Leaky Faucet Repair in 8 Easy Steps

There’s nothing more annoying than a leaking faucet. A leaking bathroom or kitchen faucet sounds annoying, wastes water, and can even permanently damage your sink if your water has high mineral content. So, if you have a leaky faucet, follow these 8 steps to get it fixed for good:

1. Turn Off the Water – Use the shut off valve under the sink to turn off the water to your sink.
2. Drain the Faucet – Put a bucket under the pipe to the sink and open up the pipe to drain any sitting water. This will make it easier to do your diagnostic work and get the subsequent repair done.
3. Remove the Handle – Take the decorative cap or cover (if it has one) off your faucet using a flathead screwdriver. Remove the faucet handle to expose the valve assembly using either a screwdriver or Allen wrench depending on what your specific model requires.
4. Look for Damage – Look at the valve assembly for any obvious signs of wear on the washer, O-ring, or cartridge/valve stem. These are the most common reasons for a leaking faucet because plastic/rubber will wear much faster than the metal of the faucet. If you do not see anything that could be causing a problem, reassemble the faucet and test it to see if simply taking it apart and reseating each element has fixed the leak. It’s possible that one or more components simply slid out of place, allowing dripping to occur. However, if any part of the faucet assembly looks worn, replace it.
5. Replace Damaged Parts – Get a replacement for any broken or worn parts that need to be swapped out. Now, it’s a matter of personal preference here, but homeowners typically prefer to replace not just the cartridge that has cracked, for instance, but also the aging washer and O-ring at this point as well to avoid future issues. Why replace something that isn’t broken? Many people want to just get it all done at once rather than having to worry about it again in the relatively near future because if one component has worn out, the others likely will at some point soon as well. It’s up to you how you would like to handle this, but since these parts are relatively inexpensive, it often makes more sense to swap them out all at once to save the time of having to take the faucet apart again the next time something breaks. In fact, for some faucet models, replacement parts are only sold in a bundle for this exact reason, removing the option of just buying one small component.
6. Reassemble the Faucet – Once the repair is done, reassemble your faucet by reversing the steps you took to disassemble it.
7. Turn on the Water – Turn the water supply back on, leaving the bucket under the faucet just in case something leaks.
8. Test It – Test your faucet to ensure that the leak has been fixed. If your faucet is still leaking, call a professional plumber. A local plumber will be able to repair your faucet to stop the leak even if the problem is more significant than you were anticipating. If you need faucet repair in the greater Chicago area, give us a call at 1 (800) 674-9130 and we will send someone out to help you!