How to Change a Faucet Washer

If you have a leaky faucet, you may have heard that changing the faucet washer will stop the leak. Information technology's certainly worth a endeavor and is a relatively simple chore. The first footstep in how to change a faucet washer is to determine if your faucet really has a washer. The majority of new faucets today are so-called washerless faucets. A compression faucet is the simply type of faucet that uses a neoprene washer.

How to Identify a Compression H2o Faucet

Compression water faucets are an older style faucet. They can be installed in the kitchen, at the bathroom sink, or in the bathtub. You tin can place a compression washer faucet past the separate hot and cold water handles and their action requiring you to tighten the handles down to close off the water flow. These faucets piece of work by using a compression stalk which is sort of like a screw with a washer at the cease of it that presses down on the valve seat. Only considering your faucet has two handles doesn't mean it's a compression faucet.

There are double handle cartridge faucets that are newer. The way to tell the divergence is that with the cartridge faucet, half a turn on a handle is all it takes to turn the water on or off. With a pinch faucet, you take to use actress effort to turn it on or off, often requiring more than than one full turn of the handle.

Pace By Step Directions to Alter a Faucet Washer

So now that you've identified your faucet as a compression faucet, information technology's fourth dimension to come across if changing the washer will fix your leaky faucet. You might also supplant some other role, called the O-ring, at the same time, as you are going to be taking the faucet apart and reassembling it. Here are your stride-past-footstep directions:

  1. Turn off the water supply valves. These will exist found on the wall under the sink. For a bathtub, yous may not accept admission to the water supply valves. You may desire to call a plumber.
  2. Turn both of the faucet'due south handles to the "on" position to empty any water from the pipes.
  3. Close the drain or put a textile over information technology to prevent small parts from going downwardly the bleed.
  4. Lay out a towel that you lot tin can place the parts on, in the society in which you removed them. This will brand it easier to reassemble the faucet later.
  5. Remove both handles or knobs by prying off the temperature cap (a plastic piece with H or C) to uncover the spiral. Unscrew the screw, and remove the spiral and the knob or handle.
  6. Removing the knobs or handles will reveal the valve stem. Utilise a wrench to loosen the locking nut. Remove the valve stem.
  7. On the stem, you will come across a screw, and underneath that is the black washer, and underneath that is the white O-ring. Remove them all.
  8. Take the quondam parts to the hardware store then yous get the right replacement parts. Ask someone in the plumbing aisle for assistance, if needed.
  9. Coat the valve stem with plumbers grease and install a new O-ring and washer. Replace the screw.
  10. Supervene upon the valve stem, and reassemble the handles or knobs.
  11. Turn the h2o supply lines dorsum on.
  12. Slowly plough the water on. If there's no leak, yous're done. If water sprays everywhere, or there's withal a leak, either start over or call a local plumber.

Is It Time for a New Faucet?

If you've repaired your faucet multiple times, information technology may be time for a new faucet. Or if you're remodeling, you may desire to put in new faucets to update your bath or kitchen. Do your homework before deciding on what type of faucet to buy. Consider the pros and cons of each, and read the reviews for each type of faucet. And remember that you become what you pay for. Moen and other similar faucets may cost more, but they are amend made and will final longer. Consider calling a plumber to install your new faucets so that everything is upwardly to code.

Phone call Plumbing Past Jake for Plumbing Repair and Installation

Call 928-377-5910 for an emergency plumber 24/7 or during regular business concern hours if information technology's non an emergency. You can employ our contact form to schedule plumbing repair or installation of a water softener organisation for your home or business. At Plumbing Past Jake, we dorsum every repair or installation with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Nosotros serve Kingman, Bullhead City, Aureate Valley, Lake Havasu, and all of Mohave County, Arizona.