The Best Way to Fix a Kitchen Leaky Faucet

The Most Common Causes of Kitchen Plumbing Leaks

The first step is going to be to identify your problem. You will want to clear any items or chemicals from under your sink, so you will have a good view and plenty of work area. A leaky faucet and plumbing leaks can be caused from many sources.

There are a few reasons why you may be seeing water around or under your sink:

• Leaky faucets
• Sink rim leaks
• Loose/Cracked pipes
• Drain leaks
• Supply leaks
• Garbage disposal issues

Identifying and Repairing Your Leaky Faucet

Determine if leaky faucets are the cause:

Many times, this type of leak will be very noticeable. Water standing around the back of the sink is the first clue, but occasionally, the leak will be on the underside of the sink. These leaks are usually caused by worn cartridges, washers, O-rings or valve seats.

The procedure used will depend on the type of faucet you own, but it is normally a quick fix. You may decide to just replace the entire faucet altogether. Before you begin the project, make sure water supply is cut off. It is imperative to remember the order you remove each part, so there is no confusion during reassembly.

Are you having a kitchen sink rim leak?

 These types of leaks can take a while before being noticed. Water will seep under the edge of the sink, remaining undetected. Unfortunately, this can cause significant water damage, including rotten wood and mold growth.

Some things to look out for are missing caulk around the sink, dampness inside the cabinet, loose faucet or damage to laminate countertops. Inspecting the underside of the counter can usually help you pinpoint the spot of the leak. If you are unable to tell, you may squeeze water around the rim of the sink and then inspect for leaks.

Before attempting to rectify the problem, you must inspect your kitchen cabinets. If the damage is too severe, cabinets and/or countertops will need replacing. If there is only slight damage, you should start by making sure the faucet is good and tight. Then, check the sink mounting brackets to make sure they are secure. Lastly, you should remove all old caulking from around faucet and sink rim, then recaulk.

Could your kitchen plumbing issue be loose or cracked pipes?

If you are unsure, the first thing you need to do is find the exact location of the leak. The easiest way to do this is by making sure the pipe is completely dry, then run a small amount of water down the drain, while watching for dripping water.

More often than not, the water will be escaping from a loose joint or connector. This will usually only require tightening with a pipe wrench. If this doesn’t seem to work, you will need to check for blockages next. Some chemicals can do the trick for this, but an auger works even better.

After trying these two steps to no avail, the leak is most likely due to cracks or corrosion in the trap. In this case, P-trap should be removed and replaced.

Kitchen drain leak:

This is pretty easy to diagnose. Just fill the sink and wipe around the drain basket under the sink to check for the presence of water.

The basket is usually held in place by a lock nut that will need to be removed first. Once you have the strainer basket out, you will need to scrape away all the old remaining putty. Then replace the basket with the new one and seal with fresh putty or silicone, depending on your sink requirements. If you still can’t fix the leaky faucet you may need to call a plumbing professional.

Water supply leak detection:

A leaky faucet could be the issue or a water supply leak could also be the problem. Here’s a leak detection trick to try. If one of your supply lines somehow manages to get a hole in it, you will know it immediately. These lines are constantly under high pressure, so if they get punctured water will be spraying from the hole uncontrollably.

If it is a slow leak, you will need to turn on each temperature knob, one at a time, to determine which one of your lines are leaking. Once you find which line is faulty, you will need to remove it. You will unscrew each connecting end with a crescent wrench to unhook the line. It is recommended to place a bucket under your work area to avoid a mess from any remaining water in the lines.

Make sure you remove the old Teflon tape from the connector and replace with 3-4 new layers. You will install the new water supply line just like you removed the old one. Once you are done, turn on each line full pressure, one at a time, making sure there are no longer any leaks.

Kitchen plumbing or garbage disposal problem?

You may find that water pooling under your sink is coming from your garbage disposal. This may be somewhat intimidating, but it can still be a relatively easy fix.

There are four areas where your garbage disposal may spring a leak:

• The dishwasher hose. This is the hose that connects the dishwasher to the garbage disposal.
• The sink flange. This is the area directly under the sink where the disposal connects to the strainer basket area of the sink.
• The drain. The is where the drainage pipe connects to the side of the garbage disposal.
• The bottom of the appliance. You may see water leaking directly from the bottom of the garbage disposal.

To find your leak, you will need to fill your sink with a small amount of water. While it is still plugged, check to see if there is any visible water around disposal. If there is, then you know your issue is with the sink flange. Oftentimes, this can be resolved by unhooking the disposal from the sink, removing old putty, and resealing.

If there is no water present, unplug sink and observe the other areas for seeping water. When the water is coming from the drain or hose, it is usually due to a faulty seal. This is generally an easy fix, depending on your disposal model. The last place you want to see water coming from is the bottom of the disposal. If this occurs, it is your best bet just to replace the entire unit.

For more kitchen and bathroom ideas on Stagetecture, take a look at our archives.

Water problems in a home occur in cities with municipally supplied water and in homes with a well. The best way to treat water problems is to first identify their cause. However, many common problems that face homeowners can easily be solved if the right treatment is used.

Image via: Richard Trask

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The Solution

The best way to solve water problems is to have a water softener or electronic water conditioning system installed in your home like scalewatcher. This is a proven product for homes that have hardwater and limescale problems. The unit that is added to the water system helps to remove limescale – and if it doesn’t work, customers get their money back.

For further information about Scalewatcher, watch this short video:

Here are 5 common water problems in the home:

Hard Water 

This is the most common problem with homes that have a well as the source or water. Hard water from a well is not typically treated to remove minerals and other dissolved solids. However, homes that have municipally supplied water also face hard water problems. The addition of a water conditioner is the best way to get rid of hard water.

Odour and Taste

Water that is not conditioned to remove dissolved solids can often have a bad taste or smell bad. These dissolved solids typically consist of iron, hydrogen sulphide, and other chemicals can cause your water to smell like strong chlorine or rotten eggs. The best way to solve this problem is to filter water using a sink-mounted filter or a whole house water filter.

Water Spots

This is a problem that typically occurs when clear glasses, silverware and dishes in a dishwasher. If the water is not treated to remove minerals, then this will be a common occurrence. Minerals in water may leave spots on glassware, fixtures, shower doors, and even on clothes. This problem can be corrected if you have a water conditioner installed. The unit will treat water by using salt to remove particles found in water that cause spots.

Image via: Fabrizia Frezza Architecture & Interiors

Rust Stains

The occurrence of rust stains on clothes, in a sink, or in a tub is the result of iron in your water. Iron is a substance that will typically leave a red or sometimes brown stain on fixtures and clothes. Rust stains are a main reason that money and time is spent to clean or purchase ruined clothes. Iron that is in water can also be the reason why there is a metallic taste when drinking water at home. You can get rid of the iron in your water by installing a new water conditioner.

Additional Information 

If you see that water leaking from pipes leaves a greenish blue stain on piping, then there the water has a high acid content. This can occur on the outside of pipes and on the fixtures of a sink and is the result of acid eating away the inside of your water pipes. The acid that is left unchecked will slowly eat away the inside of water pipe until a pinhole leak occurs. You can easily prevent this problem by installing a water conditioner in your home.

For more plumbing solutions on Stagetecture, click here.

If you’re like most homeowners, you’ve never had any desire to learn the art of plumbing. And yet, when you’re scratching your head, mystified about the cause of your leaky faucet, your clogged toilet, or the water stain that seems to have appeared on your basement ceiling, you might wish you had picked up a home repair guide at some point and studied common plumbing issues. Luckily, it’s never too late to learn something new. And your ability to troubleshoot problems with your pipes could let you know when an issue is something that you can handle, thus saving money that you might have otherwise spent on a professional plumber, although you can also tell when you’re in over your head. So here are a few tips and tricks that should help you to get a handle on your home plumbing and troubleshoot any common issues that could arise.

Image via: FINNE

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Most common problems with plumbing

The first thing you’ll need to do is become aware of the most common problems you’re likely to face where your plumbing is concerned, and there are a few. For example, you may find that the toilets and drains in your home seem to get clogged frequently. Or you might suffer from leaky faucets. You could also have issues with the hot water in your home, as in it doesn’t get hot enough or it turns cold before you’ve finished a short shower. Leaky pipes and water stains are also a problem, especially in older homes. However, an awareness of common issues that could pop up will give you a starting point when it comes to learning to diagnose and perhaps even fix or prevent some problems on your own.

Fixing drains, clogged pipes , and toilets

As for what to do once you’ve discovered an issue, there are a couple of options. An old-school home repair guide may suit some homeowners just fine, but if you’re looking for a little help from modern sources, you can’t go wrong by hopping on the internet to troubleshoot and find instructions and video tutorials, often from professional plumbers, that will help you to figure out what’s causing the problem and find a solution. Clogged toilets and drains, for example, may need nothing more than a plunger or some Drano to fix. Then again, you may need to start flushing more frequently to prevent the toilet from backing up, or snaking the drains on a regular basis to remove hair clogs.

Image via: Schmitt Company

Leaky faucets are often a quick fix, as well, since the most common cause is a rubber ring that has deteriorated (they’re cheap and easy to replace in most cases). As for hot water issues, you might just need to turn up the temperature on your water heater (although you shouldn’t go above 120? Fahrenheit if you want to avoid scalding) or flush the tank to remove a buildup of debris. Of course, you could be facing more serious issues, in which case you might contact Aqua Plumbing & Air or another local vendor to provide you with a professional opinion and some expert assistance. But if you can troubleshoot a plumbing issue on your own you may find that you can also address it without too much fuss or expense. In the long run, this could save you a ton of money.

For more plumbing and maintenance tips on Stagetecture, click here.