How to Fix a Leaky Faucet?

Answer 1

Many people have gone through a time where they turned on the faucet and water poured onto the counter. This is an easy thing to fix and should not require a professional. You will save time, money, and water by doing the entire project on your own.

The first thing to do is take apart the faucet. You need to completely turn off the water with a valve located under your sink. It may also be good to shut off your hot water heater. Check the faucet to make sure that the water is actually turned off before doing anything else. You can take the handle off and then loosen the screw at the center of that handle, located under the cap. The handle should be taken off of the stem to expose the bottom of it. The packing nut should be seen and turned counter clockwise to get the thread out. Take out anything that was inside that space of the faucet.

To repair it, you should start by replacing the washer with a new one. The new one can be grooved or flat, so it will get rid of dripping. Any home improvement store with help you find the right size and shape. You can also replaced any brass screws that are old. Instructions from a manufacturer will tell you if you need to replace the washer seat and how. You should look inside the faucet for the hole at the center. If the washer seat has a groove, it should be replaced. If there is a hole but no dents, you need to use a seat-dressing tool.

When you are finished with this, you can reassemble. Put in the right washer and make sure it is screwed on tightly. Instructions or a hardware store can help you with installation. You can then put the faucet back together. You simply do everything in reverse from when you took it apart. You rotate the handle clockwise to tighten it, along with the packing nut.

You can now oil the stem with a grease or other lubricant. When water is turned on, the leak should be gone.

Answer 2

How to Fix a Leaky Faucet in the Kitchen

If your Moen kitchen faucet leaks when you turn the water on, you can save money on your plumber's bill by fixing it yourself. Most leaks occur around the base of the faucet. When you turn the water on, it leaks out of the bottom of the faucet and gets into your sink. This type of leak is due to a defective cartridge in the faucet; simply replace the cartridge to fix the leak. Purchase a Moen 1225B cartridge at your local hardware store to do this repair.

The first step to replacing your Moen cartridge is to turn the water off under your kitchen sink. There are two valves one for hot water and one for cold water. Turn both of these valves clockwise to turn them off. Check that the water is turned off by pulling the faucet handle up before doing any more work on the faucet.

Next, remove the faucet handle to get to the cartridge. Pry off the cover by putting a sharp object such as a sharp knife behind it. Put an Allyn wrench into the hole behind the cover and turn the wrench to unscrew the faucet handle. Pull the handle off once it's unscrewed and set it aside.

Remove the adaptor next. First, turn the round part of the faucet, which is called a shroud, to loosen it. Remove the shroud. Use a Phillips head screwdriver to unscrew and remove the adaptor. You may have to hold the adaptor steady with a wrench while unscrewing it.

Remove as many parts of the faucet as necessary to get to the cartridge clip. There may be several plastic pieces that you have to remove; you can do so by turning them with your hand. If a piece is too tight to remove with your hand, use a wrench to loosen it. Once you get to the cartridge clip, pry it off with a screwdriver. Removing the cartridge requires more strength. Put the wrench around it and pull it straight up.

Insert the new cartridge into the faucet, pushing it down with a square tool if necessary. Insert the clip around the cartridge once it's in. Turn the water back on and test the cartridge by pulling it up to turn on the faucet. If water sprays without leaking, the faucet is working properly. Follow the reverse of the steps above to put the faucet back together.