Are you dealing with a faucet in your kitchen or bathroom that won’t stop dripping when it’s shut off? A dripping faucet is a fairly common plumbing issue that almost always results from one of the internal components in the body of the faucet wearing out. In this article, we’ll look at the most important parts of various faucet types to provide an overview of what can cause each type to keep dripping.
Understanding the Anatomy of a Faucet
In order for you to understand what can cause a faucet to keep dripping and perhaps isolate the issue on your own, it’s necessary to provide a quick overview of the different parts of a faucet and how they work to turn the water on and off. Although there are many different types of kitchen and bathroom faucets, they all basically have the same inner workings. For a single-handle faucet, the parts inside the body of the faucet between the base of the sink and the spout create a watertight seal and allow you to both turn the water on and off and adjust its temperature. If you have a two-handle faucet, you have the same components inside each handle.
The most important part of a faucet is the valve, which moves when you turn the handle to allow water to flow or shut the water off. This valve also controls how much water flows based on how far you have the handle open.
Most newer faucets have either a cartridge valve or a ceramic disc valve, but some single-handle faucets use a basic ball valve instead. If you have an older faucet, it may instead have a compression valve. Ball valves are round and have three holes in them. One hole is for the hot water, one is for the cold water, and the other supplies water to the spout. When the faucet is off, the holes that connect to the hot and cold water lines are blocked off. Opening the handle moves the ball valve so that one or both holes align with the water lines to allow water to flow. Ball valves also have washers and rubber O-rings that help to seal them when the water is shut off.
Cartridge valves are similar except that they have a plastic stem with a hole in it that’s located inside of a cylinder that also has a hole in it. When you turn the handle on, the stem turns so that its hole aligns with the hole in the cylinder to allow water to flow. If you have a two-handle faucet, there will be one valve in the hot handle and another in the cold handle. In a single-handle faucet, there is just one valve, which is also where the hot and cold water mix to control the temperature. Underneath a cartridge valve, there is also a rubber O-ring that seals the base.
Ceramic disc valves have two discs inside them that each have a hole. The bottom disc remains stationary and the upper disc spins when you turn the faucet on and off. As with the other types of valves, water only flows when the two holes are aligned.
Compression valves are the most basic type and consist of a threaded stem that moves up and down when you open or close the handle. Below this stem is a rubber washer commonly referred to as a valve seat. When the faucet is off, the washer creates a watertight seal around the stem to stop water from flowing.
How to Know Why a Faucet Keeps Dripping
Knowing what type of valve your faucet uses is always the first step in trying to figure out why it’s leaking. If a faucet with a ball valve is leaking, it usually means that one of the washers is corroded or one of the O-rings is worn out. It’s often possible to replace these components, but it requires fully dismantling the body of the faucet and removing the ball valve.
The main reason why a faucet with a cartridge valve will start dripping is also due to the O-ring that seals the cartridge wearing out. However, cartridge valves themselves can also wear out to where the stem never turns far enough to fully block off the two holes. In cases where a faucet with a cartridge valve is leaking, the best option for fixing it is always to just replace the valve.
If you have a sink with a compression valve that keeps dripping, it usually means that the valve seat is worn out or corroded. Replacing a valve seat is fairly difficult, and the valve seat in some compression faucets can’t be removed. When dealing with a compression faucet that’s dripping, we normally recommend just replacing the faucet. That’s because compression valves are far more likely to drip or leak compared to cartridge or ceramic disc valves.
Ceramic disc valves typically have the least chance of leaking, but the rotating disc can wear out over time to where it no longer fully seals. More commonly what ends up happening is that mineral deposits build up inside the valve and basically obstruct this disc from fully closing. In this case, sometimes all you need to do is remove the valve and clean out the deposits to stop the faucet from dripping.
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore a Dripping Faucet
Fixing a dripping faucet is sometimes a fairly easy task that you may be able to do yourself if you have the necessary tools. However, it really depends on what issue the faucet has and if you can determine what the issue is on your own. If you’re not that handy, it’s always best to hire a plumber to repair your dripping faucet since you could potentially end up ruining the faucet and having to replace it if you’re not careful.
What you should never do is ignore the issue and just let your faucet continue to drip. That’s because a dripping faucet wastes much more water than you may think. When a valve, O-ring or other part of a faucet wears out, it will often end up eventually dripping around once per second. At this rate, the faucet will typically waste between five and eight gallons of water per day or around 2,000 to 3,000 gallons in a year. That’s the equivalent of the amount of water that around 100 to 150 showers would typically use.
If you need help repairing a dripping faucet or installing a new one, you can turn to the expert plumbers at Childers Air Plumbing & Electric. We’ve been serving the Beckley area since 1951 and our friendly, experienced team is always ready to assist if you need any plumbing repairs or installation services. We have a strong reputation for performing top-quality work at affordable prices and providing the best customer service around. We’re also the company to trust for all of your home’s heating, air conditioning and electrical needs. When you choose us, you can be assured you’ll receive prompt service along with our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. To schedule an appointment to get your dripping faucet fixed or for any other home service, like bathroom plumbing repair, contact us today.
