Did you know a dripping tap can waste more than 2,000 litres of water in just a month? That is 24,000 litres a year. Hence, leaky faucets should be fixed immediately to avoid water wastage and expensive water bills. If you have a leaky faucet or several dripping taps in your household, reach out to a drain plumber or a 24-hour plumber at Emergency Drains.
Why Is Your Tap Dripping Water?
Here are the 6 main causes of why your faucet is leaking:
Broken Washers
Washers, also known as sealing washers or packing washers, are disc-shaped components with a hole in the centre. They seal off the water flow of a tap when the tap is turned off. Due to friction, washers often wear out over time and break, leading to leaking. In addition to this, leaking can occur if your washer is the incorrect size or is not installed properly.
High Water Pressure
If the water pressure is too high, water cannot flow effectively and can actually cause water to leak from pipes. As a result, your pipes can also become damaged, leading to even more expensive repairs on top of water bills due to your taps leaking. High water pressure can cause water to become backed up and if it fails to find an outlet, your faucets will be leaky.
If your tap only drips water during certain times or when you move your faucet’s handles in a particular way, then it could be your household’s water pressure that is the issue. Reaching out to a drain plumber means that they can use equipment to test your water pressure and provide a solution to fix it immediately.
Damaged Cartridge
A cartridge-style tap is a faucet with two handles, one handle for hot water and the other for cold. The cartridge is a valve on each handle that controls the flow of water into the faucet spout. If your faucet is dripping water, this is a clear sign of damage to the cartridge.
Malfunctioning O-Ring
An O-ring is located in the sink’s tap and is a small disc that holds the handle of the faucet in place. They can get worn out over time or loose. If you notice one water is leaking from your tap’s handle, a malfunctioning o-ring is most likely the reason.
Deteriorated Valve Seat
The valve seat connects the faucet to the spout. If your faucet is leaking from the spout, it can be because of a deteriorated valve seat. This is because the valve seat can be worn out over time or damaged by sediment accumulation.
Pipe Problems
Pipes with cracks, corrosion or damage from tree roots can cause your faucets to be leaky. Damaged pipes are a large issue, so you may experience problems such as unpleasant odours, discoloured water, as well as much larger leaks.
When Should You Call A Drain Plumber
You should immediately contact a drain plumber or a 24 hour plumber so that they can check the conditions of your pipes, water pressure, and condition of your taps. They can help pinpoint any issues early on, which can prevent more issues from arising.
Low-flow Taps
If you wish to save more money, you should consider getting more water-efficient appliances. By using more water-efficient products, people could save $2 billion by 2030. This means you can save more than $175 every single year and almost $900 in 5 years. Low-flow taps are water efficient because they combine air into the water flow. Low-flow taps give the feeling of normal full water flow, however, the water usage is greatly reduced from a standard 15-18L/min to only as 2L/min. Therefore, you should consider installing low-flow taps or flow-controlled aerators.
Drain Plumber Sydney
All in all, leaky taps are common and therefore are often overlooked. This results in water wastage and unnecessarily high water bills. If you are looking for professional emergency plumbers to handle all your plumbing needs, Emergency Drains is here for you!
We offer a variety of services such as pipe relining services, blocked drains and sewage drains inspections, 24-hour plumber services, CCTV drain inspection, blocked sewer pipe issues, and many other services. Get in touch with us if you have any concerns or queries or are looking for a free consultation.
