A dripping faucet can put a strain on your monthly water bills, not to mention extremely annoying during the night. A constant drip needs to be fixed quickly, or the consequences could easily range from slight annoyance to heavy water waste and high bills. Homeowners can usually fix a dripping tap by themselves, but sometimes it becomes impossible to fix a leak when you don’t realize the real problem behind it.
So, here are 4 reasons why your faucet might be leaking-
Water Pressure: Your home might have high water pressure. High water pressure can prevent water from flowing away, eventually leading it to drip from faucets or toilet tanks. This may not be an urgent issue, but it needs to be investigated when there is continual faucet leaking.
Damaged Plumbing: Parts damaged within a faucet system is a very common reason for a leak. Damaged plumbing is a sign that you might need to replace the washer inside your faucet tap. Does your home have a compression faucet? The seals are likely to damage over time since they undergo tremendous amounts of water pressure daily. Other types of faucets like cartridge, drip, or ball faucets face issues due to moving parts such as seals or O-rings.
Corroded Valve Seat: A valve seat connects the faucet and spout as part of its compression mechanism. Over time, water sediments accumulate, causing the valve seat area to corrode and lead to a slow leaky faucet. This corrosion causes leakage around the spout.
Regular maintenance and inspections from a plumber can prevent your valve seat and other working parts of the faucet from this type of damage.
Loose Parts: Innumerable components go into the functioning of a sink and faucet. With time, certain parts become loose and may require tightening. It is essential to make periodical adjustments. For instance, if the base is continually leaking, you might need to replace the seals and springs.
While tightening the loose parts, it is important to take a few precautions:
1. Shut the water supply by turning the handle under the sink
2. Plug the drain with a sink plug or a piece of cloth so nothing slips down the hole.
3. Remove decorative parts from the handles and check that all the screws are tight.
There can be quite a few reasons why your faucet is dripping. Some may be DIY projects that one can take care of alone, while others may require the professional assistance of a plumber. It is imperative to quickly tackle your dripping faucet or be subjected to high water bills and the guilt of abnormal water wastage.
