Faucets and Fixtures
Why they leak and what you can do
Every day, we turn our kitchen and bathroom faucets on and off countless times. So when faucet drips and leaks develop it really shouldn’t surprise us—it’s usually a sign that a part has worn out and needs to be replaced.
A dripping or leaking faucet may seem like a minor problem that you can simply ignore, but there are good reasons you should get it fixed. The dripping water will eventually stain your sink and rust your fixtures. Leaks and drips also waste a lot of water—in fact, a faucet that drips 5 times a minute wastes approximately 230 gallons a year!
Repairing faucets. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you may want to tackle a faucet repair. If so, the first step is to determine what type of faucet you have.
- Compression faucets have washers and seals that can fail under constant pressure and can be replaced.
- Disc faucets leak when the inlet and outlet seals wear or when sediment builds up in the faucet inlets.
- Cartridge faucets leak when the O-ring that cushions the cartridge stem wears out or breaks. When they drip it might mean the cartridge needs replacing. Be sure the replacement cartridge matches the original.
- Ball faucets drip when the inlet seals wear and leak when the O-rings wear or break.
If you’re not sure what type of faucet you have or you’re not confident in your plumbing abilities, count on ARS® / Rescue Rooter® to get your leak fixed fast and right. We repair and replace all types of faucets and fixtures, working with professional-grade products and quality consumer brands such as Moen®, Delta® and American Standard.
Contact your local ARS®/Rescue Rooter® home plumbing specialist today for professional faucet repair or new faucet installation.