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Repairing Faucet Leaks
 You would probably be surprised to find out how much
water that innocent drip in the bathroom faucet is wasting. A pinhole
leak can waste as much as 70 gallons of water in one day - 20% of a typical
home's daily water use.
This web page is intended to provide some useful information
that will help you make small plumbing repairs. If you have doubts about
your "fix-it" ability, please call a licensed plumbing professional.
The most common cause of a faucet leak is a worn out washer which is
relatively easy to repair. The first step in repairing a leak is to determine
the faucet type. There are two basic types of faucets in most homes -
Compression and Washerless faucets.
General precautions before starting the repairs
- Make sure your local hardware store is open while you
make your repairs.
- Turn off the water to the leaking fixture by closing
the nearest shutoff valve located under or behind each fixture. If
no fixture valve is present, then close the house's main shutoff valve
near the water meter. Then partially open hot and cold water faucets
to relieve the pressure.
- Cover drain openings to prevent any small parts from
falling down the drains.
- Protect sink interiors with cloth or cardboard, as dropped
tools can damage expensive porcelain.
- Wrap tape around chromed fixtures and tool jaws to reduce
scratches on delicate surfaces.
- Keep track of all pieces, making sketches that show
all parts in sequence as removed to facilitate reassembly.
- Clean corrosion and sludge from valve seats, valve stems,
springs, seals, discs, and filter cones with scour pad, vinegar, or
stiff brushes. Be careful not to scratch or nick plastic and rubber
parts. Stiff brushes can be used on metal pieces only.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this section is general advice to help you
conserve water. You may have unique concerns which can only be addressed
by a licensed plumbing professional. The City of San José Environmental
Services Department does not have plumbing expertise, nor is it a plumbing
referral service. By using this information, you are agreeing that under
no circumstances will the City, its officers, agents or employees be responsible
for (1) any information contained or omitted (2) any person's reliance
on any such information, whether or not the information is correct, current
or complete, (3) the consequences of any action you or any other person
takes or fails to take, whether or not based on information provided here.
You are welcome to view this information for your own personal, non-commercial
purposes. Copying or other use of any of the information contained here
is strictly prohibited.
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