and it spits from the faucet.
- Sounds from the faucet like clanging and high-pitched squeal.
- Mineral and rust deposits coming out of the faucet.
As we mentioned, faucet repair will not only help the environment by not wasting water but imagine how much water is wasting away each day on your water bill! If remodeling is in the future for your home, request each faucet has its own water valve cutoff for possible future needs. Call 314-348-7503 today for your faucet repair in St Louis, MO.