Dripping Faucet

Low Water Flow?

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Do you have a kitchen or bathroom faucet that has low water pressure? If the rest of your house has better flow than that one fixture, chances are a quick and easy do-it-yourself project will fix the problem. Try cleaning the aerator before installing a new faucet. The aerator is pictured here, and can usually be screwed off by hand.plumbing-st-paul-mn-unscrew-aerator

Plug the drain hole before you start, so you aren’t surprised with parts plunking into the drain. If you can’t get it off easily by hand, try pliers, wrench, or channel-lock to help out. To protect the shiny surface of the aerator, wrap a rag around it or use electrical tape on the business end of the tool, as shown here.

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Your aerator may have several pieces to it – before you separate them out, examine the order in which they all go back together. You’ll see a screen, a washer, and the aerator itself.

Rinse each piece in clean water. Get an old toothbrush and scrub gently. Then take a pin or needle (one of the most useful things to do with your sewing kit), and gently insert it into the small holes in the aerator.

For stubborn scale areas from hard water deposits, use white vinegar. Dunk all the parts into a bowl of vinegar, soak for a while, and use your cleaning toothbrush again. It should look much cleaner than when you started. plumbing-maplewood-mn-bowl-aerator

Now you’re ready to re-assemble the aerator and screw it back on. Hand-tightening is all that’s necessary in most cases.

Viola! Turn the water on, and the spray pattern and water flow should look like a new faucet.