How to Repair Gerber Faucets

Gerber Plumbing Fixtures has been in business since 1932. While the company manufactures a diverse line of kitchen and bathroom faucets, the products Gerber most enthusiastically promotes on its websites are toilets, many of which adorn hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. Gerber sink faucets have ball valves and ceramic disk valves. If your faucet leaks, you have to know which type you have because you'll probably need replacement parts.

Gerber faucet repair is no more complicated than repair for any other faucet brand. Because of the wide faucet selection, it's good to know the faucet model before you begin so you can have the parts in hand. It's usually marked on a tag on one of the supply tubes or on the faucet body. If you can't find it, you can look it up on Gerber's website.

As with any faucet, leaks are usually the result of worn O-rings, rubber gaskets and springs, and seldom the fault of the ball or ceramic cartridge valve. Ceramic valves in particular are known for being virtually leakproof. All you usually need to do to stop a leak is disassemble the valve, remove all the rubber parts and springs and replace them with new ones. These parts are available in kits from home supply stores, from the company's website or from a third-party online supplier.

To disassemble the faucet, follow this procedure:

1. Turn off the hot and cold shutoff valves.
2. Unscrew the set screw with a Phillips screwdriver or a hex wrench and remove the handle. You may have to pry off a cap to access the screw.
3. Unscrew the collar on ball valve washerless models, such as the Viper single-handle kitchen faucet. You can usually do this by hand.
4. Unscrew the valve retaining nut using locking pliers.

Lift the ball valve or cartridge out of the valve housing and extract any rubber gaskets in the water inlet holes by prying with a screwdriver. They are spring loaded, and the springs will come with them. Replace all rubber gaskets and springs with new ones, and don't forget to replace any O-rings around the cartridge.

Gerber Safetemp shower faucets are pressure balancing to eliminate sudden surges of hot and cold water. If the Safetemp cartridge gets clogged, the flow may be reduced to a trickle. To extract the cartridge from an old Gerber shower valve for cleaning or replacement, you'll have to remove several components first, including an escutcheon and a sleeve. It's good to have an illustrated parts list on hand so you'll know what to expect, and you can get one on Gerber's website.

If the valve is clogged with mineral deposits, you may have trouble taking it apart. Try spraying liberal amounts of vinegar inside the valve, after removing the handle, to dissolve these deposits. When you get the cartridge out, you can soak it overnight in vinegar to clean it or you can replace it.

Some models, such as the Allerton kitchen faucet and the Viper widespread bathroom faucet, have spouts and handles that appear separated from above but are connected under the sink by flexible hoses. When you notice water under your sink, check these hose connections for leaks. If you see water dripping or spraying from any connection, tighten it with a wrench or a pair of locking pliers.