Is your Water Filter leaking? Not sure what to do? Relax! I’m going to show you how to fix it starting right now!
Hi, I’m Gary the Water Guy and I simplify water filtration to help you conquer crappy water for your family.
There are 7 reasons why your water filter could be leaking. In this article, I’ll share with you how to determine where it’s leaking from, explain the cause and let you know how to fix it yourself! Plus, I’ll show you what you need to do to make sure it never happens again!
WATER FILTER BASICS
Every filter housing has an O-ring or a seal to keep the water from leaking. By tightening the housing into the cap you’re compressing that O-ring to make the seal watertight. BUT you’re also creating friction between the O-ring and the filter housing the tighter it gets. Water can leak from between the housing and the cap, the pressure release button and the fittings to the filter housing itself.
HOW TO FIND THE LEAK IN YOUR WATER FILTER
To find out exactly where your water filter is leaking from, shut off your water before the filter housing, open a faucet downstream and let the water run until it slows to a trickle to release all of the pressure. Then close the faucet. Thoroughly clean and dry the outside of the housing including the cap.
Turn the water back on and watch to see exactly where your leak is coming from.
WHY YOUR WATER FILTER IS LEAKING & HOW TO FIX IT
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Not closed tight enough. Likely it’s coming from between the housing and the cap. In that case, the housing may just not be tight enough. Although we often hear these housings just need to be hand-tight, I’ve found that in most cases, that just isn’t enough! Shut off the water again, depressurize and tighten the housing.
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Debris inside the housing. If that doesn’t solve the leak, shut off the water and depressurize and remove the filter housing and filter and look inside the canister for debris or an old filter O-ring stuck at the bottom or the top inside the housing. This adds extra length to the filter making it very difficult to fully close the housing.
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Dry O-Ring.Adding clear silicone grease, NOT Vaseline, to your O-ring will definitely help make a more water-tight seal. It also has the benefit of lubricating the O-ring so it doesn’t stretch as you tighten the housing and will preserve the rubber O-ring and make it last longer.
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Stretched O-Ring. If the O-ring has not been lubricated with silicone grease or even water during previous filter changes the O-ring may have stretched and no longer fits the filter housing. You will need to replace the O-ring with a new one. These are not universal so you will need to check back with the housing manufacturer to get the replacement. We have many of them on our website!
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Leaking Pressure Relief Button. If your leak is from the pressure release button you may be able to fix it by just pressing it a number of times while the filter housing is pressurized to flush out some debris. If that doesn’t work, take it apart by unscrewing it from underneath, cleaning it out, lubricating the O-ring with silicone grease and putting it back together.
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Loose fittings. If you see leaks from the fittings at either end of the filter housing you can try tightening the fittings to see if it stops the leak. If not, you will need to cut the pipe (if using copper pipe) unscrew the fittings, clean them up, use Teflon tape and pipe dope to reinstall and make sure all connections are tight.
- Damaged filter housing. Sometimes due to poor handling practices in the past or just a worn-out filter housing, the whole thing will need to be replaced. This is easier than ever now by using pex pipe and quick connect fittings. Check out this video for more info!
HOW TO PREVENT YOUR WATER FILTER FROM LEAKING
Don't let a leaky water filter housing dampen your mood! Keep it sealed tight and prevent it from leaking in the future with these 3 simple tips:
- Use silicone grease on the O-ring whenever replacing the filter.
- Make sure the filter is replaced at least annually.
- When servicing the filter be sure to thoroughly clean all surfaces, inside and out.
Water Filter Installation Tips
>> How to Install a Viqua 3-piece Big Blue Water Filter Housing: watch video
>> How to Install A Water Filter Housing: watch video
