If you have any plumbing issues in the house then you may be ready to spend a lot of time and effort in fixing them. Our bodies won’t work properly if there are any plumbing issues that stop us from getting water. All our daily tasks depend on it. Not being able to get water is a worst case scenario. You need to find the right plumber as soon as you can. They should be under your budget and they should be available immediately to help fix your issues. But there is another way. Bathroom tap problems occur due to a lot of different reasons. If we find out what that reason is, then we can easily fix the problem without the need of a plumber. So, here we have listed out a few common bathroom tap problems and how to fix them.
1. Dripping taps
If you have dripping taps, one of the most common issues will be damage to the ceramic cartridge or washer. The one and only thing you can do, is replacing them with the right cartridge, but the tricky part is that you need to find the right one.
- If you have a traditional hot and cold pillar tap, then the tap dripping is due to a faulty sealer or washer. You need to replace it
- If there is a mixed tap, then this is usually because of the ceramic cartridge inside the tap. Here, you need to find a replacement of the cartridge
Once you have found the right replacement, then
- Switch off the water supply to the specific tap or whole home
- Remove the small cap covering the tap screw using a knife
- Under the cap, undo the grub screw using an Allen key
- Remove tap handle
- Using a pipe wrench, you need to take off the chrome dress ring
- Using a spanner, unscrew and remove the old cartridge
- Install the new one
- Then reverse the steps to rebuild your tap
2. Taps have no pressure
If there is a drop in the pressure of your tap, then it could be due to several reasons. Some of a few common reasons are, there could be damage in the pipes, or maybe a valve is not opened. If there is a minor issue, you can fix it, or else you should call for a plumber.
- The water will flow into your house via a cold kitchen tap, so you need to make sure whether the kitchen tap is getting water. If yes, but not getting water to other taps of your home, then it is an internal plumbing issue
- Make sure the stop valve, which is under the kitchen is fully opened, as it can restrict the water getting into other taps. You need to turn the tap in an counter-clockwise direction to make sure the tap is fully opened
- Frozen pipes are the most common reason for no pressure in winter and during this time the pipe may expand and burst. So you need to check for any visible damage or signs of freezing in the pipe.
3. Shower mixer tap problems
The mixer tap, as the name suggests, will allow both hot and cold water and will create whatever temperature you may need. Remember if you have any issue in the tap, then that could be the reason your daily routine got spoiled.
There will be an internal cartridge that will allow the tap to get the right water temperature.
- Temperature issues
Temperature issues are caused by blocked inlet filters, damaged non-return valves, or blocked shower heads. You can take the filters, clean, remove the blockage, and then re-install
- Low pressure and flow rate
The low pressure or low flow rate is caused by a kinked shower hose, blocked shower heads or blocker inlet filters. Using descale, you can unblock the nozzles or remove lime scale if any. If there is a kink in the shower hose, then you need to straighten the hose or replace the hose if the kink is permanent.
- Leaks
Any leaks are caused by a damaged O-ring or cartridge, and for this, you need to replace it with a new cartridge.
4. Bath shower mixer diverter is not working
Most people don’t know about the shower diverter, but they do play an important role. They allow water diverted from the bathroom tap, to the shower head. If there is any issue in the shower mixed diverter, then whenever you are having a shower, your taps will also pour water, which will in turn reduce the effectiveness of the shower.
- You need to completely switch off the water supply to your taps
- Re-tighten the screws in the diverter valve, this may or may not fix the problem
- After tightening the screw, if issue is still remaining, then you need to remove the shower diverter
- Now take out the valve and replace it with a new diverter
- Then switch on the water supply of your tap, and check if the issue is fixed
5. Leakage of bathroom tap
Dripping and leaking are one of the most common bathroom tap problems and it doesn’t always have to end in repairs that cost huge money. The main reason behind dripping and leakage is due to the range of valves that have been damaged.
In such a case, you need to replace either the compression valve, the ceramic disc valve or there will be an O-ring. If you face such an issue, then follow this process;
- Disassemble the tap
- Detach the valve stem
- Inspect the parts
- Find the damaged parts
- Replace the damaged parts
- Sanitize the valves
- Then put it all together and check if there is still any leakage
Bottom Line:
Not all bathroom tap problems can be solved, and that is why you need to spot the reason for the issue. Even though the taps are considered the smallest thing in the house, still if they have any issues they may need technical work. So, if you are handling it on your own, you need to be more cautious.
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