Tips to repair faucets and seals

Your household sinks are an essential tool to keeping your daily routines running smoothly! So when they stop working properly, it can be frustrating. Here are tips to repair your faulty faucet or seal.

• When repairing a sink, be sure to keep track of those tiny parts.
• Put a saucer over the drain to keep parts from falling into it .To make re-assembly easier, line up parts in the order in which you removed them.
• Some of these steps involve working on the underside of the sink, which can be awkward. Have all your tools (including a flashlight) within easy reach.

• A pop-up stopper needs to be readjusted when it doesn't seat properly and either fails to hold water in the sink or doesn't lift high enough to let water drain out freely.
• The stopper works by moving up and down on a three-part linkage consisting of the lift rod at the back of the faucet, the clevis (a metal strip with holes in it), and the pivot rod, which supports the stopper or is actually connected to it.
• If a pop-up stopper won't seal tightly, check for debris that might be preventing it from dropping far enough into the drain opening to keep water from escaping. Some pop-ups lift straight out, others are twisted out, while still others require pulling out the pivot rod to which they're attached.
• To take out the rod, use an adjustable wrench to loosen the retaining nut securing the rod to the drain body, then pull out the rod to free the stopper.
• Wash the stopper (at a different sink) and check the rubber seal at the bottom of the stopper head. If it's dry or cracked, replace it.
• Reverse the removal procedure in step 1 to reinstall the stopper. If the seal still isn't good, use pliers or your fingers to loosen the set screw holding the lift rod and the clevis together. Pull the lift rod up, push the stopper down and re-tighten the set screw.
• If the problem persists (or conversely, if the stopper doesn't lift high enough to let water drain out freely), try moving the pivot rod to a different hole in the clevis. To do this, squeeze the spring clip on the clevis while sliding the rod out of it. Move the clip and the rod to the next hole up.

• The most common sink problem is a leaking faucet. Faucet repairs are relatively simple, but because they often involve a lot of little parts that you need to keep track of and reassemble in the exact order in which you found them, you might want to ask a plumber to take over.
• Before attempting any repair, you need to know what type of faucet you're dealing with. Here's an overview of the three main types.
• Compression faucets have separate handles for hot and cold water. Inside each handle is a brass stem assembly with a rubber washer screwed to its bottom end. When you turn a handle to the off position, the washer is compressed against an opening (seat), shutting off the water flow. A worn washer is a common cause of leaks.
• Cartridge faucets can be double- or single-handled. Leaks (and repairs) usually involve just one part: the cartridge that moves up and down inside the handle(s) to control water flow.
• Ball and ceramic disc faucets are single-handled. Like cartridge faucets, these faucets do not have washers, although they do contain O-rings and other types of seals that can wear out. The repair of these more complex faucets can be tricky and is best left to a plumber.