Tips on Repairing a Cartridge Faucet

A cartridge faucet is one of the most simple home repairs you can make in the life of your home. Just about anyone can repair a faulty cartridge faucet, regardless of how much plumbng experience or know how they may possess. A cartridge faucet can be used in your kitchen or bath and is a relatively quick and simple addition which pays off in the long run with the ease and simplicity of repairing this type of faucet when the need arises. And as all home owners are aware, we will have to repair them one day. Which is why when choosing an addition for our home, we should always keep in mind how easy and inexpensive the item will be to repair if it's ever required for us to do so.

In most cartridge faucets, the source of a leak usually springs from the interior cartridge. The interior cartridge has been known to wear out and fail over time. However, as avid users of these types of faucets are aware, they were developed to be easy to repair. If your faucet leaks from the spout you may need to replace the seats and springs. If it continues to leak once you have repaired this then you may need to replace the cartridge to. If your faucet leaks from around the handles that means the O rings around the cartridge are bad and need to be replaced. This means you'll need to buy a new kit with a new cartridge and o rings. The first step in repairing a cartridge faucet is purging the water lines. And you do this by turning off all sources of water running to the faucet. This is very easily accomplished by simply looking underneath the faucet where you will find a shut off valve. If not, then shut off all water by turning the main water valve. In most homes, the shut off valve is located underneath the sink. Now after shutting off the water, turn the handles on the sink so that all water in the lines has run out and the lines are clear. After shutting off the water it will then be necessary to remove the handles from the sink by unscrewing them. Use a screw driver or butter knife to pop off the protective rubber or plastic caps, being very careful not to leave any scratches behind. Most of these are held on by small retaining screws located underneath the handles, which are easily removed with a small screwdriver. Then you will need to unscrew the large nut that holds the cartridge in place. If you are not aware of the part that you meed to repair the faucet just carry the pieces along with you to the hardware store.

The kits needed to repair these faucets are easily found at local hardware stores and home centers. These kits are affordable and the repair process is very simple. Experts suggest that leaks oftentimes happen on the hot side of the faucet, however when repairs are needed on one side you should go ahead and replace the parts on both sides of the faucet. for more information on repairing a leaking or faulty cartridge faucet visit www.ehow.com or www.homedepot.com.