WHY IS THE FAUCET DRIPPING?

In the US, the water quality is very good, but the lime content in the water varies depending on the district, which is usually the cause of a dripping tap. After hundreds of liters have flowed through the seals and the cartridge, the material is attacked and small stones collect in the front of the water atomizer.

Turn off corner valve

In the first step: Turn off the water supply at the angle valve, which is located under the sink in the kitchen or in the bathroom. There is a small rotary knob that you have to turn in one direction so that the line is closed.

Remove aerator filter

In the second step: Unscrew the round piece at the front of the water tap outlet with pliers (ideally pipe wrenches), there is the aerator and a seal. You can clean both parts in hot vinegar water and remove limescale and stones.

If the parts are so heavily used, you can find replacements for a few euros in the hardware store or here in the following link: Water tap seals & aerator

Remove cartridge

In the third step: If there is still no prospect of improvement, you can remove the cartridge and clean or replace it.

For this you need: An Allen key with 2.5mm, a slotted screwdriver and a pipe wrench.

1. In order to be able to remove the cartridge, you first have to remove the faucet lever, which is usually attached with a threaded screw positioned on the back or underside of the lever. If you don't find anything there, the screw is under the hot/cold water sign. To do this, remove the emblem with the screwdriver.
2. Once you have found the screw, you can now use the Allen key to carefully unscrew the screw.
3. Now pull off the lever and the panel underneath it upwards.
4. Then you can use the pipe wrench to unscrew the cartridge.

Check for damage

In the fourth step: Check whether the cartridge seals are porous or have other damage. If everything still looks functional, I recommend cleaning with hot vinegar and water first. If the cartridge has been heavily used, you can find a new, inexpensive replacement in a hardware store or here in the following link. faucet cartridge

Restore everything to its original state

In the fifth step: Carefully reinstall the cartridge, making sure that the seal on the underside is in the correct position. To prevent water damage. Now put the decorative panel and the lever back on the fitting and fasten both with the screw. If necessary, the hot/cold emblem can simply be reinserted.

In the sixth step: Open the corner valve under the sink again and check that it is working.

If everything works as it should now, you can pat yourself on the back and be proud of having saved a lot of craftsman costs with a little effort of your own.