Cartridge Faucet Repair

Cartridge faucets are the latest household utilities and one amongst the most widely preferred faucet technologies. Cartridge faucets usually do not dysfunction, however, continuous load on the faucet can result in damage of the O ring inside it. You might be wondering, what is an O ring? It is a rubber ring that is fitted into a circular casing. You usually cannot see it, unless you take out the aerator. Cartridge faucet repair becomes necessary, if the O ring breaks or gets damaged, in order to stop leakages and drips. The only way to repair a cartridge faucet is to replace the O ring with a new one, or completely replace the cartridge with a new one. But, how to do it? Let's see.

How to Repair a Cartridge Faucet

Materials required

• New O ring
• Screwdriver
• Pliers

Procedure

Repairing a cartridge faucet is not at all difficult, all you need is proper knowledge and understanding of the procedure.

• Before starting with the actual repairing procedure, it is necessary to close the water supply valve.
• Once, you have closed the main water supply, you need to release all the existing water from the lines.
• Now, remove the handle of the faucet. The handle is attached to the faucet with screws. Therefore, you will need a screwdriver to remove the handle.
• As soon as you remove the handle, you will be able to see the cartridge. So remove the cartridge with the help of pliers and also remove the retaining clip.
• Now, the aerator that is attached to the O ring must be removed from below.
• The final step is to remove the old, damaged O ring and fix a new one in its place.
• Re-assemble the whole structure, turn on the main water supply and see whether there is any leakage. If leakage is not found, then you have successfully performed the repairing job.

Shower Cartridge Faucet Repair

I have come across few people who were wondering about the procedure to repair a shower cartridge faucet. Well, if you even have the same doubt, let me tell you that, actually the same procedure can be applied to repair a shower cartridge faucet and you need not do anything extra for it.

Tips for Repairing a Cartridge Faucet

• If your fixture is old and made up of materials such as brass or chrome, remember to lay down a piece of cloth on the surface.
• If you find that leakage has not stopped, even when you have replace the O ring; then certainly it is the cartridge which is defective or damaged. In such cases, replace the older cartridge with a new one.
• Do not forget to turn off the main water supply, in order to prevent wastage of water.

So folks, I believe that I have been successful in explaining the process of cartridge faucet repair to you. If you decide to do it at home all by yourself, you not only are learning a new thing but also saving the costs incurred in getting it done from a professional plumbing service or technician. Moreover, after reading this article and a little experience, you will also be able to explain this procedure to any of your friends or relatives, when they face the same problem.