Repair a Leaky Faucet

Repairing a leaky faucet, like the shower sink head, is one of the most common home repairs. Compression faucets, like electrical hot water faucet, are the oldest data and are very common in older homes. However, due to various types of faucets available, many owners do not know what kind of faucet have at home.

The first step in repairing a faucet is to locate key arrest tap and close the water flow to the faucet dripping. The arrest key is usually located directly under the sink and consists of a small valve and a small handle. If the valve is similar to that shown here, twist it clockwise to close. The most modern valves can have a knob to be moved in the opposite way you find when the valve is open and the water runs direction.

The body of the handle is attached to the valve stem tap by a hidden screw under a protective cover. The lid of the oldest taps often metal and screwed to the handle. So to access the screw that holds the handle, you should take a clip, grasp the lid and loosen the screw to see. Other taps can only have a metal cover that pulls out to pull off. The best way to know if the metal cover has grooves around the perimeter, then that is for better grip and is probably a cap that unscrews. If the cover is thin, then it probably is removed by lever.

Once the cover is removed, you will see a screw securing the handle on the valve stem. Remove the screw and pull the handle firmly.

Once the handle is removed, you will usually find a cover over the entire valve stem if the tap is one key, as in a bathtub in some basins. To remove the cover assembly valve stem, unscrew the knurled nut that holds it and remove the cover.

At the base of the stem exposed, you will see that the top of the assembly of the valve stem has a hexagonal nut so it can be removed with a wrench. Unscrewed from its base the valve stem. You can use an adjustable wrench, a wrench or pliers pressure.

A Once the valve stem is removed, you will find the old washer at the end of the valve seat. It will be held in place by a screw and will look crushed and beaten. Remove the old washer by releasing the brass screw and inserting a screwdriver into the screw hole in the washer, remove the old washer. Clean any deposit or other container rubber end washer for the new washer can be placed neatly in the valve seat. 22mm tap again putting in place the stem and the valve body, cover, handle and lid. Be sure to adjust either the valve body at its base. Restores water flow and check for leakage.