Faucet Turns Itself On

LESLIE: Our next caller is looking to help with a drought situation. She’s got a faucet that keeps on running and wants it to stop.

Emma, welcome. How can we help?

EMMA: Well, I have a leaking faucet when I turn my sprinkler on outdoors and then even when I flush my commode or run water in my washing machine. The face basin in the bathroom, it runs by itself.

TOM: Wow. That’s very mysterious, Emma. So when you run your sprinklers outside or when you flush a toilet, this particular faucet just starts to go?

EMMA: Yes.

TOM: Hmm. Well, let’s think about this. There’s probably a difference in water pressure when that happens and for some reason that’s impacting this particular faucet, which might be closer to the main, I’m speculating, than some of the other ones. You know, there are some things that are worth fixing and there are some things that are not. While you may be able to repair that faucet by simply replacing the seat, it might just be easier and more cost effective in the long run to just get yourself a new faucet. You know, a basin faucet’s not that expensive these days.

EMMA: Well, I just thought that was strange because I’ve had faucets before but I’ve never had this problem.