How to Repair Bathroom Faucet

One of the things a homeowner must be familiar with is bathroom faucet repair. Sure, you can always call your local plumber and have your bathroom faucet repaired if the need arises. But what if a problem comes in the middle of the night? It’s best to learn bathroom faucet repair even just the basics. Knowing where to close your faucet to prevent your bathroom from flooding is just one example of the things you should learn as a homeowner. Here, you will learn bathroom faucet repair by repairing a leaky faucet in just a few easy steps.

Leaking bathroom faucets are among the irritating problems you can encounter in your bathroom. If you leave them as is, they can be costly. It may just be droplets of water but it can actually cost you up to 3 gallons of water every day. It can also cause permanent water spots and stains. You may think that you can’t repair it on your own and so you prolong calling your plumber until it becomes a big leak simply because plumbers can be expensive. If I were you, do it on your own and follow these simple steps.

Before we go repairing your bathroom faucet, there are a few things you should learn about faucets. Various faucets may look apart each other but they all have the same parts. They are all assembled in the same way. So whatever your faucet maybe, rest assured they are made the same way. On the other hand, bathroom faucets can be mixing or stem faucets that allow you to select or control the temperature. So if you have a hot and cold handle your faucet can either be a mixed or stem faucet. In such case, there are two individual units so you’ll need to check them out both if you have a leaking faucet.

1. If your leak is just at the base of the handle or around the packing nut, it could simply be a loose connection. You’ll need a wrench to tighten the nut below the handle. If you have a designer handle, you’ll need to remove it first to reveal the nut.
2. On the other hand, if it’s a washer trouble, which is mostly the case, the probable reason you’re having a leak is because of a worn, incorrect size, or improperly installed washer. If you have water dripping or running from the handles, slow leaks, or water around the back handle of your faucet, then it’s likely the washer is the problem. First turn off the hot water. If the dripping or leaking stops, then it means the washer that needs replacement is in the hot water valve unit. To replace, follow these easy steps to bathroom faucet repair.
   1. Turn off the main water supply for that sink. You’ll see the shut off valve close to the faucet below the sink basin or floor cabinet. Make sure you’ve closed the correct one so try and turn on the water in the faucet you’re repairing. If no water is coming out, then it’s time to go to the next step.
   2. Loosen your packing nut but turning it counter-clockwise. It should be below or inside the faucet handles.
   3. Now that you have the valve unit in your hand, look for the old washer. It should be at the bottom. Remove the screw holding the washer with a screw driver.
   4. Now, replace the old washer with the same size of the old washer. Put back the screw.
   5. Place the valve unit back in the faucet and turn the handle to the proper position before you tighten it.
   6. Now, it’s time to tighten the packing nut and then turn on the water back.
   7. Try the faucet and see if it leaks. If it does, try using a different size washer.