don't call a plumber! fix a leaky faucet by yourself! | Home

By KayeFretz
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If you experience waking up in the middle of the night to the irritating noise of drip, drip, drip from a leaky faucet, it's probably high time you learn how to fix a leaky faucet. Doing so will save you the trouble from calling up a plumber, and will save you from getting high plumbing bills.

Why call a plumber when you can do it by yourself? This article will show you how to fix a leaky faucet in simple and easy to understand steps.

Here are some basic tools and materials you will need:

- Screwdriver - Washers

Before You Start

1. Switch off the water supply. Look underneath your sink, maybe along the pipes, for a shutoff valve. Turn the handles counter-clockwise to turn off the water.

2. Always keep a collection of replacement parts like washers and O-rings handy. This is to save you from time in looking for one.

3. Make sure you plug the drain (you can use rags). The worst thing that can happen is when small parts like a screw or washer goes down the drain.

4. As you work, keep in mind the exact order of the parts from the moment it was taken apart and line them up. This will serve as a guide when it's time to reassemble it, so you wouldn't have a hard time tracing what goes in first.

Begin Working!

1. The first thing you should do is remove the faucet handles. For this, you can use your screwdriver to remove the screws that are holding them together. Once the screws are removed, you can easily remove the handles using a flathead screwdriver, or you may have to pry it open.

2. Afterwards, remove the old washer located behind the handle. If there's none available, buy one.

3. With the new washer that you just bought, replace the old washer. Put it where the old washer used to be. Keep in mind that the hole in the washer must be just a little bit bigger than the post where the handle turns.

4. Reconstruct the faucet. Remember to do replace the parts in the opposite order as when you took it apart. Put the handle back to its post and screw it in. In screwing it, make sure that you do not tighten it too much, since this can cause damage to brass fittings. Keep it hand-tight.

5. Check if you did the right thing. Turn your water back on by moving the handles of the shut-off valve to the left or clockwise. Remember, righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.

6. By this time, your faucets shouldn't be leaking. If it still does though, you could choose to repeat the whole process or resolve to tighten the screws just a little bit more. If that still doesn't work, give up and call a plumber. Hey, at least you tried.

Miscellaneous Tips

Upon going to the hardware to purchase a washer, make sure that you ask assistance from the employee. He or she might just know what specific type of washer is needed for sinks, or for the type and brand of sink that you have at home.

If your faucet handle post contains nasty lime build-up, clean it up using lime-away products. Sometimes, lime build-up can be a cause for leaky faucets.

There's no need for you to stay awake at night and listen to the annoying noise of a leaky faucet instead of enjoying fitful sleep. Learn to fix a leaky faucet yourself and say goodbye to plumbers, high plumbing costs, and sleepless nights.

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