How to Clean Sediment From a Kitchen/Bathroom Faucet

If you have well fed water to your home you have probably dealt with this issue. Your power goes out or a water line breaks and is repaired and sediment from the well gets into your pipes and clogs up the faucets! Here is a simple fix to clean them out and avoid replacing those costly things!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Air compressor
• Electrical tape
• Pliers
• Small Bucket

1. First turn off the water to your faucet. Usually each sink has a cold and hot turn off valve under it. If not (as in some mobile homes) you may have to turn off the water main valve where it enters the house.

2. After the water is turned off, open the knobs on the faucet itself to drain any pressure. (Since your facet is clogged with dirt this want matter now, but it will later!)

3. If this is a kitchen sink it will probably have a screw on head at the end of the faucet arm that contains a small wire mesh. Unscrew this and thoroughly clean the screen. Set aside the screen and screw the tip back on.

4. Now you will need to disconnect the hot and cold pipes under the sink. Water will drip so be ready to catch it in the bucket!

5. Now comes the fun part! Remove all attachments from the end of your compressors air hose. Take the end and insert it into the reattached tip on the faucet. Using the electrical tape make an air tight seal between the hose and the faucet.

6. At a low pressure setting turn on your air compressor. By putting your hand under the faucets cold and warm water tubes under the sink you should feel air coming through. If not, turn up the pressure slowly. NOTE: Make sure the faucet knobs are opened! If it is a lever type move it back and forth until you feel air coming through both tubes. You can put a finger over the end of the tube and release quickly to produce a little back pressure. Some sediment my come out.

7. Once you have airflow through both tubes reassemble your system (connect water lines to faucet) and remove air hose. Leaving the faucet knobs open and the screen off the end of the arm, turn water valves open quickly. Water pressure should wash out remaining sediment. Keep the water running until it is clear before replacing the screen in the tip.

8. This should do the trick. Occasionally there's enough sediment in the line to block it again. Just repeat steps till air then water are flowing freely.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't blow air into the faucet at too high a pressure or if the water line is not removed! This can cause leaks!