Faucets
There are several types of faucets in your home - Bathroom sink, tub and shower, kitchen sink, laundry sink, automatic clothes washer and garden hose. They each have their own set of challenges however if maintained should last for several years.
Bathroom sink
These faucets come in many different styles however all with have some type of an aerator on the end of the spout. This is always removable and is something that can possibly become plugged with sediment. To clear it you must remove it from the faucet body by unscrewing it counter clockwise. Be careful not to lose any of the parts inside the aerator and pay close attention to the order so they can be put back the same way. It is also wise to plug off your sink so you do not lose a part down the drain. If the aerator is too tight to remove by hand be careful not to scratch the finish if you use a tool to loosen it. If you experience low flow from your bathroom sink faucet the aerator is a good starting point. If clearing your aerator does not result in increased flow then you should contact At Your Service Plumbing to send a Personal Plumbing Professional to inspect the water supply lines and the emergency shut off valves.
Tub and Shower
There are tub only faucets, shower only faucets and combination tub and shower faucets. If you have a shower head and notice reduce flow it could be caused from sediment and can be cleaned out as you would the bathroom sink faucet aerator (see above). Tub and shower faucets, as do most types of faucets, have parts inside that wear out after time and must be replaced. Servicing a tub or shower faucet generally means the water to the entire house must be shut down and therefore may be best to call upon your own Personal Plumbing Professional.
Kitchen Sink
Kitchen sink faucets also have an aerator that may need to be cleaned out at times. Also many kitchen sink faucets have a separate sprayer or a spout that pulls out into a sprayer which have hoses that can become caught on something below the sink. If you can't pull your sprayer out check to be sure it is not caught. If the hose becomes warn and the rest of the faucet is decent shape many times At Your Service Plumbing can locate replacement parts.
Laundry Sink
The standard laundry sink faucet does not usually have an aerator on the end of the spout although sometimes a kitchen faucet is used instead of a typical laundry tray faucet.
Automatic Clothes Washer
There is a hot and a cold faucet which supplies water to the clothes washer. These can be protruding from the wall or inset in a plastic box. The new styles are a 1/4 turn so are easy to turn off and on. The area of greatest concern at the clothes washer is the hoses supplying the water from the faucets to the machine. Typically clothes washers come with the black rubber type of hose and these can become a cause for disaster. If you check and find you have the black rubber hoses for your clothes washer you should make plans to get those changed to braided stainless steel. The braided steel ones your Personal Plumbing Professional can install for you have a ten year warranty.
Garden Hose
These faucets are on the outside of your home and are likely what is called frost free. This means they are four to twelve inches long and shut the water off that far back in the wall. As long as you remove your hose the faucet itself can drain therefore leaving no water exposed to freezing. If you do not have a frost free faucet then you may need to cover it with an insulated covering during the winter. Garden hose faucets are now required to have a vacuum breaker on them to prevent back siphoning of any contaminated water the hose may end up in. Sometimes these vacuum breakers need to be serviced but best done by a certified technician. The parts inside the hose faucet that cause the flow of water to stop when the faucet is turned off can wear out and then the faucet will not shut off and you will either have to turn off the water to your entire house or for a temporary solution you can put on a hose with a sprayer head so water does not continue to run. This can only be done during non-freezing temperatures. When a garden hose faucet is on the front of a garage with the water supply piping running through an unheated space it can freeze during continuous days of below freezing temperatures. Some of these applications may have a shut off valve on the water supply line so that during the winter months the water to this line can be turned off and drained to prevent freezing.
If you have any questions about the servicing or maintenance of any of your faucets, please contact At Your Service Plumbing at (253) 565-0090 or click on the link in the header above to email your PPP.