The faucet is one of the most important components in maintaining control of flow, temperature, and pressure in fluid systems, such as water. However, proper selection, installation and maintenance of faucets needs to be done to achieve this goal.
Errors in faucet selection, installation and maintenance can cause problems in the faucet operation system, so a thorough understanding of the causes and symptoms of faucet failure is very important.
In this article, we will discuss the various problems that commonly occur in water taps:
1. Noise
Noise is one of the most common problems with faucets. This problem generally occurs due to vibration in the plug and shaft of the faucet.
If this is allowed, then the vibration can cause damage to the faucet components, reduce the life of the faucet, and cause problems in the piping system.
The main cause of vibration in the plug and shaft of the faucet is due to improper size and orientation of the components.
The opposing forces of the process flow or the pressure of the return springs can cause a bounce in the part of the plug inside the faucet body, and produce a distinct rattling sound.
2. Leaks
Leaks in faucet water can cause various problems, such as disrupting pressure, control, and stability of the faucet and can cause component damage and contamination of water.
Leaks in faucets can occur for a number of reasons, such as damaged or loose shaft seals or nuts, faucet sizes or grades that do not match the piping system.
3. Broken Stopper
A broken plug in the faucet can interfere with actuation, which can result in changes in water flow, pressure, temperature, and other critical piping system conditions.
This can be caused by several things, such as damage to the faucet body, damage to the faucet plug, and debris or material in the water.
4. Actuator Failure
The actuator is the component that facilitates the movement of the faucet components, allowing the faucet to open and close as needed.
Failure of the actuator can disrupt the piping system because the faucet no longer has power to operate. This occurrence is common in automatic water faucets that use electricity in their operating system.
5. Cavitation
Cavitation generally occurs when there is a change in the temperature of the water in the faucet. Cavitation is the evaporation of a flowing liquid because its pressure is reduced to below its saturated vapor pressure.
This can produce steam bubbles which when exploded will produce a force that will damage the inside of the valve.
6. Flashing
When the pipe carrying the liquid through the faucet is confined, and the downstream pressure is low enough, some of the liquid may turn into a gas. This event is also known as flashing.
When the liquid is flashing, the fluid flowing downstream can turn into a gas or become a mixture of water and gas. This can reduce the flow, and cause the flow to decrease, and will have an impact on tap damage due to erosion.
7. Choked Flow
Under normal circumstances, when the pressure drop from the faucet increases, the flow rate in the faucet will also increase. A pressure drop that is too high can cause a choked flow event.
In the choked flow event, the flow rate will no longer increase when the pressure drop increases. This will prevent water from flowing back through the faucet.
8. Mechanical Friction
The moving parts of the faucet can experience friction, especially between the faucet rod and the rod liner. This sometimes cannot be overcome, because in some conditions these systems are interconnected. This can damage the faucet, especially the flexibility of pipe movement during use.
9. Erosion
If the water used in the piping system is water that contains a lot of material, such as groundwater, this can cause erosion. Erosion is able to erode the trim and faucet body thereby making these parts wear out.
10. Blockage
In the piping system, sometimes the problem does not occur on the part of the faucet, but the problem can occur because of a blockage.
This blockage is caused by the minerals contained in the water flowing in the faucet or piping system.
These minerals will build up in the faucet or piping system and over time will cause deposits to build up in the piping or faucet system.
These are some of the problems with faucets. Each problem has its own solution. If the problem that occurs is in the form of a minor problem, then this can be overcome by replacing spare parts.
But if the problem concerns an important part of the water faucet, then a new type of water faucets is needed to replace the broken faucet. However, regular maintenance and supervision is one of the most ideal ways to reduce these problems.