As the heart of the home, the kitchen is a nexus for our lives and many systems we rely on daily. This is especially true regarding home plumbing, as the kitchen sink is the focal point for various activities. This is where we tend to wash and prepare food, clean the dishes, use the waste disposal, and more. It’s easy to take this tricky working plumbing fixture for granted until something goes wrong. One of the more insidious problems to deal with is a water leak under the sink. This is very small and hard to detect in many cases, but it’s likely to become more significant over time. This article will look at how you can learn to fix a kitchen sink leak.
What is the Scale of this Problem?
The first obvious question some people are likely to ask is, “If I haven’t noticed the kitchen sink leak, why is it a serious problem?”. This is understandable; if an issue is minor or occurs in an out-of-the-way location, we tend to ignore it. Most people are hardwired to deal with emergencies as a priority and less prone to seek out more minor problems. But, when the kitchen sink is leaking, even if it is small, it already affects your home. Why? The first issue is that you’re already wasting water you’ve paid for, which is simply a waste of money. If you open a faucet slightly, look at a water drip, and place a glass under it, how long will it take to fill it? The USGS estimates that it takes 15,140 drips to lose a gallon of water. If you extrapolate this over a more extended period, it’s easy to see that you can lose a lot of water during the year.
The next major issue is the potential for hidden water damage which will become more extensive as more time passes. One of the worst things about water damage is that it’s expensive to fix, and with earlier leak detection, it can be avoided entirely. The water that’s leaking from under the kitchen sink may be causing water damage in another part of the home. Water tends to find the lowest level, which can even erode building foundations until they crack and lose stability. Of course, this may take a very long time with a tiny water leak, but this is only an extreme example. Water won’t take long to degrade a section of drywall warp wood or contribute to toxic mold growth. This is why it’s important to prioritize identifying and repairing water leaks in your home.
5 Common Kitchen Sink Leak Scenarios
There are many reasons why the kitchen sink may leak, but unless you have water gushing onto your floor, it’s prudent to take a moment to evaluate the situation. The first step before you attempt a DIY plumbing repair or contact a professional plumber is to identify the source of the leak. If much water is being released, you must locate and shut off the water supply valve and stop the water flow into your kitchen. However, in many cases, you may be able to find the water leak yourself and fix it without professional intervention. The easiest way to approach this problem is to divide the kitchen sink into five areas and check each. They are:
1. A Leaky Faucet
This is a widespread problem in the kitchen, bathroom, and other areas of the home. A water leak in the sink can sound loud when you’re trying to sleep at night! But the good news is that this is the most accessible type of kitchen sink water leak to identify and fix. The water may be dripping from the faucet or pooling on the top of the sink. On closer inspection, you may see that the water comes from other parts of the faucet, not the spout.
The Solution:
The easiest way to deal with this problem is to disassemble the faucet handle using an Allen wrench to get at the internal parts. Then, remove the retainer nut, the cartridge, the seats, and the springs, which may be causing the leak. To finish, replace these parts with new ones and reassemble them, which should fix the problem. It’s also worth noting that this is an excellent opportunity to change the faucet entirely if you plan to do that for a while. New faucets and parts are inexpensive, easy to install, and readily available in various colors and styles.
2. The Water Supply Valve
A water leak from the water supply valve must be a priority to identify and fix. This is because the potential for releasing water and water damage is much higher. Imagine leaving your home empty only to return to a flooded kitchen! The repair and restoration costs could run into thousands of dollars. It’s easy to check if this is the source of the water leak. First, plug the kitchen sink drain and turn on the faucet. Let the water run for at least a few seconds, then turn it off again. If the kitchen sink leak persists when the water is turned on and the drain is blocked, the cause likely lies in the water supply.
The Solution:
The first step must be to tighten the water supply valve, which may stop the water leak. The valve can be nudged or moved inadvertently; even a tiny adjustment can release water and create a leak. If this doesn’t work, some parts in the system likely need repair or replacement. This is especially true if the water supply lines are over five years old. The best approach is to contact a local professional plumber to inspect your home plumbing system. In many cases, replacing aging pipes with newer ones will be cheaper and more efficient.
3. The Drain Pipe
If you notice that the water leak under the kitchen sink only occurs when the water is turned on, this could indicate that the drain pipe is the source. The most likely cause is a loose gasket or nut that can be tightened to stop the release of water. Avoid overtightening because this could break the part and release more water. A pack of gaskets from a hardware store is inexpensive, and it’s a great idea to have some on hand for these types of problems.
The Solution:
The nuts can usually be tightened by hand to stop the drain leaks. If the problem persists, shut off the water and take the drain pipe apart to locate and change the gaskets. Then, put it all back together, make sure the nuts are tight, and run the water. If the water leaks have stopped, you’ve fixed the problem!
4. The Sink Strainer
This could be the source of the water link if the strain is dripping underneath when the water is run in the sink. Droplets of water may be present even when draining is not taking place. This can be harder to detect than the other sources of water leaks that we’ve already covered here. But if you take a closer look at the sink drain surround, you may notice that the putty has become cracked, and some moisture may be present.
The Solution:
If the putty is cracked, disassemble the pipe and remove the drain assembly. Then, take a flat putty knife or other non-sharp straight edge and scrape away the old putty that’s left of the sink drain rim. Get some fresh putty and apply it to the sink drain hole, locking the basket strainer into position under the sink. As you tighten everything up, some putty will be forced out at the sides, and this can be removed for a clean and professional finish.
5. Hot and Cold Supply Lines
These two water supply lines are common places to find steady running water drips under the sink. In some cases, you may notice water pooling under one of the pipes, or it may be difficult to work out which one is to blame.
The Solution:
This can be a very easy or more complicated problem to fix. The easiest solution is to locate the nuts where the supply lines are connected to their respective cutoff valves. Tightening these valves by hand may stop the water leak. If the source of the leak is the pipe itself, it will need to be removed and replaced with a fresh section of pipe.
In Conclusion
As you can see, some of these water leak issues have relatively simple solutions if you have some basic DIY skills and are confident in using tools. But if you cannot identify the source of the water leak or you cannot fix it, it’s time to contact your local professional plumber.
