How To Repair A Leaky Peerless Bathroom Faucet

A dripping faucet is one of those chores that tend to go pushed to the lesser of the "honey-do" list. It's non dangerous, like a sparking electrical outlet. Information technology's not super-abrasive, similar a Justin Bieber song, or a smoke detector that wants new batteries, and reminds you lot by chirping loudly every thirty seconds, ALL Night LONG. Information technology might seem a niggling intimidating, because you have to movement the 247 containers of shampoo and conditioner and toilet cleaner and sponges and razor blades and feminine hygiene products from under the sink, so y'all tin can shut the water off. Y'all then have to figure out how to take the faucet apart, so really go detect the right parts and put the stupid matter back together. All this can pb to a decision to just allow the leaking bath faucet continue on leaking. Deep in your environmentally responsible heart, though, you lot know that's the wrong determination, and it'south really a pretty simple fix. Have heart, and follow our simple guide to prepare YOUR leaking bathroom faucet.

Where To Begin

At the chance of being a party pooper, before you start pulling things apart, you'll need to figure out what make you lot take, and the model, if possible. You might think this would exist simple. You might be incorrect. Some faucets exercise have the name where it's easy to come across, but many make you piece of work for it, if they put the name on at all. The faucet in this commodity is made by Peerless, but it took some searching to figure it out. The proper noun is etched across the base in superfine messages; very elegant, but for someone with crappy vision (like me) tough to spot. Our downstairs bathroom faucet has no name on it anywhere. If you tin't find it anywhere on the faucet body, try checking on the stopper or drain torso in the sink; ordinarily they come up with the faucet as part of a set.

Now to decide what parts you demand to fix your leaking bathroom faucet. Is information technology leaking from under the handle? Y'all might be able to get away with just replacing the O-rings on the valve torso. If that doesn't do it, you'll need to supervene upon the entire valve. If the leak is coming out from the aerator, you should exist able to simply replace the springs and seats.

Many faucets come with a lifetime warranty. The Peerless faucet did, and they also have an excellent online assist section, including instructions on how to repair unmarried faucet and double handled sink and tub faucets. I contacted their customer service people via e-mail. They were very helpful, and sent out a complete repair kit, including new valve stems, springs and seats. Unfortunately, when the parts arrived, I didn't get around to installing them right away, and they disappeared into the abyss. A mind is a terrible affair to waste product…

If you can't figure out who made your faucet, or you just desire to get on with fixing it, most dwelling house centers and local hardware stores acquit a good assortment of faucet repair parts. They're not expensive; the fix of springs and seats for my faucet was around $four, and a whole new valve associates was only effectually $8. This makes it a good idea to do both sides at one time, even if but one is leaking.

Permit'south Tear That Leaking Bathroom Faucet Autonomously!

Assuming you'd similar yourself and your bathroom to remain mostly dry, step 1 is TURN OFF THE Water! Nigh sinks have shutoff valves under them. These shutoff valves probably worked keen when they were installed 25 years agone. Like other things that don't frequently get used, though – politician's brains, for instance – they tend to seize upwards and not work so well. Turn both shutoffs all the way off, then attempt to turn the hot and cold water on at the faucet. If y'all withal accept water coming out, check in the basement (or wherever your plumbing comes in from). If there'southward a gear up of shutoffs for the pipes going into that room, you lot can cut it off there. Otherwise, you'll take to close off the water at the main.

H2o off? Let the dismantling begin! You don't demand much in the way of tools for this; regular and Phillips caput screwdrivers, perhaps an Allen wrench or small-scale screwdriver, a pair of pliers, a pencil, and an adjustable wrench should see you through. Sadly, no ability tools are required. Ah well, at that place's always the NEXT project… One final pro tip before you lot begin pulling tiny parts out: Lay a minor towel or rag in the sink to grab the little parts that yous Volition drib if you don't have a towel there.

Many faucet handles, whether knob or lever handles, take a small cap on the top covering a screw. Using a thin-bladed screwdriver, carefully pry the caps out of both handles. This will expose a screw going through the valve body. Remove it, and lift off the handle and escutcheon.

Some lever-type handles may non accept a cap; in that case, in that location should be a small set screw on the handle torso, probably around the side or rear. This could exist either an Allen screw or slotted-bit screw. Back out the screw enough to loosen the handle torso, and pull information technology off.

Next, grab your adjustable wrench and remove the retaining nut around the base of each valve. It should come off pretty easily. The adjacent pace is to remove the valve from the faucet body. Before you do, annotation the orientation of the raised stop on top of the valve, and then y'all can reinstall information technology the aforementioned way. To remove the valve, just take hold of the elevation and pull it straight up. Fluctuant it a bit helps, and if it's sticky, grab your pliers and put them to piece of work. No demand to go all Incredible Hulk on it; it should come out pretty easily.

The terminal step in the dismantling process is to remove the springs and seats. They tuck into a little hole in the bottom of the faucet base, nether the valves. You can employ an Allen wrench, a pencil, or a small-scale screwdriver to gently pry them out. Now take a clean, soft cloth, and wipe out the within of the body. And that'southward it – you're set to make it better!

Putting It Together

If you lot're buying your parts locally, throw the old parts in a lilliputian sandwich pocketbook, and take them along to make sure you get a good lucifer. While y'all're picking up your repair kit, it'south non a bad thought to get a minor container of plumber'due south grease. Lubing the seats and O-rings helps reduce friction, and provides a ameliorate seal. If the leak is from the aerator, and you're merely planning to supersede the springs and seats, it'southward not a bad idea to pick upwardly some O-rings for the valves, or fifty-fifty some new valves, just in case. Ditto if you were just replacing the O-rings; become some new springs and seats. If yous don't demand them you can return them. If you DO need them, you don't take to cease mid-project and run back to the store.

Reassembly is simple – it's pretty much the reverse of what you just did. Kickoff with the springs and seats. Put a very light coating of plumber's grease, if you accept it, on the new seats. Nigh springs are tapered; the narrow end goes into the seat. Now insert the new spring and seat into the recess in the body, with the seat toward the peak. I used a pencil to push information technology in.

Have the valve body, making sure it'southward clean, and put a very light coat of grease on the O-ring. Making sure yous orient the valve correctly, push it firmly down into the base. Take the retaining nut, tighten it downwardly by hand, and so very gently snug it up with your adjustable wrench. Now slide the handle on over the valve, and reinsert the spiral through the tiptop, or tighten the set spiral on the side, depending on your setup. If the handle doesn't go along correctly, remove the valve and rotate information technology 180°. If there's a cap for the handle, push it into place.

Afterwards reassembling both sides, turn the water back on, and check for drips. If the leak continues later replacing the springs and seats, you'll have to supercede the valve assembly. Now that yous know the drill, though, y'all should have that done faster than you tin say "nosotros don't need no stinking plumber!" When information technology's all washed, sit back with a cold drinking glass of water, and admire your drip-complimentary plumbing handiwork!

I'll Get Effectually To It Someday…

Not quite convinced yet? Need a bit more motivation? Yeah, you're thinking, it's one of those things you know you lot SHOULD set, because it wastes water, but heck, it'due south simply a drib at a fourth dimension; how much could it actually be wasting? I admit it, I put this simple repair off Manner longer than I should accept, thinking heck, it'due south only a drip, and also, who knows where the hell the repair kit went. (By the manner, I discovered the kit the next 24-hour interval – naturally!)

A driblet of water doesn't seem like much, just here's how information technology tin can add together upwardly: At one drip per second, which is the rate the faucet in this article was dripping, nosotros were losing 86,400 drips a 24-hour interval, which adds up to just over 5.seven gallons. If that goes on for a yr (and I'one thousand not admitting that it did!), there goes two,082 gallons of water. That's the equivalent of flushing your toilet effectually 1,000 times, or taking over 100 x-infinitesimal showers (or virtually 30 showers the way my youngest daughter rolls). Want to meet how much water YOU'RE wasting? In a fine example of Your Tax Dollars At Work, the USGS offers upwardly a handy baste calculator. Check it out, then make it there and ready that leaking bathroom faucet, and quit going to bed with YOUR drip!