Need help with kitchen faucet repair again? If you would rather do it yourself and spend a few bucks on a couple replacement pieces, this may be of assistance to you.
Replacing a standard leaky faucet can be as easy, depending of course on what is causing the leak. Generally, however, the seals inside of the unit have worn from use and no longer seal well enough. This problem is an easy fix as long as you have the right tools ‘ an Allen wrench, a channel lock or vice grip pliers, and a pair of needle nose pliers. A new set of seals, screws, and a metal ball can be found at any local hardware store.
First and foremost it is important to shut off both hot and cold water lines before removing the faucet. Begin by removing the handle of the unit and exposing a metal housing inside. To do this, lift the handle all the way up to see a screw that requires the Allen wrench. Loosen and remove the screw as well as the handle. The metal housing can be removed as well but first use the channel lock/vice grip pliers to twist the base of the housing to loosen it.
Once that has been removed you will be able to access the mechanism that operates the ball and uses the seals. Pull the mechanism out by the stem and you will find your seals. Typically they are black rubber/plastic and are quite cheap (roughly 5 dollars) in most hardware stores. These seals are what must be replaced, and the springs add pressure.
Use the needle nosed pliers and pull straight up on the seals to remove them. Replace them the same way using the pliers to push straight into the slot. If you bought a new ball which is always a good idea then that can be replaced with the old one. Ensure when you put everything back together that each hole lines up correctly, this is important. Lubricating the seals and ball with Vaseline is a good way to make things work smoother.
Replace the stem mechanism and tighten the base of the unit with the vice grip pliers clockwise. Place the handle back on the stem and tighten with the Allen wrench. Turn the water lines back on and slowly push the handle up to make sure water comes through. Ensure the hot water is hot and the cold is cold (it is possible to mix the two up with kitchen faucet repairs).
