A leaky sink can be quite a minor (but constant!) annoyance as well as a small drain on your water bill. This is one plumbing job that might not require professional assistance, though! Try out this straightforward washer-changing procedure to see if you can take care of your leaky faucet by yourself.
The first thing you want to do will be to turn off the sink's water supply. This calls for a quick trip underneath the countertop. You will see a stop valve there that controls the water lines which feed your sink. It's usually an oblong, oval-shaped knob. Turning it clockwise will close the water lines and let you work on the leaking faucet. (If the stop valve refuses to turn, do not force it; a broken valve is a much more serious - and urgent - problem than a leaking faucet!)
After the water is turned off, you are almost able to make a start on the faucet. You ought to be able to handle the task with common household tools. A screwdriver or two and a wrench will likely be sufficient. Use a pair of pliers as a replacement for the wrench in a pinch. The ultimate preparatory step is to plug the sink's drain. You don't want important screws and nuts slipping down the drain while you're working! Utilize a rag if the drain doesn't have a built-in stopper.
You are going to remove the faucet's handle or handles. This is where the design of your faucet set can cause a little trouble. On some models, the screw which holds the handle on is very prominent. Others hide it underneath a cap or cover. If your faucet is one of these, you should be able to pry off the cap with your screwdriver. Do not use excessive pressure; try shifting the angle and position of the screwdriver instead of applying more force. Once you have access to the handle's screw, unscrew it and remove it. You should now be looking at the guts of the faucet.
There's some variation in how that different faucets are made, but in every case there is a post that the faucet handle turns. You will see a nut and (probably) a washer on this post. Most sink leaks start when the meeting between the nut and the post starts to degrade. A good washer should fix this problem. Take off the nut with your wrench (or pliers) to get at the washer. Install a replacement, or an appropriately-sized new one.
Re-assemble the handle with the new washer in place. When you screw the handle back on, you don't need to tighten it down too much. It needs to be "hand-tight" - put simply, tighten until you would have to strain to go further. When the handle is back together, turn the stop valve on again (counter-clockwise) and see if the repair job is a success. Your leak will in all probability be gone!
The first thing you want to do will be to turn off the sink's water supply. This calls for a quick trip underneath the countertop. You will see a stop valve there that controls the water lines which feed your sink. It's usually an oblong, oval-shaped knob. Turning it clockwise will close the water lines and let you work on the leaking faucet. (If the stop valve refuses to turn, do not force it; a broken valve is a much more serious - and urgent - problem than a leaking faucet!)
After the water is turned off, you are almost able to make a start on the faucet. You ought to be able to handle the task with common household tools. A screwdriver or two and a wrench will likely be sufficient. Use a pair of pliers as a replacement for the wrench in a pinch. The ultimate preparatory step is to plug the sink's drain. You don't want important screws and nuts slipping down the drain while you're working! Utilize a rag if the drain doesn't have a built-in stopper.
You are going to remove the faucet's handle or handles. This is where the design of your faucet set can cause a little trouble. On some models, the screw which holds the handle on is very prominent. Others hide it underneath a cap or cover. If your faucet is one of these, you should be able to pry off the cap with your screwdriver. Do not use excessive pressure; try shifting the angle and position of the screwdriver instead of applying more force. Once you have access to the handle's screw, unscrew it and remove it. You should now be looking at the guts of the faucet.
There's some variation in how that different faucets are made, but in every case there is a post that the faucet handle turns. You will see a nut and (probably) a washer on this post. Most sink leaks start when the meeting between the nut and the post starts to degrade. A good washer should fix this problem. Take off the nut with your wrench (or pliers) to get at the washer. Install a replacement, or an appropriately-sized new one.
Re-assemble the handle with the new washer in place. When you screw the handle back on, you don't need to tighten it down too much. It needs to be "hand-tight" - put simply, tighten until you would have to strain to go further. When the handle is back together, turn the stop valve on again (counter-clockwise) and see if the repair job is a success. Your leak will in all probability be gone!
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