Save Energy by Reducing Hot Water Use

June 5th, 2012 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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You can save money and energy every month by reducing hot water usage in your home.  Less energy use means reduced greenhouse gasses so by following a few energy saving tips, you’ll keep more money in your wallet at the same time you help conserve the environment.

Fixing leaks in plumbing fixtures wastes less hot water and results in savings on energy bills and water bills.  If you have leaky faucets or showerheads, have them fixed or replaced by a qualified faucet repair plumber.  If you are replacing faucets or showerheads, ask your plumber to install low-flow fixtures.

Modern faucets and showerheads use far less water than older fixtures while still providing excellent water flow.  By federal law, all showerheads and faucets have flow rates no higher than 2.5 gallons per minute which is less than half of some fixtures sold before 1992.

Low flow showerheads come in two types:  laminar flow and aerating.  Aerating showerheads have an aerator that mixes air with the water much like a faucet.  Laminar flow showerheads use individual streams of water.  Both save money and energy by conserving hot water, but aerating showerhead create a little more steam and moisture in your bathroom and may be better suited for climates where humidity is not a concern.

Some homeowners have been dissatisfied with the performance of their low flow fixtures, but if you purchase fixtures with the Watersense label, you can be assured that the fixture has been tested by and independent laboratory and found to use less water without sacrificing performance.

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Cleaning Your Faucet Aerator

May 22nd, 2012 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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Most modern water faucets are equipped with an aerator, a disc shaped wire mesh screen or plastic disc installed at the tip of the faucet that the water flows through as it comes out of the faucet.  An aerator is designed to conserve water by creating the appearance of higher water pressure at the tap.  They also reduce splashing.  Unless they very old, your bathroom and kitchen faucets probably have an aerator installed.

Aerators are a simple, inexpensive way to conserve water but over time they can collect rust, scale, and other debris and become clogged.  When this happens, you may notice a decrease in the water pressure at the faucet or an irregular flow pattern.

Fortunately, fixing the problem is usually not a very difficult faucet repair.  With the tap turned off, remove the aerator by unscrewing it counter-clockwise.  Try unscrewing it by hand first, but if it is too tight, carefully use a pair of plier to loosen it.  Be sure to protect the finish on the aerator with a rag or a couple layers of masking tape to avoid scratching it.

Once the aerator is off, separate the parts paying attention what order they go back together and which way each part faces.  Rinse off the debris or if necessary use a rag or even a wire brush to clean the screen or plastic disc.  If it is very corroded or clogged, replacements are usually easy to get at your local hardware store or home improvement center.  Take the old one with you to make sure you get the right replacement.

Put the aerator back together in the same order you took it apart and screw it back onto the faucet.  If there is still a problem with the water pressure or flow pattern in your faucet or if your aerators frequently become clogged, you may have other issues such as excessive contaminants in your water.  Talk to your plumber about installing a whole house filter to remove these contaminants.

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Fixing Water Leaks In Your Home

May 3rd, 2012 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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A small water leak in your home such as a dripping faucet may not seem like much, but over time several small household water leaks can add up to a lot of water and money down the drain.  According to the EPA, the average home wastes about 10,000 gallons of water per year due to water leaks.

By correcting water leaks in your home, you can conserve water and save big on your water bills.  Most water leaks can be easily repaired by a good plumber.  In some cases, you may be able to fix the leak yourself.

Common types of leaks include dripping faucets and leaky toilet flappers.  More serious leaks include a leaky water supply line or a leaky lawn irrigation sprinkler system.  Many small leaks can go unnoticed for years.  One way to check for leaks in your home is to make sure all water using appliances are turned off (don’t forget the icemaker) and read your water meter.

Check the water meter again after a couple hours.  If the reading has changed, you have a leak somewhere.  Faucet, tub and shower leaks are easy to spot.  Have your plumber repair the leaky faucet or replace it with a new low flow fixture for even more savings.

A few drops of food coloring in each toilet tank will tell you if your flapper valves are leaking.  If the water in the bowl changes color, then your flapper valve needs to be replaced.

If your water meter still indicates a leak after repairing all of the indoor leaks, then the problem may be in your lawn irrigation system or your water supply line.  Your plumber can isolate these systems, locate the leaks, and go over your leak repair options.

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Dealing With Leaky Faucets

May 3rd, 2012 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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Almost every homeowner will eventually be faced with a leaky faucet.  Leaky faucets are a common problem and are not only annoying, but can cost you a lot of money.  According to EPA estimates, a faucet that leaks at the rate of one drip per second wastes over 3,000 gallons of water per year.  If it’s hot water that’s dripping, the problem is even worse because your water heater has to work harder and use more energy to heat the water.

Fixing a leaky faucet can be a problem because there are so many different types and styles of faucets.  Identifying the source of the problem is the first step in faucet repair, and then finding the right parts to fix the leak is next.  There are four basic types of faucets, but within each type there are dozens of different sizes and styles of components.

The oldest style of faucet is a compression faucet.  These have been in use for decades and are very reliable but over time they will invariably start to leak.  Compression faucets have separate hot and cold knobs that use a rubber washer tightened against a valve seat to turn off the water.  When the rubber washer gets old and hard, the faucet will start to drip.

Ball type faucets usually have a single handle and are typically found in kitchen and bathroom sinks.  They have springs and seals that control the flow of water and can leak if the springs weaken or the seals wear out.

Disc faucets usually look like a ball type faucet, but they are a more recent design.  They have a single handle and use ceramic discs that slide against each other to control the water flow.  They don’t leak very often, but when they do it’s usually because a seal has worn out.

Cartridge faucets are a modern design that use a stem that moves up and down to control water flow and left to right to control temperature.  Repairing a leaky cartridge type faucet is a matter of simply replacing the cartridge.

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Fixing a Leaky Faucet

March 2nd, 2012 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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Is your kitchen sink faucet linking? If you have an older style compression type faucet, you may be able to fix it on your own by replacing the washer. Compression faucets are common in the kitchen. Often times, the rubber washer deteriorates or becomes hardened with age. Replacing a damaged washer often returns a leaky faucet to operating like new.  So before you call a plumber, here’s how to try to fix it yourself.

Before starting on the faucet repair, make sure you turn off the water supply to the faucet.  There is usually a shutoff valve under the kitchen sink or you can turn off the water supply to the entire house.  Be sure to turn the faucet on to bleed off the excess water pressure.

Remove the faucet handle by unscrewing the retaining screw.  Now, remove the valve stem using a wrench or deep socket.  Once you have removed the valve stem, you will be able to see the washer attached to the stem by a screw.  Remove the screw, replace the old washer with a new one and reassemble the faucet.

If your faucet is still leaking after you’ve replaced the washer, then you may have a more serious problem such as a damaged valve seat.  At this point, it’s probably time call a plumber to get a professional opinion.  Your plumber will be able to find the cause of the leak and help you decide whether you are better off fixing the original faucet or replacing it with new faucet.

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Repairing a Leaky Compression Type Faucet

November 16th, 2010 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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A dripping faucet is more than just a nuisance.  It costs you money too.  Just one leaking faucet wastes about five gallons of water a day and more than 2,000 gallons per year.  If it’s a hot water faucet that leaks, then your cost is even greater because your water heater has to work overtime to keep the water in the tank hot as the heated water drips out of your faucet and goes down the drain.

Faucet repairs on a leaking compression type faucet is pretty straightforward, but if you are not comfortable doing the work yourself, call a reputable plumber.

Compression type faucets use a rubber washer that seals against the seat to control the flow of water.   The rubber washer gets hard and brittle over time and begins to leak.

To repair a leaky compression type faucet, first turn off the water to the faucet.  The shutoff handle is usually located under the sink.  Then, remove the faucet handle.  The handle is held on with a single screw that may be under a decorative cap. The cap can be carefully pried off with a thin screwdriver or knife blade.

Once the handle is removed, you may need to remove the cover over the valve stem assembly.  This either screw on or is held in place with a knurled nut.  Now that the valve stem is exposed, you are ready to remove the valve assembly.  Unscrew the valve assembly using a wrench or deep socket.

At the bottom of the valve stem, you will see the old washer held on with a single screw.  Remove the washer and replace it with a new one of the proper size.  Reassemble the faucet, check for leaks, and you’re done!

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