Depending on the number of occupants and bathrooms in your home, your bathroom sink likely sees a lot of action. Whether you live alone or have a full house, single faucet bathroom sinks can begin to experience a decrease in water pressure over time. Although there are many things that can cause low water pressure in your bathroom sink faucet, the number one culprit is typically a clogged aerator.
Continue reading to learn how to inspect and clean a faucet aerator all on your own, but also, what to do if the underlying issue seems to be pointing toward something else.
Bathroom Sink Faucet Aerators
Most single standing faucets are equipped with a piece known as an aerator. However, bathroom sinks are almost always fitted with them. An aerator is a screw-on hardware fitting that connects to the underside of a faucet spout. They are designed to break up the solid stream of water from a faucet by adding air to the stream. So, rather than having water spewing out of the spout like a garden hose, water is gently and evenly balanced during dispersal. If you took the aerator off, the water would gush out of the faucet spout.
Another benefit of faucet aerators is water preservation. It is suggested that aerators can reduce water consumption by up to 30% in the average household.
Aerator Clogs
Aerators are well-known for accumulating solid debris and particles over time. As a result, faucets tend to lose water pressure value. Grit, mineral buildup, so residues, hair, and more can obstruct the air and water flow in an aerator, which first presents as reduced water pressure. Typically, a quick cleaning is all it takes to get your water pressure value back to where it was before the aerator clog developed.
In order to determine if your bathroom sink aerator is clogged, you will have to examine it, and possibly clean it if necessary. In some cases, you will need to replace the aerator, but this is usually only necessary if the metal screening is damaged or warped.
How to Clean Your Faucet Aerator
If you take your finger and touch the area of your bathroom sink faucet where the water comes out, you should be touching the aerator. Sink aerators are screw-on plumbing devices, so you should be able to remove it by simply twisting it off. Although the same lefty-loosey righty-tighty rules apply when it comes to threading, keep in mind that you are looking from above rather than below the spout. So, you will twist right to remove the aerator from the faucet spout.
If the aerator is not screwing off by hand, you can use a pair of pliers, however, be warned that this approach can be permanently damaging to your plumbing fixtures. If you cannot remove the aerator on your own, it is recommended to contact local Indianapolis plumbing service for professional assistance.
Once you have removed the faucet aerator, it is important to keep track of all of the separate parts. They need to be kept in order when you reattach them. As for cleaning, you have some options. You can soak it in distilled white vinegar and then gently scrub it with baking soda. Or, if the clog is more substantial, you can soak the aerator parts overnight in a limescale-dissolving cleaning solution.
Are you experiencing plumbing problems like low water pressure or clogs? Contact Weilhammer Plumbing Company at 317-784-1870 for professional plumbing service and repair in Indianapolis, Indiana and its surrounding counties. We serve residential and commercial clients.
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