Forgetting about these little guys is easy. You don’t even notice them until they start misbehaving. Over time, aerator screens can become clogged due to calcium and sediment buildup or rubber gaskets breaking down. When this happens, most of the time, a simple cleaning of the aerators is enough to get things going again. However, changing your aerator is a smart move. Most faucets come with 2.2-gallons-per-minute aerators. Switching to a 1- or 0.5-gallon-per-minute aerator will decrease your water usage (thousands of gallons each year) and save you money.
Changing an aerator is pretty simple. Of course, if you’d rather not deal with the hassle and want a professional to handle it, we’re always here to help. If you’re up for the task, here’s a simple overview of how to do it:
Replace It With The Same Type – Aerators vary in size and threading. Take your old aerator to your local hardware or home improvement store to make sure you get a match.
Unscrew The Old Aerator – Start by trying to unscrew it with your hand. Sometimes that’s all it takes. If that’s not enough, a pair of pliers or a crescent wrench will do the trick.
Install The New Aerator – We recommend adding a little silicon lubricant to both the faucet and aerator threads first. It’ll make removal in the future much easier. Screwing in the new aerator until it is hand-tight is all it takes.
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