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I have a faucet with two levers on both sides in my bathroom. The tip of the faucet where the water comes out is brown and discolored, but the water that comes out is clear.

Do I have to replace the entire sink? Or is there just one part I need to replace?

yuritsuki
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  • You certainly don't have to replace the sink. Whether you have to replace the whole faucet (spout and valves), or just the spout, or just the aerator depends on where the rust is and what the make and model are. A photo would help. – keshlam Nov 14 '14 at 01:46
  • @keshlam I'll try to add one if I have time – yuritsuki Nov 14 '14 at 03:06
  • Soak the tip overnight in a glass of vinegar. If you've just got mineral buildup that should dissolve it, or at least loosen it to the point where a bit of scrubbing wil;l get it off the faucet. – Wayfaring Stranger Nov 14 '14 at 14:56

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The discoloration is either caused by rust or hard water stains. If you are seeing the same kind of discoloration on your other plumbing fixtures such as rings in the toilet, water stains in the tub, etc. then you have hard water.

Hard water stains are very tough to remove and won't come off with bathroom cleaner. There are products on the market which are specifically made to dissolve the built up minerals such as lime, calcium, sulfur, etc.

If you are seeing rust in your fixture, than that would indicate that it is near the end of its life. The internal components are probably worn too, which will eventually lead to a failure (leak). If I was in that situation, I would just replace the entire fixture. You may be able to buy a new aerator, and a rebuild kit from your local hardware store.

In either case you shouldn't have to replace the whole sink unless it is in bad shape.

Jason Hutchinson
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