A leaking faucet can drive you nuts. First, there’s the incessant drip, drip, drip. Second, there’s the fact that money and water are flowing down the drain. One drip per second adds up to more than 3,000 gallons of lost water per year, according to Watersense.
Why Is My Faucet Dripping?
Faucets drip for several different reasons. Public water systems, including those around Portland, naturally contain minerals. Minerals can build up in pipes and fixtures. The pH level in water may corrode pipes. Faucets sometimes contain defective parts.
Back in the day, installing a new washer would fix most drips. Today, homes contain several types of faucets, and a worn washer isn’t always behind the leaks. Sometimes, installing a new faucet is the best way to stop a drip.
Some people still like to tinker with their plumbing, making multiple runs to the hardware store, taking wild a guess at what is causing the problem. Sometimes, it works out.
You can save yourself frustration by contacting a professional. Why not enjoy your free time while a plumber makes what is (for them) a straightforward repair. Besides wasting money, procrastinating on plumbing repairs inevitably leads to bigger problems.
Common Faucet Problems
Broken Pipes: Cracked pipes and fittings can mess with water pressure. Repairing them is the most involved type of fix for a leaking faucet. Fortunately, this cause of leaks isn’t too common.
Corrosion in a Valve Seat: Valve seats connect components in the faucet’s compression unit. If they corrode, they create leaks around the spout. Your plumber can help you clean the valve seat regularly to prevent corrosion.
Oh no, O-ring! Cartridge faucets can develop problems with their O-rings. The ring can loosen over time. If that happens, the handle may leak. Plumbers fix this problem by taking apart the fixture and replacing the O-ring.
A Loose Screw: Rings, screws and nuts wear out over time. If the fasteners get loose, the handle will wobble and leak water. A plumber may repair the leak by tightening some parts. Other times they may need to replace the faucet or some of its components.
Washed Out: Washer problems still cause woes for homeowners. A washer can wear out, or it may be the wrong size. If the washer isn’t installed correctly, your faucet will drip.
Broken Seals: Accumulating minerals and sediment damage the inlet and outlet seals on a disc faucet. Your plumber can help you replace the seals and may recommend regular cleaning and maintenance to prevent the problem.
Call Apollo Drain to Fix Your Leaking Faucet
We serve homes and businesses in the Portland-metro area. Contact us for help with your big or small plumbing problems. 503-395-0900.
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Fantastic customer service. We were out of town when tenants needed help with a plumbing issue. They let us know who was being dispatched to our house then followed up with a very detailed message post work. I would definitely use these guys again.
KATHERINE FRIEDMAN
I can’t say enough good things about this company. Had a sewer repair needed and had a very short amount of time due to closing on a house sale. Every single person I encountered from Marquita doing logistics for my job to every member of the work crew. Friendly, communicated well, totally responsive and really cared to help me through this very stressful job. All of the people I encountered were role models for what a well run service business should be. Much thanks and appreciation. You’re great.
SUSAN N
We had a leak and no hot water. Apollo came out same day and not only fixed the problem but made it better and gave us some good advice on our system. Very reasonable and great communication. Would definitely recommend.
GAIL SUPER
Don is always so helpful and knowledgeable. I really appreciate all the crew members on the Apollo team. I'm a Property Manager so typically I will have several projects for Apollo to address during a single visit. They are easy to interact with and EXCELLENT plumbers. I highly recommend Apollo.
ROSE DAYA
Scott, I would like to personally thank you for expediting our plumbing crisis we recently had. If the situation was not resolved immediately we would have had to close for a couple of days. This occured on a Friday for for us a pizza restaurant this would of been devastating. Thank you so much.
STARK STREET PIZZA COMPANY
It's my absolute pleasure to recommend Karen Johnson at Apollo Plumbing Service. I have had the pleasure of taking a class taught by Karen. Her knowledge and expertise is a huge advantage to my entire office. I know if I am in a pinch I can call the office and talk to someone! Their customer service is truly amazing, and I have had compliments from customers in the past.
NEXTHOME NW REALTY
We are a Wendy's Restaurant franchisee in Vancouver, Washington and I want to personally thank Scott and his crew at Apollo for invaluable and excellent service to our restaurants over the last several years. We have used Scott's company after failing miserably with Apollo's many competitors. We tried every one before discovering the extraordinary service we enjoy from Scott and his techs.
Thanks for postig this blog. I always encounter this problem i’m so stressed with this problem. What should I do? Do I need to replace it for a new one? Or I will just call a plumbing service?