Q: For the past couple weeks, the water coming out of our kitchen faucet has been steadily decreasing β both hot and cold. I tried cleaning the surface of the end of the faucet spout with vinegar and it doesnβt seem to have helped improve the flow.
A:Β There could be bits of sand and minerals caught in the aerator at the very end of the faucet, so you need to remove the aerator to clean it out completely. Even before you clean it up, youβll probably notice that the water runs out very well once you take the aerator off the faucet spout.
It can take a little muscle to get the aerator to unscrew. Also draw a sketch of the order in which parts are taken off or take a quick photo of the parts with your phone. That way you can put everything back the same way.
To clean the aerator, start by turning off the water supply by turning off the valves under the sink. Cover the end of the spout with masking tape to protect the finish, then use pliers to unscrew the aerator from the spout. Take out the screen aerator section and clean it by soaking it in vinegar and then scrubbing with a soft brush.
You can also replace the washer while the faucet is disassembled.
Reassemble the parts in the right order and thread the aerator by hand back on the faucet. Once everything is back in place, tighten with pliers.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
