Home Improvement: Minor Water Leakage

[kap]

Lavatory faucet was dripping so I replaced the rubber washer. The leakage stops but the water pressure is really weak. Oddy, during the work I turned off the main water line but the water kept flowing. Any idea? The main water shut-off is located on the sidewalk in front of our house. The same setup is with many homes in our town. TiA

[Plumbking]

The gate valve is worn out. Years of water rushing by a partially closed "gate" and the bottom won't fully close.

If in the future if you need to shut off the water drain it at the lowest point, typically where the water enters the house there is a hose bib. Leave it open. Hopefully the water will "leak" there instead of what you are working on.

[macaroo]

If it is weak on that faucet, you probably just have a blocked aerator on the outlet. Unscrew it, and clean it out. I have this problem all the time. Scale will break loose and clog the darn thing.

[cbelt3]

what marcaroo said. When you repair faucets you break loose scale and whatnot inside the spigot. Next time you go through this- Remove the aerator first when you shut off the fauced. Tap it out, then repair the faucet, then rinse out the aerator backwards, then replace the aerator.

Shutoff on the sidewalk ? Eh- you must live where it doesn't freeze.

[testcase]

I'd be very surprised if there were no master shut off valve somewhere in the house. Usually, it's located close to where the water line enters the house.

[kap]

Macaroo and Cbelt3,
I will check into replacing the aerator tomorrow.

Plumbking and testcase,
I tried already and couldn't locate the master shut-off valve anywhere, I can look again. As a matter of fact, our general contractor had to shut off the water from the location on the sidewalk.

Neither of our neighbors on either side of our house has a master shut-off valve in their house.

[C(-)ris]

[quote kap]Macaroo and Cbelt3,
I will check into replacing the aerator tomorrow.

Plumbking and testcase,
I tried already and couldn't locate the master shut-off valve anywhere, I can look again. As a matter of fact, our general contractor had to shut off the water from the location on the sidewalk.

Neither of our neighbors on either side of our house has a master shut-off valve in their house.
I'd call a plumber and get a master shutoff installed inside the house ASAP. What are you going to do if the valve freezes or breaks outside and you have a problem inside?

[TLB]

[quote kap]Lavatory faucet was dripping so I replaced the rubber washer. The leakage stops but the water pressure is really weak.
Any chance you installed the wrong washer. If it is the wrong size it may not allow the faucet to open enough to get full flow.

[kap]

C(-)ris,
I had thought about it about seeing another neighbor's master shut-off vavle. Thanks for the reminder.

TLB,
That is a possibility. Though I did bring the original seat washer to HD for a comparison. The replacement for Price Pfister two handle faucets. I cannot tell if our faucet is of the same brand. It was already in existence when we bought the house.

Is it a good idea to replace the stems and the seats for C and H at the same time as well?

[Racer X]

about plugged aerators, if you were replacing a washer because it was bad, some of the rubber debris may have traveled and partially plugged the aerator. I had this happen with my shower head, and it picked up 4 chunks of rubber over a week period, all from the one rubber seal that disintegrated at the shower valve.