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DIY Guide to Get your Tap Leak Fixed

By Scott Rodgers

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 28Feb2009
Word count: 540
Viewed: 445 time(s)

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The sound of water dripping from a leaking tap is annoying at the least. And apart from wasting water, it can also disturb your sleep especially in winters. Still, people have become so lazy and such misers that they usually spend a good number of days before they think about fixing the tap. While it's understandable that hiring a professional plumber in these hard economic times may be a burden on your pockets, but it's pretty simple if you want to do it yourself.

First of all, shut off the water supply so that you won't get soaked when you open the joints. Try to get an illustrated diagram of the tap and look at it carefully to under the system. A good number of faucet manufacturers provide illustrative diagrams online or may send upon email contact with them. In case you don't have access to any such diagram, then disassemble the tap and keep all parts separate in their respective order of disassembly. This will help you install the tap quickly later. Else, you may later get confused about which part should come first.

For this article, we will be focusing on repair of compression faucets. There are typically two handles in these faucets. Let's first consider the case when the leak is actually in the handle. To begin with, it's wise to block the sink stopper so that screws or other small components won't accidentally fall into the drain. Then, you will have to remove the cap of the handle. Afterward, open up the screw inside and take off the handle. You can insert a screwdriver beneath the handle and push it upwards a bit to make this removal easier. However, make sure that you wrap some tape around the screwdriver to avoid any scratches around the base of the handle. In most cases, a leak inside the handle is caused due to loosening of the packing nut inside. If that's the case, then tighten this nut using a wrench. Now turn on the water supply and see if the leakage has stopped or not. If you still find water leaking from the handle, the problem is probably with the O-ring. Open the packing nut and replace the old O-ring with a new one. This would ultimately stop the leakage if it's originating from the handle.

Now if the leakage is in the spout, you will need to disassemble that. Take off the screw from the stem. You will find a washer there. Most probably, this washer might have torn out with time so replacing it with a new one may solve the problem. But while you are at it, it would be a good idea to slip in some abrasive pad into the valve and clean it from the inside. You can also insert your finger there to see if the surface is rough anywhere, which usually indicates some damage.

Though it is not that difficult to repair a leaking tap, anyone doing it for the first time can mess up with the job. So prior to starting this task, keep some plumber's contact info with you, so you can call him in case of an emergency.

Scott Rodgers is a master plumber who has recently begun writing articles for both a plumbing and non-plumbing audience. To view more of plumbing articles, visit http://eLocalPlumbers.com

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