How is the {drip} the plumbing system {drip} in your house? No problems {drip} you say but you can’t {drip} figure out why the water bill {drip} in your Waterford, MI home {drip} seems so high. That’s right, dripping faucets can add up over time and not only waste a precious resource but also cost you money. Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is here to help.

Water = Money

Kotz knows how easy it is to ignore leaky pipes and faucets. After all, it’s just a drip. Well, how about this from the EPA, those drips can add up to more than 10,000 gallons of wasted water in your home every year! That’s a lot more than just an annoyance.

Identify the problem

Many homeowners don’t even realize how many faucets or spigots they have in their home. Stop and think about the typical 3-bedroom and 2.5-bathroom home:

• Kitchen faucet
• Three bathroom sink faucets
• Laundry sink faucet
• Washing machine spigots
• Two-three outdoor spigots

(for the purposes of this conversation we’re not counting shower & tub faucets)

Common repairs 

The good news is many faucet repairs are pretty simple. Depending on the type of faucet, these are the most common reasons why it’s leaking:

The washer

When the faucet has two separate handles for the hot and cold water, it is a compression faucet and it uses washers. Over time the washers can corrode, be damaged, or weren’t installed correctly. Replacing the washers may fix the problem.

The O-ring

Both cartridge and compression faucets use O-rings to create a waterproof seal. When the O-rings wear out the rubber can get hard or damaged. This will break the seal causing a leak near the handle. If you replace the O-ring it’s critical you buy the exact right size, or it will not work properly.

The Cartridge

A cartridge faucet can have one or two handles. When they start leaking it’s often necessary to replace the entire cartridge valve. 

Don’t bite off more than you can chew

Kotz has great admiration for do-it-yourselfers and most of these faucet repairs are straight forward, but there are always risks. The amateur can easily damage a faucet to the point the entire unit has to be replaced.  Suddenly, what should be a simple repair turns into a much more expensive replacement. If you’re not absolutely confident in your DIY skills, we urge you to call Kotz to handle your faucet repairs. Any repairs we do in your home come with a one-year parts and 30-day labor warranty.

Nothing to fool with

The water waste is real, but let’s be very clear that leaking faucets can also be a warning sign. It could be an indication your plumbing system is on the road to a more serious breakdown. The best way to avoid this scenario is with regular plumbing maintenance. The pros at Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing can spot problems and make simple repairs before damaging breakdowns happen. Call and make your appointment today.