Any water leak is a frustrating. It can be a costly problem for your plumbing Mira Mesa homes tend to have these leaks more often than other areas due to the sub-par construction of the homes. Often they are in between walls, or above your head and out of mind in your attic. Sometimes a slow leak in a sprinkler system seeps for years without you really knowing, unless you really study your water bill monthly. Are you in need of an outside faucet repair?
Outside above ground water connections are easier to see. Preventative maintenance on such fittings could be routine inspections. Most of these are used on a regular basis to utilize a water hose for various reasons. Lawn sprinklers, car wash devices, and hand grip pistol like devices for washing down driveways or sidewalks are a few. A water leak from an outdoor faucet should be pretty easy to see. Water dripping down an outside connection is a symptom of a faucet leak. As the faucet is the only really visible part of that water line, address it right away. That way, if the problem is inboard of faucet, you know immediately and can contract a San Diego plumbing professional to find and solve the problem.
After you observe a leak, the first step is a simple repair.
- If the leak persists with the valve in the “off”position, a possibility is the washer at the back of the handle. Turning off the valve controlling the spigot (often just inside the wall in a utility room or garage) is step one. Then, drain the outside system by releasing the water still in line by turning it on and letting it run until it stops.
- Remove the handle by taking the screw that affixes it to the valve out. If this is an old faucet, beware of rust build up on the metal parts. Sometimes, a cleaning lubricant is a good idea rather than breaking the screw off in the assembly.
- Remove the faucet nut that sits behind the handle.
- The washer that sits behind the washer nut is often the culprit. If it is damaged, out of shape, or otherwise unable to hold the pressure, it should be replaced. Be sure to clean the area thoroughly of dirt and grime. Flush the area with water if necessary.
- Once the area is clear of foreign matter, place the new washer in and center correctly.
Then replace the faucet nut and handle. - Once the assembly is back together, check for any leaks by opening the control valve to the spigot.
If there are no leaks, you have solved your problem.
However, the water system in your home is a labyrinth of pipes, elbows, often a combination of various materials such as copper, iron, and PVC pipe. Any of the connections can leak due to age or the common shifting of the system over the years.
Preventative maintenance of your entire plumbing system is critical-not just the faucets that you can easily see. You can administer a flow test easily at most any time. Simply shut off valves to your water use devices such as toilets, sinks, appliances. Once that is done, observe the main water valve—there will be a gauge of some kind on the top that indicates water flow. If the water is still flowing with everything turned off, you may have an internal problem that should be diagnosed by a plumbing professional.
Preventing outside faucets from leaking by an occasional inspection is the best way to keep them properly operational. If you have a leak, try the basic repair. If that does not work, call a professional to solve the issue before it becomes costly. When all else fails, hire a San Diego plumber or a local plumber from the San Diego area. There are many legitimate San Diego plumbing companies out there.