How to Fix a Leaky Kitchen Faucet in 5 Easy Steps?

ByRelentlesshome
how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet

Thinking about how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet on your own? Here you can get step by step guides and different types of faucet repair steps. A leaky, dripping faucet is a nightmare for everyone. The constant pop sounds of water droplets hitting the sink are enough to give anyone a headache.

That’s not the only problem as this dripping problem can cost you many water and utility bills. Before you start anything, you need to find the plumbing supplier you can work with. You can find various sizes and types for repair, but you need to find something similar to your faucet. Do not think that you can get every part from the store or in stock before getting started.

So, gather parts before you begin the leaky repair job. The good part is you can easily fix faucets even if you can do it alone. There are affordable pieces that can be replaced in simple five steps of how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet. Read Here: THE BEST KITCHEN FAUCETS – BUYER’S GUIDE AND REVIEWS

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What Causes a Faucet to Drip?

how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet

Constant dripping sound is the most common plumbing problem of faucets. Even this dripping problem can waste three gallons of water a day and if you leave it for a year, imagine how much water you have wasted. So, with a couple of bucks to fix it, you can save water costs. There are many reasons faucets can leak, but it mostly depends on the issue. You can fix the faucet by yourself instead of calling a maintenance specialist, but you should consult with the repairman for significant problems. Some issues are, 

  • Bad O-Ring
  • Worn-Out Cartridge
  • Corroded Valve Seat
  • Worn-Out Washers
  • Water Pressure
  • Loose or Broken Parts

Tools Needed for Repairing a Leaking Faucet

  • C-wrench (adjustable wrench)
  • Screwdrivers (Philips and flat-head)
  • Replacement washers or O-rings
  • Penetrating oil (e.g., WD-40, CRC, etc.)
  • Drain stopper or rag

Here are the step by basic step guide for how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet repairing leaky kitchen faucet, 

Step-1: Turn Off the Water Supply

Before you pull apart your faucet, be sure you turn off the water supply that is supplying it. If you forget to turn off the water supply, then there will be a huge mess of water in time of fixing the faucet. If the faucet you are fixing is a sink faucet the turn off the valves. You can find the turnoff valves directly underneath the inside of the vanity or cabinet.  

There you can find two turn off valves, one for the one and another one for the cold one. You should shut off them both by turning the handles clockwise till they can not turn anymore. Turn on the taps to ensure there is no water coming from the faucet, so you can know that the water flow has been stopped. Now you can go with the how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet steps easily, 

Step-2: Remove the Handle Knob

Operate with a flat head screwdriver to pry off the cap on top of the handle knob. Doing that, you will see the exposed small screw used to mount the handle to the stem. Eject the screw and then pull the handle off the stem.

Step-3: Remove the Stem

Take an adjustable wrench or C-wrench and loosen the packing nut to unveil the stem. The stem will pop right off depending on your faucet’s style and the manufacturer, or you might have to twist it off the valve manually. When the stem is removed, check all the parts for any signs of damage.

Step-4: Replace the O-Rings and Washer

O-ring is a thin rubber ring that is located around the midpoint of the stem. And its washer is positioned at the lower point of the stem. Both of them can be the reason for the leak, so replace them both while you have the stem open. 

When you are replacing those O-rings and washers, make sure that the replacements are correctly fitted. If needed, take the old O-ring and washer to the local hardware store to assist you with the correct size.

Step-5: Reassemble the Faucet

After replacing the o-rings and washer, carefully reassemble all the parts and back the order they are separated. Be careful as you should not overtighten anything as you can have the risk of stripping the threads. Once everything is okay and back to their place, ensure your faucet is in position.

Turn on the water supply valve to check the water supply. Watch the tap to see if there are still any leaks. There are four different types of kitchen faucet you can get. Learn about how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet of 4 types of faucets to know about the repair or restore them, 

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How to Fix a Leaky Cartridge Faucet?

  1. Pull off the decorative cap on the handle, unfasten the handle screw, move the handle back and pull out from the sink. 
  2. Suppose you see any threaded retaining clip that is holding the cartridge in there. Use needle-nose pliers to detach it from there and pull out the cartridge straight up from there.  
  3. Detach the spout and use a utility knife to cut off the old o-rings. After that, coat the new o-rings with nontoxic, heat-resistant plumbers grease.
  4. To exchange the whole cartridge, match the old cartridge’s length with the substitution length. Also, take a similar stem end where the handle attaches.   

How to Fix a Leaky Compression Faucet?

how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet
  1. Most leaky compression faucets require a new seat washer. Ply with a utility knife or a small slotted screwdriver to pull out the handle’s decorative cap, uncover the attachment screws. 
  2. Use a screwdriver to detach the handle screw and then pull out the handle. 
  3. Operate with a crescent wrench to unscrew the packing nut and a wrench to loosen up the faucet body’s stem. 
  4. Unscrew the rubber washer from the stem’s underneath end to pull off and exchange the seat washer.  
  5. Coat the washers with non-toxic and heat-resistant plumbers grease.
  6. Pull out the stem from the packing nut and restore the o-ring to the main problem for leaky faucet handles. O-rings size range will be from ⅜ to ⅝ inch, so it is essential to get your faucet’s exact matching size. Then coat the new o-ring with a thin coat of waterproof plumbers grease after attaching it.
  7. The washer sits in a circular recessed disk named retainer. If the actual retainer is damaged, crush it flush and set up a new replacement retainer ring. Even if your faucet continues to leak, the seat of the faucet might be pitted.
  8. Detach the stem and sand the top end of the seat. Use emery cloth to smooth out the surface. 
  9. If you can not restore the original seat and change it with a new one.   

How to Repair a Leaky Ceramic Disk Faucet?

  1. Thrust the handle back to access the set screw. Eject the screw and lift the handle off.
  2. Detach the escutcheon cap, then unscrew its disk cylinder mounting screws, and pull out the cylinder.
  3. Liftoff the neoprene seals from that cylinder using a blunt screwdriver. Replace the seals if those are damaged.
  4. Use purified white vinegar and a soft cleaning pad to clean the cylinder openings, then rinse them properly.
  5. Change the seals and reconstruct the faucet.
  6. Move its handle to the on position and turn on the water slowly because the force of the water flow can fracture the ceramic disk.
  7. Set the cylinder in place and secure it with new mounting screws.

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How to Fix a Leaky Faucet Ball-Type?

Ball-type faucets have various parts, which makes it complicated to find its leak cause. You can put it stop from getting any worse by buying a replacement kit and using all-new features. Here you can see how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet ball type steps, 

  1. A pocket-knife can be used to lift off the small index cover from the faucet’s side and unveil the hex-head screw.
  2. Lose the screw with a hex-key type wrench, then pull off the faucet handle.
  3. Remove the cap and collar using adjustable pliers.
  4. Use the special tool which came in the faucet-repair kit to loosen the faucet cam and pull it out with the rotating ball and cam washer.
  5. Get into the faucet body with needle-nose pliers and eject the rubber seats and springs with it.
  6. Slide in a new rubber seat, spring onto the tip of a pencil, and lower it below into the faucet. 
  7. Repeat the process to install the second seat and spring.
  8. Install the stainless-steel ball again while also making sure to align its keyway alongside the corresponding tab inside the faucet body.
  9. Install a new rubber gasket and a cam cap on top of the stainless-steel ball.
  10. Line up the keyway on the cap with the corresponding slot.
  11. Tight the top cap using your hand back onto the faucet.
  12. Use a wrench to tighten up the nut to give the proper tension against the stainless-steel ball.

If the faucet is still leaking, there could be a more serious problem like the valve seat being corroded, worn-out seals, or even broken plumbing. If you are unfamiliar with these processes, repairs, and how to fix a leaky kitchen faucet then you should consult with plumbing professionals. 

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