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.
