How To Repair Leaking Delta Sink

Dan has been in the HVAC industry for 23 years with experience ranging from installation and service to sales and distribution.

Simple 2 handle bathroom faucet. — Simple ii handle bathroom faucet.

Daniel Robbins

Need to replace a leaky sink or shower faucet? Here's an like shooting fish in a barrel repair guide to become the job done inexpensively (and a quick tip to quiet the noise from a dripping faucet until you lot can make that repair!).

The Deafening Sound of a Leaky Faucet

You're laying in bed when y'all determine to kill the lights, turn off the Boob tube and turn in for the night. It's not too long earlier you notice the "drip, baste, baste" noise coming from the bathroom. Y'all endeavor to ignore it..."drip, drip". You embrace your head with the pillow simply the audio simply keeps getting louder and louder..."DRIP, DRIP". You lot can hardly hear yourself think and up you get to meet what you can exercise to make it stop!

I know. It sounds a lot like "The Tell-Tale Center" but you accept to admit, information technology tin seem that mode when the faucet starts to leak. Perhaps you're improve at tuning things like this out than I am but for me, trying to ignore my shower fixture was nearly impossible.

Well, I have some good news. Fixing that pesky baste tin can be quite unproblematic and even better, may only cost you lot a couple of dollars. Let me testify y'all how.

Finding the Correct Replacement Faucet Cartridge

The first thing y'all'll want to do is to detect the proper replacement part for your leaking faucet. Knowing the model of faucet you have can ofttimes assistance to find a replacement before you start the repair only if yous don't have that information, remove the trouble part and take information technology with you to the store to match information technology upwards with a universal replacement part. In this example, the leaking bath sink problem volition be a bad cartridge located in the faucet handle.

Notation: Cartridges may exist specific to the hot and cold sides of the faucet. Make certain you get the right 1.

How to Repair a Leaky Faucet, Step by Step

Turn off the water supply to the sink. Unremarkably, there will be a close off under the sink but if not, locate the main valve in the water line and shut information technology downward from in that location.
Next, remove the cap on the handle of the faucet. Some may vary a scrap but hither y'all can see information technology's quite easy to locate and remove.
Now that the cap is off, remove the screw that is holding the handle in place and elevator the handle off the faucet.
And then, remove the beauty ring if you have i. If there is a hex top on the beauty ring, you should be fine to but loosen information technology with a wrench. If non, place a rag around the band earlier wrenching on information technology to avert damaging the finish.
Lastly, remove the cartridge. It should wiggle out fairly easily with your hand.
Supplant the cartridge. Be certain that it is seated so that the handle turns off and on properly earlier putting it all dorsum together once again. Otherwise, your handle may turn to the wrong positions from where information technology was before. Many of these cartridges are finicky this mode but simple to figure out.
Enjoy! Yous'll sleep like a baby without that abrasive drip and information technology only took a couple of dollars and a few minutes of your fourth dimension.

Let's movement on to that shower. It'southward slightly different but just every bit uncomplicated with a couple minor, potential differences.

Photo Guide for Faucet Repairs

This is a quarter turn valve. When turned a quarter of a circle, the water is off/on. You may have a smaller chrome style of this under your sink that will work just as well.

This is a quarter turn valve. When turned a quarter of a circumvolve, the water is off/on. Yous may have a smaller chrome manner of this under your sink that will work just as well.

Make sure y'all're using a quality Teflon record for this chore since the chances are you lot won't be wanting to disassemble your faucet someday soon. I've been using this Everflow Teflon tape for years with very good results. Information technology sticks and seals very well.

Replacing a Faucet Washer

Replacing a faucet washer is just as easy as the cartridge and even less expensive. Here, we will be repairing a leaky shower faucet but the method would exist the same if your sink has this sort of washer as opposed to a cartridge equally we've seen higher up.

NOTE: You want to be sure you lot buy the right size washer replacement. When in incertitude, remove the onetime ane and take information technology to the shop with you to lucifer it up with a new one.

How to Repair a Leaky Shower Faucet, Step past Step

Turn off the water supply to the shower. This may be in an access panel on the wall backside the shower or you may have to close off the main line as shown higher up.
Remove the cap on the end of the handle.
Remove the screw holding the handle on. This again will likely be a Philips screw.
Now, remove the beauty band if you accept i to betrayal the valve stem. Over again, be careful of your finish and use a rag to protect the slice.
Remove the valve stalk. This stalk should have a hex area for you to place your pliers (channel locks) and grab hold tightly.
Remove the screw that is property the condom washer onto the end of the valve and remove the erstwhile washer.
Put the new washer in place and secure it back downwards with the screw yous just removed.
Utilize Teflon tape to the threads that yous will be screwing back into the fixture.
Put the faucet back together in the same fashion you'd removed information technology.

Scroll to Continue

Photo Guide for Repairing a Leaky Shower Faucet

How to Cease the Noise of a Leaking Faucet

If this may non exist something y'all're going to do right away, I practise have a tip for at least curing the noise that annoys y'all. Tie a string from the dripping faucet to the base where the water lands.

The water volition now run quietly down the string to the basin and never will a "blip" be heard. This will also show you how rusty the h2o is since the cord volition brainstorm to "dark-brown" from the h2o. This may tell you that it's fourth dimension to flush that water tank.

The Benefits of Fixing a Leaky Faucet

Bated from not having to listen to that "baste, drip, drip" all dark long, at that place are other benefits from taking care of this trouble.

Saving Money: A leaking faucet does price money. Depending on the severity of the leak, it may not be much but information technology volition pay for those washers y'all bought. If it's bad, it could exist noticeable in your water bill.
Avoiding Water Stains and Deposits: This boring leak can increase the rate at which deposits build up on the filter in the faucet, thus blocking up the flow of water or consistency of the stream. It can also crusade staining around the drain.
Deterring Mold Growth: If there is a faucet leaking that isn't used regularly, mold will eventually begin to grow in the sink where the water is being splashed too. This light mist of water makes a clammy surface where mold tin can brainstorm to grow and once information technology establishes a foothold, it will grow quite speedily from there and now we're talking almost bad smells and potential health concerns.

Sink Aerators / Faucet Screen

Easy to Do Yourself

This is definitely one of those repairs y'all don't want to have to pay big sums of money to accept done. With a couple of simple household tools and a few dollars for a replacement office, you can fix this problem easily and in just a few minutes. The repairs shown to the shower and faucet in this article took a full of 20 minutes to do both. For even the less mechanically inclined, this is a repair that takes just minutes.

Of course, every bit ever, when in dubiety don't judge. Guessing at a household repair can cause further damage and cease up costing more money than is necessary. Never strength something to fit or use parts that are not meant for the repair.

Happy plumbing and sleep easy with that annoying sound in the by.

Demand More Plumbing Tips?

Unclogging a Sink Bleed in the Bathroom or Elsewhere
Learn how to go rid of that standing water in your sink. Liquid bleed cleaners don't e'er work and it requires a bit more effort but knowing how you can do this yourself can save you large coin.
Anyone Can Set A Leaking Water Pipe Fast and Like shooting fish in a barrel Us...
Burst a h2o line? Need to add a water line? No trouble. Meet how yous tin exercise it yourself fast, easy and much cheaper than calling a plumber. It really is a snap! No soldering needed!

This article is authentic and true to the best of the writer's knowledge. Content is for advisory or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Becky H on Baronial 23, 2022:

I'thousand having a heck of a fourth dimension trying to get the stems out of my bathtub faucet, information technology's an American standard I'm pretty sure. Whoever put it in must have been very confident it would never take to be worked on bcoz they made the holes for the pipes to go through exactly large enough to fit the pipes through. I tin can't get any kind of a tool in to the hex nuts to remove the stems from either side. And I'm not sure what I can practise to brand room for a toil without wrecking the faucet. Do y'all have any advice? Thank you.

Pat Derks on April 29, 2022:

What if you didveverthing right and the faucet still drips?

David from Idaho on June 28, 2022:

We live out in the country and have a well, with plenty of hard h2o. Our faucets don't concluding as well long out here but I'll save your info when I have to alter out the parts on the tub.

Voted up and useful

Rhys Baker from Peterborough, UK on June 25, 2022:

I love the pace-by-step photograph procedures: it really makes this hub! Sound, practical and useful advice. Voted upwards!

Dan Reed (author) on June 24, 2022:

@ All my HubScribers - Cheers. I'm glad these hubs are helpful. That is 100% my aim when I write these. Help people empathize their homes so they can either repair it themselves or take a skilful understanding and then they know what is they are being told by their service providers. Thank you all for stopping by and your very kind comments.

summerberrie on June 23, 2022:

Cre8tor, your hubs are and so useful. I am going to bookmark them all!!! What a talent for making something frustrating seem easy and doable. Your writing and illustrations almost brand me want a dripping faucet so I can fix it.

Marcy Goodfleisch from Planet World on June 23, 2022:

I think your entire collection of hubs was designed to help me with my home maintenance! I accept ane of the double sinks in my principal bath turned off due to a persistent drip, and I just replaced (courtesy of my son's skill at plumbing) the faucet in my kitchen. If nosotros don't gear up leaks right abroad, they cause considerable damage, and they also waste far more water than we realize. Voted up and upwardly, and shared!

healthyjoe from Melbourne Australia on June 22, 2022:

Some articles are near informative, although I know how to change a cartridge (tap washer). Done many in my time, no i am not a plumber.

Dan Reed (writer) on June 22, 2022:

My new invention...."The Drip Trip". It'due south a string in a bag. I'll be rich!

Robie Benve from Ohio on June 22, 2022:

Smashing information! I take a leaky faucet, just since it does non drip gallons a day and can not be heard from the sleeping accommodation, I've permit information technology be. Calling a plumber for something that small may not exist worth the cost... but let me share this with my married man and see if he'south in the mood for some DIY. :)

alliemacb from Scotland on June 22, 2022:

This is such a useful hub. My dad taught me how to fix a dripping tap before I left home simply I hadn't heard the cord idea earlier - very handy.

Yvonne Spence from UK on June 22, 2022:

We had a tap (UK for faucet) that dripped for months and 2 plumbers said information technology couldn't be fixed - I can't remember why but something to exercise with its position in the eye of the bath. However, somehow my husband (who is non a plumber) managed to prepare information technology. I have a feeling this hub would have come in handy for getting it stock-still a lot sooner.

Nettlemere from Burnley, Lancashire, UK on June 22, 2022:

That string tip is really neat and definitely the way to become. I declare that all baths and sinks should take a piece of string hanging ready for emergency purposes!