Help! My Faucet is Spitting Water Everywhere!

It’s 6 a.m. on a Monday.

You dragged yourself out of bed and to the bathroom (begrudgingly).

Time to rise and grind — though, if you’re like many of us, you probably wish you could rise just a teeny bit later.

Nevertheless, corporate America calls!

So, you reach for your toothbrush, turn on the faucet and — whoa, whoa whoa!

Water is spitting at you from every which way like a sprinkler.

What gives?

You, our friend, have a pressure problem within your plumbing.

What Causes a Faucet to Spit Water?

Most times, a surprise spitting faucet is the result of a pressure change, which most commonly means there’s air trapped somewhere in your plumbing.

Aside from spitting, you may also hear tapping or banging inside the walls when your water is in use.

Don’t worry, that’s no ghost!

It’s just air banging around in your pipes with nowhere to go.

How to Troubleshoot a Spitting Faucet

  1. Make sure the water main has not been shut off. The valve should be turned completely counterclockwise, or if the handle is a lever, it should be fully moved to the open position.
  2. Find the fixture closest to the main water supply. Start there, and work your way clockwise around each fixture in your home, opening each faucet (both hot and cold) a half turn to let air and water escape. This should be done for all toilets, showers, and tubs, as well as the washing machine and dishwasher.
  3. Once water begins to flow without spitting, turn off all fixtures. Close each water source in the order that they were opened.

Allowing all fixtures, faucets, and appliances to run simultaneously will usually elicit enough force to push any residual air out of your plumbing — and voila!

No more spitting!

—

What’s that? It didn’t work!? Hmph.

In the event that this method doesn’t solve your plumbing problem, give a call to your local experts. If you live in Orange County, California, that expert is Barker and Sons Plumbing & Rooter!

We’ve been Orange County’s trusted plumbing company for more than 30 years. Contact us today!