How bad are leaky faucets anyway?

Sure, leaky faucet drips can be a nuisance. And it certainly doesn’t do your water bill (or the environment) any favors. But beyond that, how big of a deal is it really?

How much damage does a leaky faucet do?

If the leak is visible, you may not need to worry too much— after all, water is just dripping into a tub that’s designed to get wet. When, faith plumbingyou might think all Shower and bath materials are waterproof, but they are not. The main component of traditional tile grout and thin mortar is Portland cement, which does not block water. A constantly wet tub or sink can cause damage, even if it takes a long time to disassemble.

Moreover, as you know, this is a waste of water and money. U.S. Department of the Interior website has a handy calculator that shows that if you have a faucet that leaks 30 times a minute, you’re wasting 8.6 gallons of water per day.

How to fix a leaky faucet

If the leak is visible (i.e. not behind a wall), it may be easy to fix. per home depotif you don’t have one already, grab these supplies to fix a leaky faucet.

• Minus driver
• wrench
• needle nose pliers
• hex key
• faucet repair kit
• faucet cartridge or stem
• silicone faucet grease
• old rag

Before you start, turn off the water to your home. So:

• Fully open the shower faucet and flush out any remaining water.
• Place a rag in the tub over the drain to keep dropped items from falling down.
• Unscrew the faucet handle (the screw may be under the center cap and can be pried off).
• Remove the faceplate behind the handle.
• Pull off (or unscrew) the metal sleeve that this reveals.
• If there is a locking clip on top of the valve, remove it with pliers, but it may not be there.
• Use a wrench to grasp the nut at the base of the stem and loosen it.
• Loosen the cartridge with a wrench. If necessary, stop here and take it to the store to find a matching replacement if you don’t already have it.
• If you have a new cartridge, put it on the empty valve and tighten it with a wrench.
• Replace the locking clip, valve sleeve, faceplate, shower handle and cover.

If it’s still leaking after you’ve showered and tested it, you should probably contact your plumber.

Signs of hidden water leaks

If your faucet or shower head is leaking into your tub or sink, you know you have a leak. But if there is a water leak behind the wall, it may not be noticed immediately. angiea service that connects skilled workers and customers, says you should always look out for these 9 signs of a hidden water leak:

• The bathroom smells musty even after cleaning
• Mildew or mildew in your bathroom (this you should clean so as not to spread)
• Damaged paint or wallpaper in the form of blisters and blotches
• Damaged walls, like drywall foam
• humidity in the cabinet
• Damaged flooring (buckled, cracked, stained, etc.)
• swaying toilet
• loose faucet
• dirt on the ceiling

If you can’t see a leak, you’ll need a professional plumber to access the pipe and fix it. Don’t put this off. because you can’t see it. Because I don’t know how bad it is.