As any homeowner knows, there is nothing more annoying than dealing with a leaky faucet. Not only will it keep you wide awake at night, but it is also a misuse of vital resources: water and cash. A dripping faucet will boost your water bill in no time at all.

Good maintenance plus inspections of faucets is necessary in residential plumbing and construction plumbing to make sure your faucets keep working good. With preventative upkeep and inspections you should be able to prevent having to call a plumber to fix a faucet that has been neglected.

Residential plumbing needs maintenance and inspections frequently to prevent plumbing malfunctions. If you discover you have a simple leak or low water pressure, you can do the plumbing repairs and maintenance yourself. The two most regular issues with a broken faucet is loose nuts or a shabby washer.

The common problem of water leaking from the base of a handle is a minimal loose connection you can easily repair with a wrench. Take off any decorative covering on the handle, and find the nut below. Tighten the nut gradually, but be careful not to tighten it too much. Turn the water on and see if the leak is resolved. If the leak is still present, tighten the nut a a little more until the leak appears to be fixed.

Another common occurrence of a dripping faucet is a damaged washer. Refer to the manufacturers documentation first, as some newer faucets are washerless, for example, the Moen one handle faucets. In this case try checking out a local hardware store for some popular faucet brands. If not, you can substitute the washer yourself. You will need a screwdriver, a wrench and a package of washers sold at hardware stores.

Should you encounter a problem with a shower or tub, you may require some additional work since valves are commonly located behind walls. See if you can find an entrance door to the plumbing. If there exists no access door, you may have to make one, or, if you are not comfortable creating one, you will need to call a plumber.

1. Turn the water supply off, which should be located beneath the sink (or behind an access door if in a tub or shower).

2. Make sure to turn the water off by turning the faucet to the on position.

3. Hinder off the drain with a washcloth to stop items from going down the drain by placing a washcloth over it.

4. Disregard any decorative handle in order to locate the nut.

5. To avoid marring the faucet surface, pad the wrench with electrical tape or masking tape.

6. Use the wrench to untighten the packing nut that is located inside the handle, make sure to turn counter clockwise.

7. Twist the handle until you can take out the valve unit.

8. Remove the screw at the bottom of the valve. Locate the washer.

9. Match the old washer with one from the package of new washers you purchased. Be positive they are precisely the same size. If there is a separate washer for hot and cold, be sure to utilize the washer designated for hot or cold water appropriately.

10. Install the new washer(s), replace the valve, turn the handle back to its proper position, and then tighten the nut(s).

11. Check for leaks by turning the water valves under the sink back to the on position and turning on the faucet.

If you still have major problems or leaks in the plumbing, it is be best to hire a professional plumber for your faucet repair.

Faucet repair is not hard with the right tools and new parts. Preventative maintenance in addition to inspections should hel you deter problems. Dripping and leaky faucets must be repaired right away to avoid expensive water costs and wasting of water resources.