When your faucet is leaky, clogged or just not working right, it’s annoying at the very least — and potentially causing damage at the worst. In many cases, faucet problems are an easy fix, but homeowners often make mistakes when making repairs that only make the problem worse. In fact, fixing the damage from these mistakes can sometimes wind up costing more than it would have to just call a professional to tackle the job in the first place.
While it is best to call a Houston faucet repair service for help if you aren’t really sure what the problem is or how to fix it, if you do opt for a DIY approach, you want to be sure to avoid these common mistakes — or face big bills for cleaning up the mess.
1. Not Turning off the Water
It sounds so simple that you probably can’t imagine that anyone forgets this step — especially since it’s usually the first step listed in any tutorial. Yet somehow it still happens, and amateur plumbers find themselves (and pretty much everything else) soaked. Not turning off the water before you disconnect the faucet is the quickest way to make a mess, and even worse, it can cause injury or major flooding. So, don’t forget this simple step.
2. Going All Hulk on the Faucet
When the faucet is stuck on tight, resist the temptation to muster up all of your strength and channel Hulk to get it off. If you do, you risk bending the faucet head (or breaking it off entirely) and stripping the threads that hold it in place. If this happens, you’re going to have a hard time getting the faucet off entirely, and if you do, you’ll probably end up having to replace the whole thing. The same thing goes for any connection on your plumbing. Using brute force is never a good idea, as you’re going to do more harm than good.
3. Overtightening Connections
Just like using too much strength can cause damage when you’re taking the faucet apart, overtightening the connections when putting it back together can also cause problems. You might think that you need to get all of the tubes and fittings and bolts as tight as possible to prevent leaks, but the fact is that making them too tight can cause them to crack and break, which leads to another leak and flooding. If you are attaching the fixture to a porcelain sink, overtightening can cause the porcelain to crack as well, leading to an expensive replacement. So, go easy, and tighten those connections just enough to make them secure.
4. Playing Around With Parts
When you’re working on or replacing a faucet, don’t head to the home improvement or hardware store without knowing exactly what you need. Bring the piece that needs to be replaced with you, so you can be sure to get exactly the right part; otherwise, you’re going to frustrate yourself trying to get the wrong piece to work and wind up spending more time driving back and forth to the store. If you aren’t sure what parts you need, ask for help — or just call a professional to take care of the job.
Don’t be tempted to re-use old parts, either, especially if the problem stems from a part that is made from metal. It’s worth spending the money now to replace broken or old faucet parts because you can avoid further trouble down the road.
5. Forgetting to Seal the Threads
Finally, many homeowners make the mistake of forgetting to seal the threads to the drain connections using plumber’s tape or putty, meaning that they are left dealing with leaks later on. Be sure that you use the right plumber’s tape (white or pink tape is for pipes that carry water) and that you put it on correctly so that it doesn’t come undone when you screw on the fittings.
These mistakes may seem minor, but they can cause major headaches if you make them. Doing your homework before you start the faucet repair, and knowing the right process and tools to use can help prevent them. If you still aren’t sure what you’re doing, though, call a professional and save the time and money.
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