Dripping faucet in the bathroom - how to fix it?

Even the most reliable equipment sometimes fails. Water taps are no exception. There comes a time when a seemingly serviceable device begins to leak. This is extremely unpleasant - not only is the sound itself annoying and the water flow increases, there is still a risk of flooding the neighbors. Dripping faucet in the bathroom - how to fix it? Is it possible to do it yourself or is it better to immediately call the plumbing? This will be discussed in the article.

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Why is water flowing?

Any phenomenon has its own reasons. If a tap is dripping, what to do first, and then what? The answer is simple - do not try to repair with the help of an “unscientific poke”, but to find out exactly what happened. There can be many reasons:

• low-quality crane;
• installation errors;
• violation of operating rules;
• aging equipment.

Good and bad

Try to remember where you bought the crane and at what price. Have you come across a cheap fake for a famous brand? There are quite a lot of Chinese goods at bargain prices in plumbing stores, but they usually do not last long. If you recently changed equipment and tried to save money, it is possible that the crane is made of low-quality materials and with violations of technology, so it is better to remove it immediately and put in a new one.

Important! As you know, the avaricious pays twice, so it’s better to buy good equipment from a trusted manufacturer, even if it will cost a little more. Then there is a high probability that the problem of a dripping tap in the near future will definitely not bother you.

Installation Errors

It happens that an expensive branded crane starts to leak quite quickly. It is very likely that it was simply installed incorrectly. You tried to do it yourself, although there is no proper experience? It is possible that they did something wrong. Call the plumber and ask for a check.

How do you use it?

Rate how you use the tap. Quite often, plumbing equipment begins to deteriorate if one of the households has “crooked hands”. Water starts to drip if you systematically:

• close the valve not completely;
• push it too hard;
• turn the valve at the wrong angle;
• push on the nose.

Important! Practice shows that it is improper operation - the most common cause of damage to plumbing equipment.

Knot aging

A faucet is dripping in the bathroom - how to fix it if the equipment is used correctly, but it has been installed for a long time? The mere fact that the crane has served for a long time indicates that it was manufactured at a good enterprise and correctly installed. But the natural aging of materials and structural elements is, unfortunately, an inevitable process. There can be two outputs:

• replace the tap completely;
• replace individual parts.

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Where does it pour from?

What to do if water is dripping from the tap? See what and where it pours. Water can:

• oozing out from under the valve;
• flow from the spout with a tightly closed valve;
• leak at the junction of the mixer and spout;
• oozing at the junction of the sink and mixer;

The most common breakdowns in the kitchen

Most often, water pours out from under the valve. There are some of the most vulnerable parts that break down most often. If water is dripping from a tap, what should I do? First of all, pay attention to the details:

• gasket;
• stuffing box;
• axle box.

Important! Gaskets wear out very quickly.It’s best to immediately buy a few and keep them in reserve so that at the right time you don’t have to rush headlong into the store. This small rubber ring erases faster if the tap is not tightly closed or too tight.

Do the laying

If the desired item was not at home, it can be done. The best material for this is a piece of bicycle tire. You need to cut exactly the same size and shape as it was.

Important! Homemade gaskets usually last longer than store ones - precisely because they are cut out of good bicycle rubber.

The gasket is changed as follows:

1. Remove the lever.
2. Unscrew the screw - you need to get into the working part of the crane.
3. Remove the ball and seals.
4. Remove the gasket.
5. Install a new one.
6. Secure it with a plastic nut.

Stuffing box

The oil seal is also made of rubber, and it can also be made independently and replaced. The process is the same as in the manufacture of gaskets, only other rubber is needed. Most suitable is a pharmacy cork - one that is filled with vials of penicillin or something similar.

Important! Homemade oil seal will not last long, no more than a month, so this is rather an emergency measure.

If gaskets break too often

Determining whether the gasket really needs to be replaced is quite simple: the new one has straight edges, the old one has torn or frayed ones.

Important! If you make the necessary part yourself and want it to serve as long as possible, do not forget to make a chamfer on the lower edge so that the part fits snugly and does not vibrate when you turn the water supply on and off.

If you noticed that the gaskets have to be changed too often, look at the condition of the saddle. Most likely, scratches appeared on it, which happens quite often. It must be sanded. To do this, you need a special drill element - cone. Install it in the same way as a drill, and the process itself takes several minutes.

Axle box

You figured out the gasket and the gland, but still water is dripping from the tap - what to do in this case? Most likely, in this case, it oozes from the spout, which means that it is not in the order of the box. This unit controls the flow of water. It must sometimes be changed. It is not difficult to put it on your own, but you need to buy the unit itself, and it is exactly the same as your crane.

Important! The most unpleasant situation is the appearance of rust or salt deposits. Sometimes they fall into the cavity of the crane, and in this case there is only one way out - a complete replacement.

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Joint between faucet and spout

In this case, you should also check the gaskets first. However, another reason is also possible - for example, the spout itself has untwisted. So it’s better to act in this order:

1. Check the condition of the gaskets.
2. Replace if necessary.
3. Look at the condition of the hoses - they can also be replaced.
4. Check that all connections are fully tightened.

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Between faucet and sink

If water trickles where the faucet connects to the sink, there are three reasons:

• the crane was poorly screwed during installation;
• the structure loosened during operation;
• the gasket between the sink and the faucet is erased.

The way out of the situation is simple:

1. Remove the tap.
2. Replace gasket.
3. Reinstall the tap.
4. Tighten all elements tightly.
5. Fill the joint with silicone sealant.

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Faucet in bathroom

In bathrooms there are taps of different designs. Sometimes these are faucets mounted on the sink. They have almost the same device as the kitchen ones. But more often there are others with a more complex device, because they serve both to fill the bathtub and to use the shower.

How to repair the faucet in the bathroom if it is dripping? To begin with - deal with the nodes. Such a crane, among other things, has:

• locking unit;
• faucet / shower switch.

Problems

Repairing can be prompted not only by annoying drops or a trickle. There may be other problems requiring intervention:

• rumble upon opening;
• tight valve;
• weak trickle;
• the switch does not work well - when you want to take a shower, water flows both from the shower and from the tap.

In modern apartments there are cranes of both new and old type. They repair them in different ways.

Old crane

Old-style cranes serve for a long time, because they do not have so many parts, respectively - they break less often. Repair is carried out in the following order:

1. Block hot and cold water on the riser.
2. Open the taps and let the water drain completely.
3. Remove the cap from the valve.
4. Remove the screw that secures the valve.
5. Remove the valve.
6. Disconnect the axle box with an adjustable wrench - you need to turn it clockwise.
7. Replace gasket.
8. If necessary, replace the axle box (for example, if the crane hummed).
9. Assemble the device.

New crane

It differs from the old one in that there is no axle box in it. It has a cartridge with ceramic plates. If a ceramic faucet is dripping - what to do then? It is simply arranged:

1. There are 2 ceramic plates that are fixed relative to each other.
2. Between them is a mixing chamber - a tiny gap.
3. When you open or close the water, the position of the cartridge changes relative to the seat, which leads to a change in temperature and water pressure.

Repair the crane in the following order:

1. Shut off the water.
2. Release that water which remained in the crane.
3. Use a screwdriver to pry the plug under the lever.
4. Find the locking screw - it is located just under the plug.
5. Unscrew it with a hex screwdriver.
6. Remove the decorative cap.
7. Cut out the cartridge - this is done with an adjustable wrench.
8. Insert a new cartridge.
9. Assemble the device in the reverse order.

During installation, special care should be taken to ensure that all the spikes fit exactly into the grooves.

Important! The two-valve ceramic faucet is repaired in the same order.

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What other malfunctions are there?

The bathroom owner may also encounter other troubles - mostly minor ones. They can also be dealt with without the help of a plumber:

• hose leakage;
• weak soul pressure.

Hoses are easy to replace, the most important thing is to choose those that are suitable for your crane in the store.

With a weak pressure from the shower, two outputs are possible:

• replace the nozzle;
• clean the device to remove salt deposits.

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Change the mixer

Sometimes a situation arises when replacing gaskets and packing is not enough. I have to change the mixer. In this case, proceed in the following order:

1. As always, start by shutting off the water and draining the liquid that remains in the tap.
2. Disconnect the mixer from the pipes with an adjustable wrench.
3. Screw the base cups onto the pipes.
4. Put gaskets.
5. Screw the mixer - first by hand, then tighten with an adjustable wrench.
6. Open water, check for leaks.
7. If necessary, seal joints with plumbing dirt or special thread.
8. Turn on the shower / bath switch, first manually, then with a key.
9. Connect the shower hose.
10. Put a watering can.
11. Connect the taps.

Important! All connections must be tight, but excessive force must not be used during installation, otherwise you risk tearing the thread.

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Stock footage

It is quite possible for a home master to cope with such a repair. The main thing is not to put off the matter in a long drawer and take up the crane immediately, as you noticed that it is leaking. And what exactly you have to do, you now know.