Kitchen faucet from Home Depot started leaking after 6 months - fix or replace?

I bought this faucet back in March for my kitchen remodel in Austin. Install went fine, all good for a while. Then last Tuesday I noticed water pooling under the sink again and found a slow drip from the base where the spout swivels. It's a Glacier Bay model, cost me about $80. Took it apart and the O-rings look okay but there's some white crusty buildup inside the joint. Should I try cleaning that out and replacing just the seals, or is it better to just toss the whole thing and get a different brand? Anyone had luck with those universal repair kits from the hardware store?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason.paige28d ago

Nah man, don't give up on it yet. Those white crusty deposits are just mineral buildup from your water, it's super common in Austin with our hard water. A little CLR or even some white vinegar will dissolve that crust in no time. The Glacier Bay faucets are actually decent for the price, the problem is almost always the cheap O-rings they use. Pick up a universal O-ring kit from Lowe's or Ace for like 5 bucks, pull the old ones out, clean everything really well, and put the new ones in with a tiny bit of plumber's grease. I've fixed three different faucets this way and they all went another two years without leaking. Way cheaper than buying a whole new faucet and dealing with that install headache again. Just make sure you get the right size O-rings or bring the old ones to match up.

the_mason28d ago

Read an article saying Austin tap water has like 8 times the calcium of national average, so that explains the crust on @mason.paige’s faucet.