Everyday lifeGuide5 parts · 2 min
How to fix a dripping faucet
Shut off the water, see whether the drip is the spout or a hose, and replace the washer or cartridge that matches that faucet.
The answer
Close the shutoff valves, replace the washer or the cartridge that matches the faucet, then open the water and watch both the spout and the supply lines.
Find the drip before you buy a part
Dry the faucet and the supply hoses. Wait. If a new drop forms at the end of the spout, the worn piece is inside the faucet. If the drop forms at a nut or a braided hose, that connection is the leak. Buying a cartridge will not fix a loose hose.
Turn the handle until it stops and you are usually looking at a compression faucet, with a washer at the bottom of the stem. Lift the handle, or move one handle left and right for temperature, and you are usually looking at a cartridge. The old part is the thing you match at the store. The brand is often stamped on the faucet body.
Practical steps
Step 01
Close the hot and cold shutoff valves on the supply lines. Open the faucet to let the line drain. If those valves are missing, close the house supply and open a lower tap.
Step 02
Plug the drain so the screw cannot fall in. Pry the cap off the handle if there is one, remove the screw, and lift the handle off.
Step 03
For a screw-down handle, unscrew the stem and replace the washer at the bottom. For a lift or single handle, pull the retaining clip and lift the cartridge straight out. Take that cartridge with you if you are not sure of the brand.
Step 04
Seat the new washer or cartridge the same way the old one came out. The handles should move as they did before. Forcing a cartridge in backward is a common reason the drip remains.
Step 05
Open the shutoff slowly. Watch the spout for a minute and feel the hose nuts with a dry hand. A drip at the spout means the new part is not seated. A drip at a hose means tighten or replace that hose, not the cartridge.
Examples
A kitchen spout that drips after the handle is closed
The drop forms on the spout, not on the hose. The handle lifts, so the part is a cartridge. The brand on the base is the one on the package. After the new cartridge is clipped in and the shutoff is opened, the spout stays dry and the hose nuts stay dry. The repair is finished. If the spout still drops, the cartridge is not the same shape as the one that came out.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the water on and pulling the handle apart.
- Stacking a new washer on top of the old one.
- Replacing the cartridge when the water is actually coming from the supply hose.
Questions
What if the drip continues after the washer is new?
The metal seat under the washer may be grooved, or the faucet may use a cartridge instead. Match the part to the one you removed. A second washer on a damaged seat will still drip.
Do you need to replace the whole faucet?
Not for a drip at the spout or at one hose. Replace the faucet when the body is cracked, or when the cartridge for that model is no longer sold and the seat is too damaged to hold a washer.