We’ve all been there – the moment you realize there’s a little puddle forming under your sink. After the deep sigh, you start to try to troubleshoot. Is it the handsprayer? Did we simply splash too much water near the fixture with that big dinner cleanup last night? Or could it be something much worse, like the pipes failing? Unfortunately, leaks can be elusive and troubleshooting can sometimes take weeks to figure out what the real issue is. If you’re like me, I don’t want to call a plumber or handyperson right away in case it’s an easy fix. So, I throw a dishtowel (and eventually a tupperware after the dishtowel starts to soak daily) down there while I observe. In this case, after about six disproven theories and four weeks, it was time to call in a specialist. OK, I’ll admit that I started with a handyperson which turned out to be a dead end – and THEN I called a Plumber. After five visits from two different plumbers, here’s what I learned:
1. Leaks can be elusive. They can be hard to recreate when a plumber is present. If possible, try to take a video of the active leak using your phone with flash on.
2. Troubleshoot and present a few theories. Since you use it everyday and are the one observing the leak, you’re going to have a better idea of what might be going wrong.
3. Document as you go. I found that by the fourth visit, it was tough to recall all of the details, what we’d already tried and what could still be causing the issue. If I jotted down a few notes as I went, it would have made things easier to summarize.
4. Hand sprayers are notorious for leaking. Especially side-sprayers vs sprayers built into the head. Side sprayers tend to allow water to drip down the line when putting them back in their mount. We ended up capping our side sprayer and moving to a fixture that has the sprayer built in. Much more usable and any water drips directly into the sink.
5. Rejuvenation plumbing fixtures don’t last and they don’t stand behind their products. Controversial, I’m sure. But once I accepted that the issue was our fixture, I looked into replacing it with the same, updated model from Rejuvenation – even though I felt like they didn’t last, the design is so good. Not only was it 4X as much as the Moen fixture we went with, but it would have taken two months to arrive and they didn’t offer returns. Their customer service, in my experience, is also lacking.
6. Many sprayer outlet lines are missing a rubber gasket under the cap. It will eventually fail and cause a leak. One of the three (truly wonderful) plumbers we had out has a background in commercial plumbing. He’d installed hundred of fixtures for large office and apartment buildings and saw this issue time and time again. Easy one to add to your troubleshooting theory list for the future.
One more parting thought: home warranties can be worth it if you have an older system (ie: older plumbing, late ‘90s AC, etc). Make sure you select the right coverage (or ask your realtor). Also, plumbers, contractors and specialists deserve respect and patience; we’re all human and we’re all doing our best.
If you’re dealing with a house headache and need advice or contractor recommendations – don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m happy to help you strategize, troubleshoot and call in expert support when needed. You can reach me at 971.371.0203 or @kcb_portland.
