How To Fix A Leaky Faucet

There are few things more annoying at home than a leaky faucet. It is also one of the easiest items in your house to repair.

CBS This Morning home repair expert Bob Vila gives an explanation.

Faucets leak because parts wear out over time. On older faucets, the rubber gaskets inside can become brittle and water will pass by them. Or the actual valves can wear out.

Repair steps are basically the same for all faucets. But parts and pieces will be different depending on the manufacturer and type of faucet.

So it is a good idea to make a note of a faucet's manufacturer and model number.

Any home center, hardware store or plumbing supply store will have repair kits for a wide range of faucet types.

When a common bathroom faucet begins to leak, water will usually come out from under the base of the handle.

Before any repair is done, it is important to go under the sink and turn off the faucet's water supply.

Then locate the screw that holds the handle on and remove it.

Bathroom faucets have a single lever, but kitchen faucets usually have a dual handle, and either one side or the other is typically leaking.

To remove the handle, find the screw - usually under the decorative cap on the top of the handle.

Just pop off the cap, remove the screw and the handle will come right off.

The next step is to remove the valve stem inside the handle. Take a pair of slip jaw pliers or an adjustable wrench and remove the lock nut holding it in place.

In some cases, the lock nut will be a decorative part of the faucet, so you'll want to wrap some tape around the jaws of the pliers to prevent the finish from getting marred.

Once the lock nut is off, remove the valve stem.

Then, you're ready to install the kit that you got for your faucet.

For additional information from Bob Vila, visit his Web site.

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