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Leaky Faucets: More than Just a Minor Inconvenience

Monday, March 6th, 2017 at 11:00 am

leaky-faucetsNobody wants to deal with a plumbing problem in their home. But the fact of the matter is, leaks and other issues do occur. Fortunately, you can call on us for professional Tumwater, WA plumbing repairs. But perhaps you’re tempted to wait—after all, a leak is just a little inconvenience, right?

Actually, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average household’s leaks can account for over 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year! Not only is this a terrible waste of a precious resource, but it’s hurting your wallet too.

What Causes This Type of Leak?

So what if you have a leaky faucet? Your first step should be to make a phone call to our professional plumbers. Your next step should be to do some research and get informed on what you can expect as far as plumbing repairs go. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve shared a few common causes of faucet leaks below.

Faulty O Ring: The O ring is a component of your faucet comprised of a stem screw with a small disc attached to it. It can become loose or wear out due to regular usage, and as a result will eventually cause the faucet to drip near the handle. Replacing this component may be all that’s necessary to repair your leaking faucet.

Valve Seat Corrosion: The valve seal is a connection between your faucet and the spout compression mechanism. As sediment accumulates, this can begin to corrode, which will naturally cause leakage.

Worn Washer: This is actually one of the most common reasons a faucet will begin dripping. Each time you use any given faucet, the washer within it is forced against the valve seat, and the continual friction and resistance causes it to wear out. This is a fairly easy fix, as long as you contact a professional plumber as soon as you notice your leaking faucet.

Faulty Installation: Another reason the washer may wear out and start causing faucet leaks is because it wasn’t installed correctly to begin with. A professional will know how to adequately size the washer and install it accurately so you don’t have any problems.

Loose Components: There are more components—both moving and stationary—than you may realize that enable your faucet to work as it should. Since you use your faucets so much on a daily basis, it’s understandable that eventually once of these components may become loose, and as a result can cause leakage. This is something that a professional plumber can repair with ease.

Worn Out Seals: Your faucets have two very important seals—an inlet seal and an outlet seal. Sediment accumulates inside your faucet assembly, and eventually can cause leakage due to worn out seals. Plumbing maintenance helps our professional plumbers stay on top of this—we’ll clean the sediment out regularly so your faucet mechanism works as it should.

Whether you need a leaky faucet repaired or some other type of professional plumbing service, you needn’t look any further than Brooks Plumbing Co. Contact us today!

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