Most indoor water faucets have an aerator, a screw-on device to regulate the stream, as the last stage of water delivery. A clogged aerator can cause reduced water flow and pressure for both hot and cold water and may also spray water at odd angles.
Purpose of a Water Faucet Aerator
Without an aerator, water comes out of a water faucet as a solid irregular stream. The faucet aerator breaks this solid stream into finer streamlets mixed with air. This aeration process, along with other components of the aerator, serves a variety of purposes:
- Flow restriction or pressure regulation for water conservation
- Filtration of larger water-borne particles
- Reduced splashing
- More regular stream
Removing a Water Faucet Aerator
The aerator on a kitchen or bathroom faucet is contained in a housing attached to the discharge end of the tap; the housing simply unscrews. However, if the aerator housing is clogged by accumulated minerals – as is often the case – it will be difficult to remove by hand. Here are some tips for removing the faucet aerator:
- Run the hot water for a few minutes to expand the aerator, then hold an ice cube against the body of the tap to shrink it. This may loosen the fitting
- Slip-lock pliers or a small pipe wrench will easily remove the aerator, but to prevent damage the finish (shown in illustration below), wrap the aerator in a cloth or in several layers of masking tape or duct tape.
Once the housing is loose and before removing it, close the drain to avoid losing small parts. Once the housing has been unscrewed and removed, check inside the water faucet to be sure that no parts remain stuck inside.
Parts of a Water Faucet Aerator
The typical aerator may contain five or six (or more) parts made of plastic, metal, or rubber. When disassembling the aerator, take note of how the parts fit together and in what order they are in the housing. Typical parts consist of the following, which may or may not be present and which may be in various configurations depending on the water faucet manufacturer:
- Plastic divider or aerator
- One or more screens (may be metal or plastic) of varying mesh size
- A plastic multi-hole spray regulator or flow restrictor
- One or more rubber seals or o-rings
Any parts that are cracked or damaged, and any seals that are hardened, should be replaced. In most cases, it is simpler to buy a new aerator than to try to replace individual parts.
Cleaning the Water Faucet Aerator
This step requires a little care and patience.
- Wash the parts and brush off any loose debris (an old toothbrush works well).
- Debris stuck in a hole may be poked out with a pin or needle, taking care not to enlarge the hole or damage the part
- Parts that are covered in whitish calcium deposits can be soaked for 15 minutes in warm white vinegar or in a commercial cleaner such as CLR. Remove tape from the housing before soaking.
Reinstalling the Water Faucet Aerator
Reassemble the components in the correct order and configuration within the housing.
Before reattaching the housing, run both hot and cold water to remove any debris remaining in the tap.
Screw the housing back on finger tight and run water to test. If the flow is irregular or if water leaks around the aerator housing, remove and check that assembly is correct and that no new debris has lodged in the aerator. If it still leaks, tighten gently with pliers.
Remove the protective tape and polish the water faucet and aerator housing.
Thomas Alan Gray - Tom has been writing for over 30 years; curiosity leads him to dig into a wide variety of topics.
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