It just so happens that we need a new kitchen sink faucet. Ours has somehow broken and even after glueing it down, the glue has now broken its seal and sometimes the water doesn’t turn off without a lot of manipulation of the handle. So we’re going to get another one.

Now, I will admit to serious sticker shock when I walked down the aisle to look at kitchen faucets the first time. The low end models were over $ 100? Really? What would a good one cost? Faucets can range from $ 100 up to several hundred or even over $ 1000 if you have something truly unique. Obviously shop with your budget in mind, but I warn you, you tend to get what you pay for. I’m proof, as we went for one of the lower end models.

The Delta line of faucets have displayed a wide range of options, not only for location and type but also for style and finish. If you need something shiny they have it. If you need something in more of a matte finish, they have that, too. Single and multi handle faucets are available. You do need to know what type of faucet your sink will handle, unless you plan on getting a new sink. you don’t want to buy one that needs 3 holes and your sink only has two. Before you go shopping do a little looking under your sink, or ask the person who installed it the first time. If you’re truly organized you may even have the paperwork for the faucet you’re replacing. All that information will help the store clerk point you to the models you are able to work with.

Instructions on how to fix a leaky Delta faucet by replacing the cartridge, and a couple of gotchas.

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Let’s start with the basics. Faucets have one primary purpose, to allow the water in your pipes to be used in a controlled manner. This means that they have to open to allow water out of the pipes and close to keep water in the pipes. Not rocket science, right? The closing part is what we want to concentrate on here.

There Are Two Basic Faucet Designs

Faucets drip when they fail to completely trap the water in the pipes. Most faucets use one of two basic methods to stop the water flow. Some, primarily older designs, use rubber or neoprene washers which tighten against a “seat” and block the flow of water. Drips from these faucets are addressed by replacing the washers and/or seats. We’ll talk about how to do that in a minute. Most other faucet designs involve some sort of cartridge. Some people call these “washerless” faucets. Repairing newer style water faucets like these usually involves replacing the cartridge(s).

Washers And Seats

Older faucet designs often use washers to block the water and keep it in the pipes. Tightening the handle compresses the washer against a “seat” and seals the opening, thus stopping the water flow. If you need to do a bathtub faucet repair on a three handle wall faucet you probably have this type. You will also run into this style if you need to fix a leaking shower faucet hat has two handles. Many sink and lavatory faucets also use washers. One way to tell whether or not your faucets use washers is to see if the handle gets harder to turn as you turn it off. If turning it really tight stops the drip, this probably, but not always, means that you have washers. If you do have a dripping faucet that has washers, the basic repair process is very similar whether you need to know how to repair a shower faucet,repair a leaking tub faucet or fix a dripping sink faucet. There is, however, one important difference.

Bathtub Faucet Repair

The one critical thing to remember when fixing a leaky bathtub faucet is that you will have to turn the water off to the entire house before removing any parts other than the outer trim pieces. If you’re not sure which pieces are trim, just turn the water off first just in case. Once you have turned off the main water to the house you can begin taking things apart. There are lots of different brands and designs of faucets out there and they all come apart a little differently, so you will have to sort of feel your way through.

Removing The Trim

The first step is to remove the handles. This is usually done by removing a cap to expose the handle screw and then removing the screw. Next, remove the handle. This may require a little finesse, as the handles sometimes get stuck in place. One trick is to place the handles of a pair of channel lock pliers behind the valve handle, one on each side, and tap evenly on the handle to nudge it loose. If this doesn’t work you can buy a special tool to remove handles but these tools are sometimes hard to find and usually a little patience is all you need to do the trick.

After he handles are off, there is usually some sort of sleeve over the stem itself. This typically has to come off too. Once again, there are many different configurations. One popular design uses threaded plastic tubes to connect the trim sleeve with the valve. Other types have the sleeve threaded directly onto the valve. You will have to figure this step out before you can proceed. If you can determine what brand valve you have there is a good chance of finding instructions on-line.

Now For The Root Of The Problem

OK, so you have removed both the handles and any remaining trim sleeve from the valve. Now you are ready to get to the root of the problem, your valve stem. The washer is almost always at the other end of the valve stem from the handle. Usually the stem is threaded into the valve body and you will just need to unscrew it to remove it. Here’s a tip. Stick the handle back on for a second and open the valve half way. This relieves pressure on the stem and makes it easier to unscrew. Now you just need to make sure you are loosening the correct nut.

Lots of valves have a packing nut around the stem. It is usually a little smaller and just in front of the actual connection with the valve body. The packing nut’s purpose is to squeeze some special packing material around the stem to prevent water from leaking around the stem when the valve is in use. Loosening the packing nut won’t help you, you need to get your wrench on the actual connection to the valve body. By the way, a deep socket is often the only tool that will work to remove the valve stem.

Removing The Valve Stem

The easiest way to make sure you have the correct nut is to see if there is a gap opening up between the nut and the valve body as you loosen the nut. The valve stem itself will also usually turn when you have the right one. If you have loosened the packing nut by mistake, don’t worry, you will adjust it before you are finished anyway. Go ahead and remove both stems and keep up with which one is which, it matters on many valves.

After you have the stems out you should be able to find the washer on the “inside” end. If it is nicked, torn or brittle it is likely the cause of your drip. Even if it looks brand new, go ahead and replace it. You’ve already come this far. You can get replacement washers at almost any hardware store. Sometimes you may want to replace the whole stem, especially if the handle end is stripped out. It’s best to just take the stem with you to the store and see if you can match it up. Most Do It Yourself stores have replacement stems for many popular brands. If your valve has a center diverter valve to switch the waterfrom the tub spout to the shower head the same process applies. Many times it is easier to replace the diverter stem than to repair it. This really depends on the design of the stem.

How Are Your Seats?

One more thing to check is the seats. These are the part of the valve body that the washer tightens up against to stop the water flow. If you can get your finger inside the valve, feel of the seats and see if they feel rough. If so, it would be best to replace them if you can get them out. The inside of the seats, which is where the water flows through when the valve is open, usually have either a hex or square recess. Special seat wrenches are used to remove the seats. You can usually get these wrenches at the same place you get the other parts and they’re not expensive. You just stick the wrench through the seat and unscrew it. The replacement seats screw back in the same way, just put a little pipe dope on the threads before you install it.

Put It All Back Together

Once you’ve figured out what needs to be replaced and have done that, you just need to put everything back together. If your valve has packing nuts don’t put the trim back on until you have turned the water back on. Once the water is on, go ahead and stick the handle on for a second and open the valve. Make sure no water is leaking around the stem. If it is leaking, with the handle opened half way, snug down the packing nut until the leak stops. Easy does it. If you get it too tight the handle will be hard to turn. Now finish installing the trim pieces and you are done.

Repairing Newer Style Water Faucets

If you have a newer, “washerless” type valve the repair process is similar, but usually easier. Many of these type valves use a self contained cartridge. If the valve starts to drip, just replace the cartridge and you’re done. You still need to turn the water off and remove the handles and trim. The cartridge is usually held in place by a retaining nut on the valve body or, in the case of most Moen valves, by a retaining clip. Simply remove the cartridge and put another one in it’s place. If your hot and cold are backwards when you finish, turn the water back off, pull the cartridge back out, turn it over 180 degrees and re-install it.

Delta Style Valves

One other common design that is considered “washerless” was made famous by Delta and copied by several other makers. It uses little “cup” seals that fit over springs recessed in the back of the valve body. The springs press these “seals” against the cartridge and regulate the flow through little tapered openings in the cartridge. If you have one of these and it’s dripping, changing these springs and seals will usually correct it. Here’s a tip. Once you have the cartridge out of the way, insert a phillips screwdriver into the seal and pop both the seal and spring out. Stick the new ones on the end of the screwdriver to help guide them into place. This is especially helpful if you don’t have long slender fingers.

Delta, and a few imitators, also have a faucet design that uses a ball instead of a cartridge. This is not as common in tub or shower valves but there are plenty of them out there. The springs and seals are the same but there are lots more o-rings an parts to deal with. The good news is that these parts are readily available. While it’s a little more complicated than learning how to repair a Moen kitchen faucet, which is a piece of cake, it is still easier than working with most washer type faucets.

These Techniques Work In The Kitchen Too

Armed with the knowledge you’ve gained in this article you now not only know how to repair a shower faucet and to repair a leaking tub faucet, but you can apply these skills to many other faucets as well.

Shea Homes, the developer of nationally-acclaimed Trilogy resort communities designed especially for baby boomers, today announces a new benchmark of carefree living with SheaXero, The No Electric Bill Home. Through a revolutionary blend of energy efficient features and solar power, Shea Homes is the first builder to offer a home that produces as much electricity as it uses as their new, national standard. Available starting February 18th, SheaXero combines groundbreaking energy performance with the award winning, livable, and stylish designs that Sheas Active Lifestyle and Trilogy communities are renowned for. These homes are also very affordably priced, making them available to more buyers than ever before.

The big news with SheaXero is the zero dollars homeowners pay for electricity each month, said Rick Andreen, president of Shea Homes Active Lifestyle Communities. We know how important it is for our customers to save money. Depending on where the home is located, owners can save thousands of dollars per year. But its not just about the substantial savings, its the peace of mind our customers enjoy by not worrying about escalating energy costs. They can say goodbye to rate increases while safeguarding the environment for the next generation.

How does a SheaXero home achieve net-zero electric, generating as much electricity as it consumes? First, a high-powered solar power system is standard on every SheaXero home, generating clean, renewable energy that saves money and offsets electricity consumption. The solar is provided through a unique partnership Shea has created with SolarCity

That may be changing, however, thanks to an easy-to-use online tool developed by California Faucets that lets you create a custom faucet in seconds then print out or email a full-color image of the result that is customized for the client.

Branded as the Virtual Faucet Creator™, the tool allows you to design a custom faucet from scratch, starting with a spout, adding complementary handles, and selecting a finish. Or, you can start with an existing faucet style and swap out the handles, spout, or finish. Either way, the virtual faucet creator presents a table with three columns of thumbnail images under the headings “Spouts,” “Handles,” and “Finishes.” The fixtures all appear in a satin nickel finish. Use the arrows at the top and bottom of the columns to scroll through the offerings. Hover the pointer over an image, and the name of the fixture appears. You do not have to write anything down, though. When you are done making your choices, the system will provide the names of all your final choices.

To see a larger picture of a spout or handle, just click on the thumbnail. A large image will appear to the left of the columns. Click on a different thumbnail, and that image replaces the one on the left. Most designers start with a spout, since that is the most prominent part of the custom faucet. To add handles, just click on a thumbnail of handles. They will appear in the image to the left, aligned with and in proportion to the spout. To change the finish, click on the appropriate thumbnail. You can swap spouts and handles and change the finish as many times as you like. The names of the various combinations magically appear above the image. Best of all, California Faucets is set up to deliver every possible combination featured in the Virtual Faucet Creator. You faucet fantasy will be boxed and shipped just as you imagined it.

Building your custom faucet is fun, but the best part of the Virtual Faucet Creator is the marketing support it offers. Once your custom design is complete, you can print the design or email a.pdf file to the client.

Best of all, the Virtual Faucet Creator lets you personalize the sheet to the client. Just click “Print,” “E-mail,” or “Save” from the toolbar that appears below your virtual design. Whatever you select, you are given the option to “Give your faucet a name.” You can use this to personalize the design for the client. This allows you to save or present your custom faucet with the client’s name right on it. For example, you can type in “The Smith’s kitchen faucet” or “The Jones’ bath faucet.” As long as the client’s name is not Moen or Kohler, there should be no confusion. To email a.pdf of the faucet, enter your name and the client’s email address. The Virtual Faucet Creator does the rest. Amazingly, you do not have to register with California Faucets to send an email from the Virtual Faucet Creator.

The email contains subject line: “You’ve been sent a Custom Faucet Creation.” The email begins, “Greetings, [Your Name] has sent you the attached custom faucet which was created with California Faucets’ Virtual Faucet Creator™.” The email provides the company’s website and a description of the virtual creator. It ends: “Unlike other faucet makers, we meticulously build every high quality solid brass faucet by hand when ordered.” Impressive.

The email includes a.pdf file as an attachment. In the off chance that the client does not have an Adobe Reader, the email provides a button to download it. Once the client opens the.pdf, he or she will see a large, color image of the custom faucet you created. At the top of the page is the title you created, such as: “The SMITH’S KITCHEN FAUCET.” The company’s name for the faucet, handles, and color appear beneath the image. Text at the bottom reads, “This faucet was created using California Faucets’ Virtual Faucet Creator™. The.pdf provides a live link to the faucet creator.

If you select the “print” icon, a form appears asking for a name for the faucet. By submitting the form, you create a personalized.pdf form. You can print the file, attach it to your own email, or save it on your computer to present to the client on your laptop.

When you select the “save” option, you store your custom.pdf on California Faucets’ server. If you have an account with the company, you name faucet and enter your email. If you don’t have an account, you can create one at the time. Once you have created your account, you can browse your previously saved designs from the Virtual Faucet Creator page by clicking the “folder” icon.

Virtual product creators are becoming popular for interior design. Paint, window, and window treatment companies have similar tools. The faucet creator is simpler, faster, and more accurate than any other virtual creator available now, and it certainly offers the best, most flexible marketing support on the market today.

Lowe’s home improvement expert, Mike Kraft, shows how to properly change and replace your old kitchen faucet without damaging your sink. To learn more from similar instructional videos, visit www.Lowes.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

• Trim only- valve not included; Requires 0X8 or JX8 valve body
• Decorative rain can self cleaning shower head
• Threaded tub spout; ADA compliant
• Solid brass construction
• Note: Price Pfister's Oil Rubbed Bronze finish has distinct pewter undertones. For matching other Oil Rubbed Bronze pieces, Tuscan Bronze is recommended. You should always view finishes in person before deciding to purchase.

• Certified to remove 10 times more contaminants than the leading brand's pitcher filter
• Removes 99 percent of lead and microbial cysts and reduces many other contaminants that may be in water
• First leading brand shown to reduce trace levels of pharmaceuticals (pharmaceutical reduction is not certified by NSF/ANSI or state standard)
• Filters water over natural minerals for a crisp, refreshing taste
• Replaces previous three-stage filter

• High-arc spout swivels 360 Degree for complete sink access
• The pull-down spray wand features a 62-Inch hose providing a 20-Inch reach
• Multi-Flow delivers both 1.5 gpm stream and spray settings for water efficiency and 2.0 gpm stream
• Optional escutcheon for 3 hole mounting incuded
• MagnaTite Docking

Delta 3551LF-SS Dryden Two Handle Widespread Lavatory Faucet, Stainless

• The clean, geometric lines of the Dryden line are reminiscent of the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 30s
• The Dryden collection offers a full complement of coordinating products to create the perfect look
• Two handle operation for better control
• Features water efficient aerator
• Available in chrome, Aged Pewter, Brilliance Stainless or Venetian Bronze

US $245.99 End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 9:36:13 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $245.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

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• Illuminates your water stream
• Encourages kids to wash their hands
• Great party item

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• Our ULTIMATE in FILTRATION and a CRISP, REFRESHING TASTE
• Easy One-Click Installation
• Built-in Electronic Filter Life Indicator keeps track of your filter life
• Conveniently provides up to 100 gallons (two to three months) of healthy clean water
• Enjoy filtered or unfiltered water at the flip of a switch

The first place that you can look for the correct delta faucet parts is the delta faucet website. If you go to your favorite search engine and just type in the phrase that you are looking for, you are sure to find the correct website that will let you know what parts you are needing for your faucet. One thing you may want to keep in mind is the number or model of the delta faucet that you need parts for. This will ensure that you are purchasing the correct parts that will fit your faucet.

Another place that you can look for delta faucet parts is your local home improvement center. If they sell delta faucets themselves, then you are sure to find the necessary parts that you will need to fix your faucet. The only problem that you may have is that the faucet might be too old for them to still carry the parts. But, you should check and see anyways before you come to that conclusion.

The last place that you could look around for delta faucet parts would be a plumbing store. Because a plumbing store specializes in all things for your home and water needs, they just might have the part that you are needing for your faucet. If they do not happen to carry the part in the store, you should ask them about ordering it for you.

As you can see, there are many places available that you can look for the delta faucet parts that you need. If you can, try to take the old part with you so that you can be sure that you are getting the correct part to replace the old one.

How to repair a Delta faucet. A step by step video brought to you by Henry Bush Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning. For more information please visit us on the web at www.henrybush.com.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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