Bathroom Faucets - Handling a Leak at a Rental Property
When a tenant calls with a bathroom faucet leak, acting quickly will save you money. Unaddressed leaks cause further water damage, and result in more work needing to be done to repair. When a tenant calls in with a bathroom faucet leak, here is what you need to do.
Gather Information on the Leak
Depending on the source of the leak, there is a different level of urgency, and a different action plan to be followed. When a bathroom faucet leak is called in, the first step should be to get information from the tenant on where the water is leaking. Pictures of the leak or descriptions of where the leak is occurring will help you determine an action plan. If it’s a small drip from the faucet that goes into the sink, it may be possible to leave the water on without further damage (until the leak can be fixed).
However, if the leak is severe or occurring underneath the sink, then it is important to turn the water off and assess the damage.
Shut off the water & Assess the damage
Underneath the sink, there are two shut off valves (one for hot and one for cold). Turning these two valves should shut off the water to the fixture, stopping the water flow. However, sometimes these valves no longer function properly due to old age. In that case, the water to the house should be shut off (which is typically controlled by a valve by the front of the house).
Once the water is shut off, the area should be towel dried, and cabinet doors left open to dry. If the leak is very substantial, there is the possibility that a water remediation company would be required, but if the leak is smaller and caught quickly, this often won’t be necessary.
Line up a contractor
After the immediate problem is stabilized, it’s time to find a contractor to address the issue. With any plumbing issue, be it a pipe, bathroom fixture, etc, getting a licensed contractor with insurance is important. While ideally no contractor you hire will make a mistake, in the event that they do, insurance is what covers you. Plumbing can result in serious issues, so licensed & insured is the only way to go for any issue related to water.
Repairing the cabinet after the leak is fixed
After a plumbing leak under a bathroom faucet is fixed, there is the potential that it will have caused damage to the bottom of the cabinet. This can be unsightly, and in some cases can weaken the bottom board of the cabinet to the point where it can no longer be used. However, this often doesn’t require a new cabinet - the bottom board of the cabinet can be removed and replaced with a new one by someone skilled in carpentry. Replacing one board is often much less expensive than replacing an entire cabinet, and is much less of an inconvenience to the tenant as it takes much less time to accomplish.
If you’ve got a bathroom faucet replacement leak and need someone to remedy the situation, we’re your go to team! Give us a call at 480-480-EPIC (3742). We’d love to help!
