Leaking faucets are both annoying and can be expensive, as well as a waste of water. The good news is that even most non-handy homeowners can manage to fix a leaking kitchen faucet.
It turns out there are fairly cheap repair kits available that have everything you need to repair these leaking faucets. These kits are much less expensive than a price of a new faucet assembly.
The important thing is to get the name of the faucet manufacturer so that you can get the right repair kit. If this is not clear, when you take the faucet apart, bring the components into your local hardware store and they can tell you the brand and what kit you will need to affect the repairs.
Before fixing any leaking faucet you need to shut off the water supply to the faucet. These valves are normally under the sink and you simply need to turn them clockwise, all the way. Before you go any further put a rag down the sink so that any dropped parts don’t go down the drain.
Remember the sequence in which you take the faucet apart, so that you can reverse the process when you rebuild it.
Washer less faucets are usually associated with kitchen sinks. Normally one handle controls both the hot and cold water. Leaks from this type of faucet are usually found around the handle, or on the spout.
If the leak originates from the handle area you will need to tighten up the body cap located on top of the spout sleeve. This will require an Allen wrench which you use to loosen the set screw in the handle. At this point you can pull the handle up.
Now you need a pair of slip nose pliers to tighten the cap (clockwise) until the leak desists. You should wrap a cloth or rag around the jaws of the pliers so you do not strip the chrome off of the cap.
If the leak is coming from the spout, it will be a little more work to fix. After you have removed the handle and cap, you should notice a rubber and nylon cam, which is followed by a seal, which in turn is followed by a stainless steel ball with a stem. Carefully remove, or pull out, all of these components from the spout collar. You will replace all of these components.
The next thing you will see are two small rubber seals covering two springs. You need to take these out with pliers and lay aside. They will also be replaced. Now, pull up, softly, on the spout until it comes out. You will notice O-rings on the spout. Cut these old rings out and put new ones in their place. If there is any doubt simply take the old rings to your home improvement store for the proper replacements.
Now, put back the new springs and seals into their place. Now in reverse order, reassemble the ball, and new cams and seals inside the faucet.
Tighten the cap, replace the handle and the leaking faucet should be fixed. If, after these steps, the leak persists then we suggest you call in your licensed plumber to fix the problem.