If water is leaking from the tap, you should solve this problem as soon as possible. It could quickly turn into a severe disaster. Leaks easily turn into floods, and not only the apartment owners themselves suffer from them, but also their neighbors below. Therefore, a leaking faucet can make significant adjustments to the family budget of the culprits. If the owner of a faulty tap understands plumbing’s intricacies, he can fix it himself. Otherwise, you should seek help from a specialist. Of course, a professional will do everything faster and better because he has experience and knowledge. In any case, there is no point in delaying repairs.
How to fix a leaking faucet
Before repairing the faucet, you must turn off the water supply. It would help if you took care of a basin or any other container with a volume of about two liters in advance. It will be needed to allow the remaining water in the tap to drain into it. Before repairs, the mixer must be carefully inspected. It happens that the malfunction that caused the repair is easily noticeable. This is typical for mechanical damage, for example, a crack in the mixer body. Most often, the cause of water leakage is the usual wear and tear of the faucet gaskets inside. A sealant can eliminate the leak if the damage (in the form of a chip or crack) is minor. If its value is significant, glue is unnecessary; the mixer should be replaced.
Replacing a worn gasket with a new one when repairing a mixer
If the cause of the water leakage is not found (no visual damage), you first need to replace the internal gasket with a new one. Perhaps it’s because it’s worn out. For this purpose, you should use simple cotton gloves. They are worn on hands to protect chrome bathroom equipment from accidental scratches.
During repairs, the first step is carefully unscrew the nuts from the mixer body. In some models, the nuts are protected using additional housings or decorative covers. After removing the nuts, you should find the rubber gasket. The rubber gasket serves to seal the connections. Its shape and size may vary. Therefore, there is no need to buy a new one in advance without knowing what a damaged one looks like – it’s easy to make a wrong choice. Removing the old one and taking it to the store as a sample for purchase during subsequent repairs is better. Leaking shower repairs Melbourne are affordable and can save you money in the long run by preventing water damage.
There is one rule for the gasket size: it must extend beyond the edges of the faucet. During repairs, the purchased part is placed in place of the removed one, and the nuts are carefully tightened again. They should not be over-tightened. Sometimes, a gasket wears out for this reason and not because its service life has expired.
Replacing a ceramic cartridge when repairing a faucet
If the faucet is built into the sink, repair will be more difficult. There is no rubber gasket in such faucets. Its role is performed by a ceramic part called a cartridge. The function of ceramic cartridges is to provide a 100% seal to the shut-off assembly in the faucet. Procedure for replacing a worn ceramic cartridge with a new one:
- at the beginning of the repair, turn off the tap on the riser;
- then, it would help if you opened the valve so that the remaining water flows out;
- the decorative plug is removed from the mixer using a screwdriver (you need to pry it off);
- a hex screwdriver is inserted into the resulting hole;
- Next, they found locking screw is unscrewed with screwdriver;
- remove the tap;
- open access to the ceramic gasket (to do this, you need to remove the additional protection housing);
- Using an adjustable wrench, you need to unscrew the ceramic cartridge itself carefully;
- replace the worn-out cartridge with a new one, and assemble the faucet in the same order.
- Other types of malfunctions
Indicators for repair are the following situations:
- if the valves do not rotate well (you need to make an effort to open them);
- if water drips when the tap is completely closed;
- if when you open a tap, a buzzing sound appears;
- if there is the weak water pressure in the faucet, although, in other apartments, everything is