Common Causes of a Leaky Faucet

How to Fix a Leaky Faucet

The constant dripping sound and potential water damage that a leaky faucet brings to your home can be a nightmare. As a reliable provider of faucet installation in Salisbury, MD, we maintain and repair leaky faucets throughout the region. Keeping your taps in good working order is crucial, as this quick slideshow video illustrates:

Is your faucet currently leaking? One of the following reasons could be the culprit of that annoying leaky faucet:

1. Damaged Faucet Components

Damage to a faucet’s essential components is often the leading cause of leaks. If there is a steady drip coming from your tap, the washer will likely need to be replaced. For compression faucets, seals deteriorate over time due to the amount of pressure that they undergo. Drip and ball, or cartridge model faucets suffer from issues with moving parts such as O-rings and seals.

2. Corroded Valve Seat

Valve seats connect the faucet and the spout as part of the compression mechanism. Over time, water sediments accumulate, causing the valve seat area to corrode and cause a leaky faucet. This corrosion leads to leakage around the spout. By investing in regular maintenance and inspections from a professional plumber, your valve seat and other vital working parts of the faucet avoid this type of damage.

3. Water Pressure

Is your faucet leaking at specific times every day or when you undertake certain tasks? This could indicate that the water pressure is too high. High levels of water pressure can prevent water from flowing away. This means that it eventually backs up and leaks out of taps and toilet tanks. Although this issue isn’t urgent, it should still be investigated by a professional plumber to avoid further damage and an increase in utility bills.

4. Worn or Improperly Installed Washer

A worn-out washer is perhaps the most common cause of a dripping, leaky faucet. Every time a faucet is used, the washer rubs against the valve seat, causing friction and wearing the component down. Dripping that is caused by deteriorating rubber washers can be fixed by replacing the washer. If the washer is the wrong size or has failed to be installed efficiently, the faucet will leak.

The Damage Caused by Leaky Faucets

It’d be a mistake to underestimate how big of a problem a leaky faucet can become. Homeowners often disregard leaky faucets, eventually getting used to the sound of dripping water. “It’s just some dripping water,” they often think. “What harm could it do?”

Quite a bit, actually. For one thing, leaky faucets are a waste of valuable, usable water. This is not only an environmental issue, but also a serious waste of your money. A leaky faucet, while slow, could waste up to 20 gallons of water every day. That’s 600 gallons every month! The annual cost of a leaky faucet adds up.

Here’s another risk: if the faucet leak is occurring at the base of the faucet due to a bad gasket, then you could run the risk of water damaging your floor, rotting the wood in your flooring, or causing ceiling damage in an upstairs bathroom. Fixing your leaky faucet may not seem urgent, but homeowners who ignore leaky faucets for too long may regret it.

Whatever the cause of your leaking faucet, a professional plumber will help to identify, fix, and maintain the problem. For more information or to learn more about our plumbing services in Salisbury, Berlin, Ocean City, or throughout Maryland, call (410) 709-7386 or contact us online today!