Troubleshooting a Leaky Faucet

Today, we put a lot of time and energy into our home's appearance. After all, we know that our home is a representation of who we are and that because of that, we need to always keep it in top shape. Unfortunately, rooms with sinks like the bathroom and kitchen run into problems that make it difficult to look presentable. In fact, leaky faucets are one of the most common problems homeowners are dealt with. Thankfully, though, there are steps that can be taken to correct these issues.

The Cause

Leaky faucets are often times caused because the parts making up the faucet itself is wearing out. Remember, faucets are used all the time at home. From washing your hands to filling up pots with water to cook dinner, we rely on this unit. That is exactly what it should come as no surprise that over time parts of the faucet will need to be replaced in order to prevent or stop a leaky faucet from occurring. In particular, the washers on the compression faucets, or rubber seals as they're sometimes referred to as, are directly faced with the pressure that the water flowing through them causes. This friction is enough to wear out the faucet quite quickly.

Fixing the Issue

To combat this issue of the faucet's equipment wearing out, companies are starting to design faucets that are engineered to solve this specific situation. These newer styles of faucets, such as cartridge, disc and ball faucets, are all made without any washers. Since there are no washers in these faucets, they are less likely to experience dripping. However, even without washers, these types of faucets do contain moving parts. That is why they're made with O-rings to seal off the faucet. Of course these O-rings do not need to be replaced as often as a washer does, but at some point they will need to have new ones put in. When the O-ring needs to be replaced, you will be able to tell because there will be a leak coming from the base of the faucet itself.

The Importance of Fixing a Leak

Overall, though, fixing a leaking faucet can be quite difficult. That's because with faucets there are so many different varieties of the parts you need here. For starters, there are numerous types of seals, valves and cartridges available on the market. With all these kinds of equipment to choose from, it is often hard for inexperienced homeowners to figure out what they need to purchase to get these leaks to stop once and for good. With leaky faucets, time is truly of the essence. If the leak in a faucet is not addressed and tended to right away, this could cause so much damage to the property. In fact, it could cause more damage than the homeowner was currently experiencing. The reason for this is that the constant dripping will end up corroding the fixture itself. That's not all, though. The dripping will also cause staining in the areas all around the faucet. Lastly, a leaky faucet is bad for the home because the water sprouting out can cause damage to everything from the walls to the flooring. When that happens, you will then have to have these parts of the home completely renovated and refurbished.

What to Keep in Mind

While leaky faucets may not sound like a big deal, they definitely are. When this occurs in the home, homeowners will be left with so much damage to handle. That's why it is important that homeowners get to the root of what's causing the leak to begin and then treat and fix it accordingly. Thankfully, many companies offer a home warranty so that when you are faced with this sort of issue you don't have to worry. Instead, you will be completely protected against the unexpected.

Troubleshooting a Leaky Faucet

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