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At times, water When you're experiencing reduced water flow, the first port of call to finding a solution, would usually be the aerator. The aerator is a small filter, typically inserted at the tip of your sink faucet. Its purpose is to conserve water create an even flow without stuttering and splashing. By mixing the water with air, it reduces energy costs. Anta Plumbing's expert Toronto plumbers explain how you can clean your sink or shower faucet aerator.
Why Clean Your Sink or Shower Faucet Aerator?
1. To restore water pressure
2. To prevent burst pipes
Water travels a substantial distance from the municipal treatment plants to your home. Although the City of Toronto goes to great lengths to maintain the sanitary integrity of the network of systems, pipes, fixtures, valves, and pipe connections, it is near impossible to avoid minute rust deposits at all times. Sometimes, small rocks find their way into the systems, and then of course, there are tree roots in pipes that cause infiltration of underground debris and plant matters. These particles all make their way through your household pipes and into the sink faucet aerator.
Cleaning your sink faucet aerator is simple, provided you have a pipe wrench or groove-joint pliers and cloth or masking tape handy.
Clean Your Sink Faucet Aerator Step-by-Step
First off, make sure you have the tools handy, and place a cloth underneath the work area to prevent small parts from falling into the drain.
Step 1:
Wrap masking tape around the joint of the faucet aerator, taking care to avoid overlapping onto the faucet spout. This is to give you a better grip with the pliers or wrench, and to avoid making scratches or marks on the faucet when unscrewing the aerator.
Step 2:
Turn the aerator clockwise using the groove-joint pliers to loosen it, and when it is loose enough, unscrew it completely with your fingers.
Step 3:
The aerator should have a gasket, a filter, and outer mold. Once you have disassembled the aerator, you should find rust and small stones inside. Carefully rinse the parts in water, taking care not to let the particles enter the drain. Use an old toothbrush to clean out the aerator filter.
Step 4:
Over time, lime and other mineral deposits build up inside aerators, slowly cutting off the flow. If your area's water supply has high calcium or lime content, you should soak the parts in a bucket of water with a lime dissolving solution or white vinegar.
Step 5:
Reassemble the cleaned faucet aerator and screw it back onto the faucet spout by hand before tightening it using the pliers or wrench.
What if Cleaning the Faucet Aerator Does Not Restore Optimal Flow?
Your water flow should return to normal after you have cleaned the aerator. However, if the build-up inside the filter does not dissolve, or if the aerator is rusted or damaged in any other way, you may have to replace it. Replacing a sink faucet aerator is as simple as removing the old appliance from the spout and screwing a newly bought aerator onto it.
If you have tried to clean and replaced the aerator, but your water flow has still not been restored to normal, you should get in touch with Anta Plumbing. It could be that there's a blockage or similar problem in the pipe itself.
