Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Kitchen Sink Leak gets Fixed - We Hope


Monday January 14th
Cathey told me, the other day that she thought the kitchen sink faucet was leaking at the base of the faucet tube and that could be the source of the occasional leaks in the storage compartment below the kitchen sink.  I had tried to just tighten the fitting but that did not make a difference.  The leak in that compartment has been intermittent but has not stopped despite the tightening that I did on the water line fittings a couple of weeks ago.  So once I had my shoes on I went out to the truck and rummaged around in my mighty tool box and came back with my channel locks.  Once apart the faucet stem looked to be in good shape, with only some lime buildup on the mating surfaces.  I soaked all the parts with lime buildup in vinegar and further cleaned them with an old toothbrush.  That seemed to be all that it needed since there was no leak once it was back together - we'll see how long that lasts……  
I started to take out everything in the storage compartment below the sink to clean up the area since Cathey reported a musty smell emanating from that area,  My get up and go got up and went before I got very far on that; tomorrow is another day.
We called Kay Piper in the afternoon.  When she heard that we were in Lake Havasu City, she said that Dave and Marlene Schaeffer were here also, renting a condo for a couple of months.  She will send me Dave's cell number so I can get in touch with them.

3 comments:

  1. From the title of this blog entry, I sort of had this notion that you did some fixing on your own, but wasn't totally confident with it. Well, if you said that the leak stopped when you cleaned the lime off the tubes, then it must probably be it. Limescale is both unsightly and could cause damage to pipes, so it's good that you removed it. Let's hope for the best, Tony!
    Darryl Iorio

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  2. This has happened to us before. Our plumber pinpointed the main problem and where the calcium buildup was. He said that if the aerator and faucet stem is clear and the faucet still doesn't work, check elsewhere. He also added that how we open the main water valve after performing plumbing works cause extra lime or calcium deposits, so try to open the valve slowly to let the water flow in the pipes with less force.

    Althea Tumlin

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  3. To save on costly repairs, it's ideal to perform preventive maintenance on the pipelines. Lime commonly causes leaks on sinks, so it's best to clean them regularly. By the way, I am pleased to hear that the leak stopped after you cleaned the lime off your pipes. Don't hesitate to call for experts if the leak persists though. Good luck!
    Total Plumbing Inc.

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