Do you need bathroom sink repair, but don’t know where to start?
An adequately installed bathroom sink should last about 15-20 years. However, this timeframe can vary depending on the materials used, the amount of usage, and how hard your water is. Ongoing maintenance and small repairs can also prolong the life of your bathroom sink and other fixtures without entirely replacing them. Signing up for a maintenance plan can help extend the life of your sink and other fixtures in your home, and alleviate the pain of unplanned plumbing repairs along the way.
What Causes a Bathroom Sink to Need Repair?
If you’re in a situation where your bathroom sink needs repair, you’re probably wondering what causes a bathroom sink to need repair in the first place? Aside from silly mistakes of dropping a glass or hard object that could lead to a chip or crack in the actual sink, hair, hard water, and years of use can also play a role in slowly wearing down your sink and it’s plumbing.
How Does Hard Water Affect Fixtures?
Hard water means there are extra minerals in your water, and those minerals can do a number on your pipes, fixtures, and sinks over time. Hard water happens when water flows through deposits of limestone, calcium, bicarbonates, and sulfates. Those minerals can get carried in your water, down your pipes, and out of your faucet fixtures, causing build-up and corrosion along the way. This build-up can lead to clogs and leaky pipes or faucets, which will need to be repaired or eventually replaced.
If you notice a white or yellow film on the exterior of your sink faucets or sink, that’s probably a sign of hard water. If you can see build-up on the outside of your plumbing, imagine what the inside looks like. A water softener system can alleviate those troubles that can lead to clogged or damaged plumbing systems over time.
Common Bathroom Sink Repairs
Some common repairs that may need to be done to your bathroom sink include unclogging the drain, fixing a leaky faucet, or replacing some pipes.
Unclogging the drain is generally something a homeowner can take care of. However, store-bought drain-clearing chemicals can sometimes be incompatible with your plumbing. And without being a professional and knowing all the materials used in your plumbing system, it can be a wise decision to hire a professional plumber.
For big clogs or ones that go beyond your sink, the work may require a snake or auger, to bust up a large clog. This is best done by calling an experienced professional, to avoid damaging your pipes. A simple solution of baking soda and vinegar flushed down the drain once or twice a month can help maintain a clear, flowing drain as well.
A leaky faucet is often caused not from the faucet head itself, but from the taps, or faucet handle. Another spot affected by hard water is the o-rings within your hot or cold tap. These o-rings act as stoppers, so when you turn the tap off, water does not come out the faucet. Hard water or water pressure issues can cause these o-rings to corrode or break. Without repair, this can lead to higher water bills, pooled water, or other issues that could lead to a sink replacement. You can easily pick up an o-ring at the hardware store for $5 or less and replace it yourself.
For the most part, pipes can continue to be repaired and rejuvenated for years without needing to be entirely replaced, unless your house is a bit on the older side. The pipes you see under your bathroom sink, in the cabinet, are the local drain. This carries the water from your sinks or tub to the main water pipes through your house. It consists of the P-trap, which is the curved pipe at the bottom, which can sometimes become clogged with hair or build-up. This can be easily removed to clear clogs on your own, just remember to shut off your water first!
WHAT OUR CUSTOMER MAINTENANCE PLAN COVERS
What we want to do at AJ Alberts, is make home maintenance and plumbing repairs EASY for our customers. This is why we offer our preferred Customer Maintenance Plan. For $144 a year (or $12/month payments), we provide a comprehensive package that helps give you peace of mind. The plan includes a double warranty and 10% off all future repairs, priority scheduling on future calls, and a water hardness test. Plus, and this is the best part, an annual 10-point plumbing inspection on your home. We will check your water heater, toilets, shut-off valves, indoor & outdoor faucets, sump pump, gas & water connections, your water pressure, and your home’s piping. Satisfaction guaranteed! Call us at 651-738-0580 or visit us here for more information!
