You feel refreshed looking at your new kitchen. Everything in a place like the way you wanted it, built like you dreamed of. But hey wait all your freshness goes down the drain when you hear that irritating dripping sound.
Yeah, you hear somewhere from the kitchen corner continuously irritating the hell out of you. Well, if you pay a little attention, you will get to know that little drip is coming from that dear faucet of your kitchen sink.
Yes, no matter how good and modern your kitchen is, you are still going to face those leaky and dripping kitchen faucets. Not only do these faucets cause those irritating sounds, but also cause a lot of mess in your kitchen.
Mess on the floor and shelf with the drops of water and make everything slippery. No matter how much you pay attention to everything but still you are still going to face this problem frequently in your life.
So what causes these faucets to leak out, and How to Fix a Leaky Faucet in the Kitchen? This guide is for people like you where we have shared full details about what you should and how to do.
Causes of Faucet Leakage
There could be different causes of faucet leakage, which mainly depends upon the type of faucet. There could be the following causes:
Rubbers of the faucet may wear out
- The O-ring may be damaged
This may cause leakage in a lot of the compression or cartridge faucets. For this, it is better to replace the old with the new one.
- Neoprene seals may need replacing
often the neoprene may wear out. This can happen in many or ceramic disk faucets.
- Corrosion in the valves
Sometimes because of continuous water seepage or because of the material the valves any star to rust which can cause the leakage problem of the faucets.
- Washer Wear
These are made of rubber and almost may cause problems in every type of faucet. Changing the washers is the best solution to the problem.
- OR incorrect installation of the faucets
This is also a big cause which may occur because of lack of experience. In this case, correcting the installation may resolve the problem.
How to detect a Faucet leakage?
Firstly, before you go to fix anything, you need to determine where the leakage is coming from. The leakage could be from 2 areas:
- From the spout
- Or from the base
From Spout
This type of leakage is the most common that we encounter. There is a continuous dripping from the spout when we turn off the tap. First, it is just some drops, but over time if you do not fix this it can become worse.
Not only does it waste water, but it also creates a lot of mess and an all-time puddle in your sink. Now if you want to check if your sink spout is leaking, then the best way is to first completely dry your sink. Then place a cup under the spout and leave it for quite some time. You’ll see that the cup is full of water. IT means your spout has a leakage problem.
From the Base
This type of leakage is not visible but causes leakage from your faucet. This can only be detected when the water tap is running. If you want to detect this one, then turn off the tap first. Dry the sink and the surrounding areas of the base.
Everything should be completely dry. Now turn on the tap and look around the base for any type of seepage problem. You will find out if it is the major cause of your faucet leakage.
Types of Kitchen Faucet
Ball Faucet
As the name shows, this type of faucet is a ball type in which when you look at the anatomy of the faucet you can see a ball joint that controls the water flow.
Cartridge
The cartridge type of faucet comprises a single cartridge under the handle of the faucet. This is the one that controls the water flow, and any problem in it can cause leakage problems.
Ceramic
This one is like the cartridge one, but the difference is that it contains a ceramic disk under the handle. For most of the time in this one, there is some problem with the ceramic disk.
Compression
The compression type is like a 2 in 1 type. It has both cold water and a hot water system. The water comes from the single spout attached. If you have this type of faucet, then mostly the rubber problem is the one you may encounter.
How to fix different kitchen faucets?
Now as we have found out what is causing the leakage and how to detect them. Now let’s see how we can fix it. As for the different faucets, you will need different techniques to fix them. Below are the complete details on how to fix a leaky faucet in the kitchen mentioning different faucet types.
1. How to Fix Leaky Compression Faucet?
- For this first, completely remove the above cap from the faucet with the help of the knife and a screwdriver.
- After that unscrew all the screws with the help of the screwdriver present in the handles and pull off the handle completely.
- Now, with the help of a wrench, unscrew all the packing nuts and loosen the stem from the faucet.
- Now it’s time for the rubber washer to unscrew the rubber washer and the new one.
- You should coat the washer with the non-toxic plumber’s grease.
- Now, after the washer pops out, the stem completely exposes the O-ring. This is also one of the culprits that can cause leakage to form the handles. Now replace it, but be sure to attach the exact size that matches our handles. Otherwise, it can cause problems.
- Another problem could be of retainer that may be damaged. In this case, replace it with a new one.
- But if the faucet is still leaky, then you should check for the seat as it may be pitted. Just smooth it out and it will be good to go. Or if it is damaged, then it is better to replace it with a new one.
2. How to Fix Leaky Cartridge Faucet?
- The first step is to remove the cap for the handle. Then removes the handle screw to completely pull the handle off.
- Now see if any threaded clip is keeping the cartridge in place. If there is any present, then remove it with the help of something pointy. After that, pull the cartridge off completely.
- After removing the spout, check for the O-rings. Mostly in these cases, the O-ring is the culprit. Cut the old ones and change them with new ones. Also, coat them with the nontoxic plumber grease.
- Now if the problem is not fixed then you should go change the whole cartridge as it is the only solution.
- To replace get the exact size like the last one and replace it with the last one. Also, you should check the size of the stem so that the handles can be attached easily without a problem.
3. How to Fix Leaky Ceramic Faucet?
- Again, like the first step, remove the handle cap, screw and remove the handle
- Now you have to remove the cylinder. To do that, remove the escutcheon cap, the disk cylinder screws, and then lift the cylinder.
- Now it’s time to remove the neoprene seals. For that, use a blunt screwdriver and remove the damaged seal from the cylinder. As in these cases, the problem is mostly the neoprene seal.
- Now cleanse the cylinder by using the white vinegar along with a soft pad. After complete cleansing, rinse the cylinder thoroughly.
- After the cleansing and replacing reassemble the faucet back to its original shape.
- You can also replace the whole cylinder if you want. Just install it, like the last one. And beware to get the exact size.
4. How to Fix Leaky Ball-type Faucet?
- Firstly, you need to expose the hex-head screw. For that, you need to remove the index cover that is covering the hex-head screw.
- Now to remove the handle with the help of the wrench loosen the hex-key.
- After that, you need to remove the cap and collar of the handles. For that, you can use the adjustable pliers.
- Now you need to loosen the faucet cam. After that, lift the cam out. Then remove the cam washer and the rotating ball.
- Now with the help of the needle-nose pliers reach into the faucet body and remove the springs and the seats. These are the things that most cause a leakage problem.
- After that with the help of the same needle, replace the old seats and springs with a new one.
- After the first spring and seat are installed, time to install the second one. Repeat the above process and with the help of a needle place the second seat and the spring.
- It is always better to replace the old ball with the new one, as it can also help in resolving the problem. Make sure that the ball is placed correctly and is in alignment with the faucet.
- Install a new cam cap over the steel ball. Yes, we are replacing all parts of the faucet.
- Now, as everything is done, reassemble the faucet back to its original shape.
- It is always recommended to replace all parts of the faucet, and this type contains a lot of the parts, and finding the actual problem that is causing the leakage could be a problem. So it is better to replace all the parts with the new ones so that the problem could be solved efficiently.
How to Fix a Leaky Faucet in the Kitchen – Conclusion
Nobody likes a dripping faucet as not only is it a big amount of waste of water but also it ruins the whole look of your kitchen. Now, as we have explained how to fix a leaky faucet in the kitchen, you do not need to worry.
So get your kits and start working on it. But be sure to know the type of faucet you have as it can affect your repair process. Because if your faucet is cartridge type and you followed the method of the compression one, then it could be disastrous.
Make sure what type of faucet you have and then go for the repair. And if you do not know, then it is better to seek the professional’s help as they are well equipped with everything. But if you are well aware of all the things, then you can be a plumber of your own and you ultimately know how to fix a leaky faucet in the kitchen.
So now no need to worry about those leaking faucets and kitchen messes because now you know what you need to do.
