Tap and faucet problems are common in both commercial and residential building. If left unattended, it can cost you a lot of money, both regarding repair services, as well as by increasing your water bills. It’s also wasting precious drinkable, which means your money and a scarce resource is going down the drain. If you suspect you need tap repair services, you shouldn’t hesitate to seek help from Your Plumber Guys‘ team of professional plumbers. Tap repair might not be as simple as it seems, and often if you try to find and fix the problem yourself, you’re just providing a temporary solution. You might need to turn off your main water supply, which could be challenging if you live in an apartment complex or a shared building.
Here is a list of tap/faucet repair guide to help you temporarily solve the problem during emergency cases.
Ball-type faucet repair
Ball-type faucet repair
- Shut off water supply valves, then drain the lines by turning the faucet on.
- Use an Allen wrench to loosen the set screw holding the handle in place and remove the handle.
- Loosen and remove the adjusting ring by using the special wrench provided in the repair kit.
- To remove the cap, use pliers and turn counter-clockwise. Protect cap finish with a cloth.
- Remove spout assembly.
- Remove cam assembly by pulling up on ball shaft. You may need to use pliers.
- Removing seats and springs is best done by inserting a pencil or sharp tool into the seat assembly and gently lifting it out. Check and clean inlet ports before replacing seats and springs.
- To replace “O” rings on the body, use a sharp tool to pry away from the body. Roll new correct size “O” ring into place.
- When reassembling, be sure to align slot in the ball with a pin in body and key on cam with slot in the body.
- Hand-tighten the cap, then screw adjusting ring into place with a special wrench and replace the handle. Turn on the water and check for leaks. If necessary, further tighten the adjusting ring.
Cartridge-type faucet repair
Cartridge-type faucet repair
- Shut off water supply valves, then drain the lines by turning the faucet on.
- Pry off the decorative cover and remove screw cap.
- Pull spout assembly off.
- Pull retainer clip from its slot.
- Using pliers, lift cartridge out of the body. Note the position of cartridge ears so that when replacing, they are in identical position.
- Remove “O” rings by prying away from the body and rolling new ones into place, or replace entire cartridge.
- Reverse procedure for reassembly.
Disc-type faucet repair
Disc-type faucet repair
- Shut off water supply valves, and drain the lines by turning the faucet on.
- Lift handle up as far as possible and loosen the set screw.
- Lift handle off and unscrew the cap.
- Loosen screws holding ceramic disc cartridge in the body and lift cartridge out.
- On the underside of the cartridge are the set of seals that should be replaced. Check and clean inlet ports.
- Reassemble by reversing the above procedure, being sure cartridge holes align with inlet ports.
Stem-type faucets
Stem-type faucets
- Shut off water supply valves, then drain the lines by turning both faucets handles on.
- Pry off decorative cap on the handle and remove the screw holding the handle.
- Gently pry off the handle with a screwdriver or use a faucet handle puller.
- Use pliers or wrench to remove stem locknut/bonnet.
- Depending on the style of faucet, either unscrew stem or lift up to remove the stem cartridge from the faucet body.
- To replace the stem washer, remove the brass screw (Fig. 3) and replace the washer.
- To resurface a worn or pitted faucet seat, insert faucet reseating tool as shown in (Fig.4). Press lightly and turn the handle clockwise several times. Check for smoothness and be sure to remove filings with a damp cloth.
- To remove an old seat, use faucet wrench (Fig. 5) and turn counter-clockwise, then lift it out. When installing a new seat, use pipe joint compound on outside threads of the seat to ensure a good seal.
- Leaks at the faucet handle can usually be stopped by replacing the packing washer (Fig. 6). If you do not have or cannot get the correct washer, string packing (Fig. 7) can be wound clockwise around the stem using 1-1/2 times as much thickness as would be required to fill the packing nut. When the nut is tightened, the packing compresses into solid form and acts as a seal.
- Newer cartridge stems simply require the replacement of “O” rings to eliminate leaks.
For more information, make sure you contact us for a proper investigation and plumbing services.