You do not have to call a professional plumber to fix every single malfunctioning plumbing appliance or fixture in your home. Sometimes it's advisable to try out some do-it-yourself remedies before reaching out to your local plumber. These DIY solutions can help trim your plumbing repairs bill significantly thereby saving you money in the long run. Some DIY plumbing solutions are pretty straightforward but some are rather technical and require some technical skills.
For instance, while almost everyone can manage to unclog a toilet with a plumber, very few people can manage to repair their storage tank water heaters on their own. But you can always try to fix some of the less challenging plumbing problems in your home before calling your local DC plumber. One such instance is when you have a leaking faucet. Although most people consider a leaky faucet to be rather harmless, this plumbing issue can cost you heavily. You can lose as much as two gallons of water per day if your faucet leaks at a rate of 20 drops per minute. This is why you should have your leaky faucet fixed as soon as possible to avoid water wastage and the subsequent financial losses. You can always follow the following steps when fixing your dripping faucet.
Before you decide to fix a leaking faucet on your own, you should visit your tool shed and make sure that you have all the necessary tools and supplies. You will need various tools for the task including a wrench, pliers, and various screw drivers for prying. You will also need penetrating oil, plumber's grease, and replacement parts, such as O-rings depending on the problem.
Armed with all these tools and supplies, you should now examine the leaking faucet to determine its type. Some faucets have single handles and others have two handles. In some cases you have to disassemble the whole facet to determine its type. You can use the penetrating fluid to disassemble your faucet if the parts are wound too tightly. Make sure that you note where everything was installed when disassembling so that that you can assemble the faucet perfectly after repair.
After determining the type of your leaking faucet, you can now proceed to inspect the leak itself. Check whether the handles are leaking or whether it's the sprout. You will notice the source of the leak as soon as you disassemble the faucet.
Depending on the source of the leak, you can implement various DIY solutions to fix the problem. To fix leaking handle(s), replace the O-ring(s). But if the sprout is leaking, then you will have to implement a more elaborate fix. You might even need to call your local plumber for assistance. You can even request a DC emergency plumbing leak repair service if the leak becomes to serious or if you are unable to identify the source of the leak. Sometimes you might have to replace the whole faucet if it's too old and worn-out to work. You should follow the advice offered by a professional plumber to fix a persistent leak.