Having a faulty faucet can be a major headache in the kitchen. It means that you do not have a clean water supply. Washing utensils in your sink can also be a major challenge for people who enjoy cooking fresh meals at home. The tricky task in repairing your blocked faucet or replacing it with a new one is disconnecting it from the connecting water pipe. You will encounter corroded joints that can make it challenging to loosen the nuts. Rust can also lead to the breakage of bolts and nuts, which can be expensive to replace. Otherwise, if you have overcome this hurdle, you will be washing under a new kitchen faucet in less than an hour. Let’s take you through easy steps to troubleshoot and repair a faulty faucet.
Locate the Leak
Whether you are a professional plumber or a do-it-yourself (DIY) enthusiast, you will have a hard time repairing plumping if you do not know the source of the leak. Therefore, to handle a project successfully, the first thing that you should do is to identify where the problem is before you start dismantling the entire faucet. Leaks will either occur at the base of the spout or at the end. Each location will require a different approach and tools to be able to correct professionally in a short time.
Turn Off the Water Supply
After identifying the problem, shut off the valve under the sink before loosening any nuts. This will prevent water from gushing in your kitchen and causing an even greater problem. If the valves are faulty or weren’t installed under your kitchen, the alternative is to cut the water supply by closing the main water valve. Most are outdoors so look for it at home.
Once you have disconnected the water, open the faucet slowly from the center to release water pressure. Confirm that you have shut off the water completely before processing to the next step. In addition, you should cover all the drain holes with a stopper or piece of cloth to prevent small parts from going down the drain and causing a blockage. Our kitchen remodeling guide provides other tips that can be of help.
Carefully Disassemble the Faucet
Once you detach the faucet, disassemble its parts using the appropriate tools. Being your first time repairing a faucet, you need to note the order and orientation of parts carefully. Arrange them on the surface in the order you removed them. It will make it easier to assemble back. If you have a phone, you can also take still photographs of your water faucet as you are dismantling its system. These provide quick references during assembly. It also minimizes the risk of you making an incorrect decision.
Clean the Parts
Inspect each part that you removed from the water faucet and the interior of the valve for corrosion or dirt deposits. Soak the parts in vinegar, and using a clean cloth or abrasive pad. Clean each piece to remove mineral deposits before assembly. Use slow-flowing water to clean the faucet’s body.
Replace Worn-out Parts
A major mistake that most people make is to re-install worn-out parts that cause a problem down the line. Do not make the same mistake. To do a professional job, you should replace all worn and corroded parts from the water faucet to prevent failure after reassembling. Also, flush out debris that might be stuck in the shutoff valve or may have entered when disassembling. Tighten the base of the faucet back on the sink. Follow these tips to protect your countertop while doing such repairs.
Release Locked Air
Once you have reassembled the faucet, you might notice that water is no longer flowing or is flowing at low pressure. If this is the case, you might have an airlock that needs clearance to restore normal function. To solve this problem after re-assembling the faucet, you should open the faucet halfway, then slowly open the shutoff valves. Allow water to flow out until it flows freely after all the air locked in the pipes is out.
Next time your faucet misbehaves, you don’t need to call your plumber. Try to fix it yourself first to save money. A new faucet usually comes with an instruction manual and would be easy to follow the installation procedure. Otherwise, when it comes to repairing your existing one, this article will help you out. You should check for the source of a leak. Shut off the source of water and remove the faucet. Clean, repair, or replace worn-out parts before reinstalling them and then release airlocks, if present. The video that we have shared below covers the steps in detail.
We have also shared tips on how to upgrade your kitchen design and make your home kitchen look spacious. Check them out as well.