How To Know It’s Time for A New Faucet.
Your kitchen and bathroom faucets are some of the most used products in the home. This is due to its wide variety of uses, such as washing your hands and face, doing the dishes, cleaning, and obtaining drinking water. Making it one of the appliances that is imperative to have for a functioning home.
Yet, in today’s day and age, we are constantly being thrown advertisements and costly trends that we feel we must follow. Both on-screen and off the screen. This can be due to many things, such as wanting the nicer things in life or feeling like we must impress our friends and family with the newest gadget. Making it even harder to decide when it is time for a replacement is right or necessary.
Looking for these 4 signs can help you decide if a replacement is the right choice for you.
Figure 1: Cardania Series Two Handle Bar Faucet Matte Gold Finish
SKU #: 192-7158
The Tell-Tell Sign It’s Time for A Replacement
Drip, Drip, Drip.
Figure 2
A leaky faucet or handle can cost you more than you think. Not only can it increase your water bill every month, but it also ensures gallons of water waste depending on the faucet’s drips per minute.
However, this may be easily fixed. If this problem is occurring for you, check the faucet O-rings, washers, and valve seats for signs of corrosion or sediment buildup, wear and tear, general damage, or improper installation. If you notice any of these signs, follow these steps to correct the issue.
If corrosion or sediment buildup is affecting these items, causing your faucet or faucet handles to leak, then using undiluted white vinegar is a great solution. Simply submerge the affected item(s) or wrap it in a soaked paper towel if unable to completely submerge. Let it sit for one hour to achieve the best results and then clean and dry the product completely.
If it looks as though the items are damaged, you are always welcome to try repairing the broken items yourself. However, it’s often best to instead replace the broken items, preventing further damage occurring to your faucet. There are two ways of doing this. One is to find the item yourself at a repair store, the other is to see if the company will replace it.
If you have a CMI product faucet, check your installation instructions and Limited Lifetime Warranty to see which parts you can have replaced for free! These parts are usually bolded within the Parts and Diagrams List of your product’s instructions.
If the issue appears to be improper installation, simply try reinstalling the product’s items. Always remember on products like these it is best to not overtighten! However, if these parts have become
worn over time, or don’t have an easily accessible replacement part, replacing your faucet is the best solution.
Honey, Do We Have a Mouse?
Figure 3: Majestic Series Single Handle Kitchen Faucet Brushed Nickel
SKU Number: 192-6466
The second sign that it is time for some renovations is when your faucet is making a squeaking noise while you are operating it. Yet, how, and when you hear, the noise is going to determine if a replacement is right for you or not.
First, take note if there is any residue or mineral deposit buildup anywhere in or on the faucet. This can be the cause of the whistling noise due to the buildup restricting the flow of water from your faucet. If so, clean and soak the infected area thoroughly with undiluted white vinegar.
If you are still hearing a squeaking sound, take note of when you are hearing it. Is it coming from the handle when you turn your faucet on or off? This might be occurring due to the threads from the handle and stem rubbing against the threads of the faucet. Over time, these joints become worn due to use. Resulting in a squeaking noise. Inspect each part’s threads to ensure they are not too worn down. If they are, then your faucet will need to be replaced to prevent further breakage. If they are not, an easy fix is to apply a form of lubricant to both threads. A good option for this if you are rocking a budget is to use petroleum jelly.
Another cause of the sound may be the amount of water pressure being sent through your faucet. To know how much water pressure your faucet carries, you can check your product’s specification sheet. If you have a CMI product you can view yours online by going to our website and finding the product you have. It will be available for free download under the SPECIFICATIONS section, located under the product picture. Typically, the normal water pressure range is 45-80 PSI (pounds per square inch). You can check this by either purchasing a pressure gauge or having a plumber do it
for you. If the water pressure gauge reads less than 45 or higher than 80 PSI, then your fix is as easy as fine-tuning the faucets shut off valves.
However, if the squeaking still occurs then you may have to consider the pipes. Especially if you live in an old home or apartment complex. The pipes could just be too old to function or are blocked with a buildup of rust. This fix will end up being costly with product and installation costs, however, it could save you from multiple “easy fix” issues before ultimately having to deal with it.
Girl, That’s Nasty.
Having your water smell, taste bad, or not run clear may be an indication that a new faucet is needed. However, it is always safe to call your water company to see if something is affecting the water. Especially if this is occurring from all the faucets inside your home. Including your bathtub faucets or showerheads.
Figure 4
However, if the taste and smell are only coming from one faucet it may mean your faucet is breaking down. This can be the result of too much wear and tear over time and is a completely normal thing for old faucets to do. Typically, your faucet should last anywhere from ten to fifteen years. However, this can vary depending on the product’s quality or manufacturing details. If your water is tasting rusty, giving off an unpleasant smell, or not running clear, contacting a plumber can give you a way to complete a faucet or pipe repair easily.
I Didn’t Know This Was a Spitting Contest.
If your faucet is spitting water instead of coming out as a steady stream, then it may be time for a new faucet. Yet, before resulting in that, check the aerator of the faucet. The aerator is under the tip of the faucet, acting as a screen that helps create a non-splash stream by adding air to the water. The solution to fixing your faucet aerator may just be to unclog it or purchase a replacement part.
If you are having trouble locating it, reference your product’s instruction manual for a photo reference.
Figure 5
Please note that not just any aerator will fit your faucets. Look at the current aerator you have and take note of its size and type. You will need that same size and type of aerator to properly fix your unsteady streaming faucet.
However, if you have water spitting out from other parts of the faucet that you do not want water spitting out of, a new faucet is in your near future. There may be ways to give it a quick fix or short-term solution, however, sooner or later you will be forced to replace it.
That’s A Wrap!
With these insights, hopefully, you can determine if an appliance replacement is necessary for your home or not.
Beautifully finished, dependably functional.
If you have a CMI product and feel as though these tips haven’t helped resolve your issue, look to the Troubleshooting section of your product’s Installation Instructions. This section gives you some key problems that may occur, the cause of them, and the proper actions to take to fix them.
If you want or need personal assistance, our Customer Support Team is available for help from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm EST Monday through Friday. Our support team specializes in assisting customers with their product issues and directing them on how to fix them. You can call 1.800.626.3525, to receive help on the phone. Be sure to have the date of purchase from your receipt, the product SKU number, the product number, and the date code ready. You’ll be able to find the product’s SKU number, product number, and date code on the customer service tag. This
is in different places depending on your CMI product. On kitchen faucets, it is located on the supply tubes. For lavatory faucets, it is located on the lock nuts. For tub and shower faucets, it is located on the escutcheon plate.
Having this information ready allows our Support Team to effectively help you and understand exactly what products and problems they are dealing with. If you’re not a fan of the phone, there are other options for assistance! For online assistance, email Help@cmiproduct.com to receive live, online help.
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FOR FURTHER INQUIRIES, CONTACT US!
Phone: 1.800.626.3525
Email: Help@cmiproduct.com
Citations
Fig. 1:
CMI product. “Cardania Two Handle Bar Faucet.” https://www.cmiproduct.com/product/192-7158-cardania-two-handle-bar-faucet/
Fig. 2:
J.A.. “Kitchen Sink Faucet is Leaking and Needs Repair.” stock.adobe, https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=Kitchen+Sink+Faucet+is+Leaking+and+Needs+Repair&search_type=usertyped&asset_id=269322022
Fig. 3:
CMI product. “Majestic Single Handle Kitchen Faucet.” https://www.cmiproduct.com/product/192-6466-majestic-single-handle-kitchen-faucet/
Fig. 4:
Fig. 5:
Grigvovan. “Install Tap Aerator, Tighten the Nut, Close Up.” stock.adobe, https://stock.adobe.com/search?filters%5Bcontent_type%3Aphoto%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Aillustration%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Azip_vector%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Avideo%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Atemplate%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3A3d%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Aaudio%5D=0&filters%5Binclude_stock_enterprise%5D=0&filters%5Bis_editorial%5D=0&filters%5Bfree_collection%5D=0&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Aimage%5D=1&k=Install+Tap+Aerator%2C+Tighten+the+Nut%2C+Close+Up&order=relevance&safe_search=1&search_page=1&search_type=usertyped&acp=&aco=Install+Tap+Aerator%2C+Tighten+the+Nut%2C+Close+Up&get_facets=0&asset_id=119796184