Many people complain about the leaking kitchen faucet at its base. It usually happens at the point where its base connects with the sink counter.
Why is My Kitchen Faucet Leaking at the Base? The kitchen faucet can leak at its base due to a corroded, broken, or loose O-ring, damaged rubber washer, and faulty valve seat. The leakage can be continuous even when the faucet is turned off due to mineral deposition and the breakdown of its faucet cartridge. In addition, clogged or broken pipes can cause this problem.
The inner parts of the faucet that can break include a spout, handle, valve seat, O-rings, cartridge, washer, and aerator.
What is a kitchen faucet?
A kitchen faucet is a commonly used tool in your house that controls the water flow through a container or pipe.
You can use it for dish-washing, prepping your meal, and washing your hands.
You can connect the faucet to the sink at the deck mount, but it is better to fix it properly.
You can easily install it if there is sufficient space between the wall and the kitchen sink.
In addition, you can connect it to the wall to keep the sink dry.
However, it is not suitable for exterior walls in the cold region because pipes may freeze there.
Damaged O-ring
Your kitchen faucet contains at least one O-ring that fixes the joints on tubes and pipes.
It remains connected to the stem screw that properly holds the faucet’s handle.
It is generally composed of rubber that folds around various inner parts of a tap.
Applying it around internal parts limits the water flow and seals the faucet when the tap is turned off.
If you do not maintain O-ring, it will cause a leak from the sides of the tap and sometimes it is hard to turn the faucet.
It can break due to frequent use or become loose over time. Similarly, it becomes corroded due to mineral deposition, and its material decomposes due to corrosion.
It can dry and becomes cracked, and eventually causes leakage. The damaged O-ring causes leakage near the handle or spout when turning on the faucet.
Your device commonly contains two O-rings to avoid leaking through the spout. You should remove either spout or handle to replace damaged O-rings.
Occasionally, the inner side of the spout can fracture due to prolonged use or hard water.
This time, the O-ring replacement cannot avoid leakage due to a fractured spout. Therefore, it is better to replace the entire faucet to prevent leaks at the base.
When O-rings become loose, you can use a wrench to screw them up. It will help if you select a new O-ring that resembles the size and shape of your device.
Once you have purchased it, fix it in the kitchen faucet, and it will solve your issue.
Broken rubber washer
A broken rubber washer is the common reason behind a leaking kitchen faucet. The washer forces against the valve seat every time you use your device.
It breaks down due to constant friction. Consequently, you notice leaking near the spout.
You can mend the leakage caused by a broken washer by replacing it. First, you should take your gadget apart and insert a new rubber washer.
Rusty valve seat
The valve seat connects the spout and the faucet. It forces the water to release when you rotate the tap’s handle.
The hard water causes the deposition of minerals inside the valve seat.
The issue arises when it becomes rusty over time, and its metal substance decomposes due to the buildup of minerals.
As a result, the connections ruin, and dripping occurs near the spout area when you turn on your tap.
Similarly, a damaged O-ring can also cause a defect in a valve seat because these parts continuously grind against one another.
This continuous friction can lead to the trapping of water sediments between the valve seat and O-ring.
When you turn the faucet off or on, these trapped sediments grind within your device.
These sediments damage the seal to such an extent that the leak won’t stop if you replace O-ring.
If you have replaced the O-ring and dripping continues, it is due to a rusty valve seat.
You should regularly maintain and clean the kitchen faucet to prevent mineral deposition in its inner components.
You can clean your tool by absorbing a neat fabric in pure vinegar and scrubbing the area.
You can replace the valve seat of your device to avoid further damage.
High-pressure of water
You can control the water by turning your tap on or off but its pressure changes at different times of the day.
The water pressure can alter due to the main drainage problem or flow through other home taps.
When water flows intensively and stops in the pipes, it slowly impairs them and causes leakage through faucets.
You may not notice any wrong for a long time, but eventually, you will observe damage caused by it.
The washers and aerators break down when they go through a continuous strain of high water pressure.
The breakdown of these parts causes leakage from the base of your device.
High-pressure water may cause permanent damage to loose valves. As a result, water drips at the base of the faucet.
This issue is more noticeable when you are not using any other water tap.
You can observe that water pressure in your plumbing system is too high, causing leakage.
You should contact a plumber to look over your drainage system.
The issue resolves when you know that water pressure is the basic reason for the leak, and then you repair your plumbing system.
Poor installation of washer
Your kitchen faucet leaks at the base due to the incorrect size of the washer.
The rubber washers are available in various sizes, and when you use the wrong size, it causes dripping.
Similarly, water drips from your device if you poorly install your rubber washer.
Luckily, you don’t have to replace the faucet because you can fix the right size of the washer. However, you should contact the plumber for its proper installment.
Damages Pipes
The pipes become damaged when they become old and cause a slow but constant leak in your faucet.
The old pipes can break or crack when they become corroded after extended use. Moreover, water sediments accumulate in older kitchen pipes and break them.
This happens due to loosely fitted pipes, so check their fitting. In addition, you should try to observe if the joints of pipes contain any tiny holes or cracks.
Cracks or holes change the pressure of the water. The constant dripping occurs at the device’s base and below your sink.
Any obstruction in the gutter can clog your pipes and lead to blockage of water. These clogs break the pipes by elevating pressure at the back of the block.
When corroding materials such as domestic items cause this clog, it quickly destroys the pipes.
You should fix hair traps in pipes to avoid clogs. You can solve this issue by repairing and updating your old drainage system.
Faulty Faucet Cartridge
A faucet cartridge is commonly composed of rubber or plastic material. It controls the quality of water flowing through your kitchen faucet.
It restricts the flow of water when you turn off your tape. It is attached to the handle and located inside a valve.
The valve holds the cartridge so that it can regulate water. You can rotate the handle by rotating the device inside the valve.
Hence, it can manage the water flow from the spout of your faucet. It does not cause any problem over the years, but eventually, you need to replace it.
It can break and becomes rusty with long-term use. Similarly, the minerals deposit on its surface and disturb its function.
As a result, the faucet cartridge cannot function correctly, and you face problems rotating the tap handle.
Therefore, you observe your kitchen faucet constantly leaks at the base even when you don’t turn the handle.
You can regularly clean your device with vinegar and water to avoid corrosion caused by mineral deposition.
It will help if you replace the faucet cartridge to solve your problem.
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