Fixing A Leaky Faucet - Determining Faucet Type

Drip, drip, drip. There are many inconveniences to be reckoned with when you have a leaky faucet in your home. First of all, the noise can range from a minor tapping in the background to a major barrier to sleep at night. You stand to lose some money in terms of energy costs, as well, if the water you are losing is hot. If you live in an area where you pay for water usage, you could end up with a hefty bill simply due to a leaky faucet- your leak may lose you gallons of water every day, in the home repair equivalent of death by a thousand cuts.

There are several ways to remedy your situation when you encounter a leaky faucet, some of them band-aid solutions and some of them more permanent. One temporary solution is to purchase a faucet washer- a small piece of metal that can screw on to the opening of your faucet to delay the drip action. The water is still leaking, but the amount being lost is what is being dammed. This strategy does not work for very long, however, and can even be detrimental in that it might make you forget that you actually have to repair that leak sometime.

The more permanent solution. Of course, is to find the source of the drip and repair it. This is a relatively simple procedure that most people will be able to accomplish on their own; if you use a plumber for it you will be spending some big bucks that you won