How To Fix a Leaky Old Fashioned Faucet?

A leaky faucet not only annoys you day and night but also is the reason for expensive water bills and water wastage. Dripping water is a constant reminder to repair or replace the kitchen faucet. Fixing a leaky old-fashioned faucet is not an expensive task and most amateur DIYers can do it quickly with the right tools.

Common problems for an old leaky kitchen faucet are rust or corrosion in the valve, a worn-out washer, defective O-ring. When you detect a problem, you can easily fix the leakage issue.

Everyone has a different faucet in the kitchen so here in this how to fix a leaky old fashioned faucet guide, we are explaining solutions to fix leakage for all types of old faucet valves.

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Reason for Leakage in The Faucet

Before starting to repair an old-fashioned leaky faucet first you should have known what is the reason for its leakage. It makes the process a lot simple. There are underlying reasons for the leakage which we are describing here.

Inside the faucet, there is a stem or cartridge that controls the water flow. When you turn the handle washer and seal open and close against the water flow and work as a flow restrictor.

When this seal becomes worn out and does not fit properly at its place, continued water drips start from the faucet. Dripping water from the faucet affects the environment. Drought areas are increasing in the USA according to the report. So, save water to protect the environment.

Here are the common issues that cause leakage in the faucet.

Worn Out O-rings – If the base of the faucet is leaking then the reason is worn-out O-rings. O-rings are found under the spout assembly in any old faucet. Due to handling friction, it wears out with time. By replacing damaged O-rings, you can solve this problem.
Mineral Build-up – Magnesium and calcium minerals in the water create mineral build-up over the inlet parts of the faucet. This build-up affects the washer quality and with time washer becomes loose and the gap is created between the washer and the faucet which becomes the reason for the leakage.
Corrosion and Rust – these are common issues in every faucet. After a certain time period faucet’s inlet parts cover with rust and corrosion. There is not any permanent solution for rust so it would be better if you change the faucet.

How To Fix a Leaky Old Fashioned Faucet?

Now we will see what different solutions are available to fix a leaky old-fashioned faucet. Here are solutions according to the faucet valve. Whatever type of valve you have, first you need to turn off the water supply to the faucet.

Now arrange the required tools to fix a leaky faucet before disassembling the faucet. When you have all tools in your hand, it shortens the completion time of the task.

Adjustable wrench
Allen wrench
Scouring pads
Channel lock-pliers
Washers and seals
Screwdriver
New Cartridge
Penetrating oil
White vinegar

1. Fix a Leaky Old-Fashioned Compression Faucet

Remove Stem

First, remove the handle of the faucet. Remove the screw of the handle by using a screwdriver. Now loosen the stem from the faucet. An adjustable wrench is a good tool to remove the stem.

Replace Washer

Most compression faucets work on the washer. With time washer becomes useless and starts water dripping from the faucet. So, remove the washer from the faucet and insert a new one. Before inserting a new washer, put grease on the washer and stem so it easily faces friction.

Replace O-rings

If the water is leaking from the faucet handle in the compression faucet then the reason is O-rings. O-rings were worn out with time due to friction of the faucet handle. They are not expensive and can be replaced easily.

2. Fix a Leaky Old-Fashioned Cartridge Faucet

Remove The Handle

Cartridge valve is used in most modern faucets but some old faucets also use it. The cartridge is hidden inside the handle of the faucet, so first, remove the handle.

Remove the screw of the handle by using the screwdriver. Maybe the screw is hidden behind the cap so remove the cap of the handle then remove the screw.

Remove Old Cartridge

Once the handle is removed, you can clearly see the cartridge. You should nose-needle pliers to remove it. Make a tight grip of the plier on the cartridge and pull it.

Insert New Cartridge

Now check whether you need to replace the entire cartridge or only O-rings need to be replaced. Inspect the cartridge carefully. If only O-rings need replacement, remove the spout and pull O-rings. If rings are stuck then cut them with a knife.

If you are replacing the entire cartridge, match the stem ends and length of the cartridge with a new cartridge. An unmatched cartridge will create problems in the feature.

3. Fix a Leaky Old-Fashioned Ball Type Faucet

Finding the leaking part of the ball-type faucet is not easy. A ball-type faucet contains lots of parts so finding the right damaged part becomes difficult sometimes.

You need to replace parts one by one to check the leakage part. To make the process easy, you should install a new faucet because these are budget faucets.

If you still want to change ball-type faucet parts then loosen all parts using a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. In the ball-type faucet, there are rubber seats and springs that need to be changed to stop leaking.

4. Fix a Leaky Old-Fashioned Disc Faucet

Generally, disc faucets don’t have any leakage issues but when their inlet and outlet seal is worn out, the leak problem starts.

It is easy to replace these seals. You need to remove the handle and then you can see the inlet and outlet seal inside the faucet. Replace these old worn seals with new ones. Adjust the seal properly in its place so there is no gap for the leakage.

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Conclusion

In this guide, we have shown different types of faucet leakage issue and their solutions. While reaping leakage, you should wear safety gloves to avoid any cut on the hand. Also, cover sink drains with a towel so any small part of the faucet won’t fall into the drain. Clean the faucet regularly and grease it on time so chances of leakage in the faucet reduce.

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