What to Do About a Leaking Faucet

If you have a dripping or leaking faucet in your faucet, it can be a very frustrating problem. It's also possible that your leak is a signal that there are more serious problems with your faucet, pipes, or another part of your plumbing system. If your faucet drips or leaks from one of its connection points when it's turned off, it could be the result of a number of different problems, including corroded pipes, defective gaskets, or mineral deposits, just to name a few.

Allowing this problem to go untreated will only result in you needing more complicated (and more expensive) repairs in the future, so it's very important that you have the problem taken care of as soon as possible. Fortunately, there may be simple repairs for the problems that you can take care of on your own if you act quickly enough. If you're not able to solve the problem, the professional St. Louis plumbers at Hosack Plumbing, Heating & Cooling can take care of the job quickly and professionally.

The Facts

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, plumbing leaks can waste up to 10,000 gallons of water per household every year. Along with leaks in toilet flappers and leaking valves, dripping faucets are among the most common leaks in homes, and fixing these leaks can easily save you up to 10% of your average water bill.

Because dripping faucets can waste such a significant amount of water, leaking faucets are a major environmental concern. By not taking care of a faucet that's leaking in your St. Louis home, you're wasting both money and valuable resources.

So What's Making Your Faucet Leak?

Here are a few common causes of faucet leaks:

• Loose parts - Your faucets are made up of several smaller parts, and over time, the inner-workings of a faucet can start to come loose. When any part of your St. Louis home's faucets come loose, they can cause leakage at the handle of the faucet. You may need to have these parts replaced, or tightening them may solve the problem.
• Worn out seals - Disc faucets have inlet and outlet seals that are necessary to the way they function, and which can become worn over time with constant use and sediment build up. This could be causing your faucet to leak. Our plumbers recommend that you have sediment flushed and cleaned out regularly in order to make sure that your faucet functions properly. You may also need to have the seals replaced.
• Broken plumbing - It is possible that another part of your plumbing system is broken and is causing your faucet to leak. For instance, if a pipe in your St. Louis home's plumbing system cracks, it can change your water pressure, which could end up causing the leak. Call our professional plumbers to have your plumbing system evaluated.