One of the biggest problems that one can face when it comes to your home is a faulty faucet. Whether it takes too long to turn or the water isn’t coming out, a faulty faucet can be extremely frustrating to deal with.
Luckily, fixing a faulty faucet isn’t as hard as one might think. In fact, these faulty faucets can be fixed in no time so long as you have the tools and know the steps that are needed in order to solve your problem.
While we may not be able to give you the tools, we can definitely give you the steps and solutions to combating a faulty faucet. We know how frustrating it can be to work with a faucet that isn’t working which is why we’ve given you the easiest way to fixing this problem.
What Exactly is a Faulty Faucet?
To understand what a faulty faucet is, you need to understand the concept behind it. A faulty faucet means that the faucet has something wrong with it and the problems that a faucet can encounter embodies a wide spectrum.
Here are some of the most common problems that can come with a problematic faucet:
Screeching Faucet
Whenever you’re getting a glass of water and it starts to make a high-pitched squeaking noise, you’re looking at a screeching faucet. This isn’t the technical jargon for the problem but it gets the job done.
There’s a chance this screeching may be coming from the pipes but if not, take apart the faucet and examine for cracks and chips. These are usually the source of the problem.
Faucet is Spray Misting
If your faucet has a spray that is cut off from the main flow, chances are you’re facing off against a faulty aerator. The aerator is what controls the water flow and a problematic aerator usually results in unpredictable water flow.
Low Water Pressure
If you’re facing an unusually low water flow, chances are that you’re facing off against low water pressure. Low water pressure means that the water flow cannot overcome the friction inside the pipes as fast as it normally would, thus contributing to what seems to be a lower water flow than you are usually accustomed to..
A Tough Faucet Handle
You go to turn on your faucet and discover that you can’t even get past the initial stages of turning the handle. Why is this? A tough faucet handle might at first seem to be because the components of the handle aren’t where they’re supposed to be but it’s actually much simpler than that.
Most of the time, a tough faucet handle stems from debris, minerals, and residue that have damaged the cartridge. Other times, it’s because the cartridge needs to be replaced or it needs to be lubricated with grease.
Very rarely does it have to do with the pressure inside the cartridge or the pieces inside the faucet. Instead, these problems originate from the cartridge itself such as lack of maintenance and residue left inside the cartridge.
How to Fix These Problems
Now that we’ve covered some of the most common problems when it comes to faulty faucets, it’s worth noting that you need to know how to fix them in order for any of this to be worth it. While you can hire a plumber to do this stuff for you, there’s always the option of learning the craft and taking on the problem yourself.
Screeching Faucet
A screeching faucet indicates one of two things: you need new washers or you need a whole new faucet in general. Take out the washers and replace them with new ones from your local hardware store. If this doesn’t work, then that means you’re going to have to replace the entire faucet. If you’re hearing other noises from the faucet such as a squeak whenever you turn it off, installing an air chamber can help alleviate this noise. If that’s been done but the problem is still present, then try readjusting the water pressure.
Faucet is Spray Misting
The spray misting that occurs via the faucet usually happens because of a bad aerator. If it is because of a bad aerator, you want to follow these steps. First, take off the aerator and clean it so that no minerals or residue are present. Second, check the aerator washer to make sure that it’s not the source of the problem. Third, reinstall the aerator and make sure that it is screwed on tightly.
Once you reinstall the aerator, if the problem still persists, you’re going to need to replace the entire thing. This could be because the aerator is extremely old or has cracks and chips that you can’t see.
Low Water Pressure
When it comes to the faucets, low water pressure is usually caused by the diverter inside the faucet body. It controls the water going into the faucet so if water pressure is low, chances are that the diverter isn’t clean.
Clean up the diverter and make sure that there is nothing clogging the faucet. If it continues, then it may not be the diverter. Instead, it could be the aerator. The aerator controls how the water comes out and thus if the aerator is dirty, it can be the source of your problem.
If it is, in fact, the source of your problem, then all you would need to do is clean it up just like you would with the diverter.
A Tough Faucet Handle
A tough faucet handle typically signals that the cartridge has something wrong with it. Typically, there is residue and debris stuck inside the area just as it would be with a faulty aerator or a poorly functioning diverter.
Therefore, take out the cartridge and try to clean up everything that you can. Sediments and debris can damage the seal inside the cartridge and thus make it hard to turn the handle.
Other times, it might be that the cartridge handle requires a little grease lubrication. Over time, these cartridges tend to wear out and because of this, they slowly lose their functionality. This leads to a deteriorating cartridge which in turn contributes to a hard-to-turn faucet handle.
Either way, a tough faucet handle points to one thing: a problem with the cartridge. And as long as you know that, you know where to start when it comes to fixing the problem.
Conclusion
We know the frustration that comes with a squeaking faucet or a hard-to-turn handle. We’ve been there before. We’ve struggled alongside all of you. However, there are solutions to all of these problems.
The best part about a faulty faucet is that it’s usually the easiest thing to fix when it comes to problems related to plumbing. You can easily fix these faulty faucets as long as you know what type of problem it is and what you need to look for.
For example, if you’re facing low water pressure, chances are you’re dealing with a damaged aerator or a dirty diverter. From here, you can solve your water pressure crisis by cleaning out the diverter or replacing the aerator.
While faucet failure can be one of the most frustrating things to deal with in the entire world of homecare, it’s one of the easiest to solve when you know what you’re looking for.
