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The faucet’s off. You can see it’s off. You’ve checked twice. And yet, the slow, persistent drip continues. Plink. Plink. Plink.
A dripping faucet isn’t just an annoyance. The EPA WaterSense program reports that a single dripping faucet can waste over 3,000 gallons of water per year. Multiply that across a couple of faucets and your water bill is paying for the soundtrack.
Here’s why faucets drip and how to fix the most common causes yourself.
First: Know What Type of Faucet You Have
Repairs depend on the design. Four basic types:
- Compression: two handles (hot and cold), each tightens against a rubber washer. Older homes have these.
- Ball: single handle, ball-shaped joint inside. Common on kitchen sinks.
- Cartridge: single or double handle, removable cartridge inside. Common in modern bathrooms.
- Ceramic disc: single handle, two ceramic discs slide against each other. High-end modern faucets.
Each type fails differently and gets fixed differently.
The 5 Most Common Drip Causes
1. Worn Out Washer (Compression Faucets)
The rubber washer that seals the valve seat hardens, cracks, or flattens over time. Water trickles past it constantly. Classic cause for older two-handle faucets.
Fix: shut off the supply valves under the sink. Remove the handle, unscrew the packing nut, lift out the stem, and replace the washer at the bottom. $2 part, 15 minutes.
2. Failed Cartridge (Cartridge Faucets)
The cartridge is the whole valve mechanism. When it wears out (typically 5-10 years for cheaper faucets, 15-20 for quality ones), water gets past internal seals.
Fix: shut off supplies, pop off the decorative cap, unscrew the handle, pull out the retaining clip, lift the cartridge straight up. Match it at the hardware store (or order from the manufacturer). Reinstall in reverse. $15-40 part, 20 minutes.
3. Cracked or Worn Ball Assembly (Ball Faucets)
Ball faucets have several O-rings and springs around the rotating ball. Any one of them failing causes a drip. Most kits sold for ball faucets replace the whole set at once.
Fix: get a brand-specific repair kit. Follow the included instructions. $10-25 kit, 25 minutes.
4. Cracked Valve Seat
The valve seat is the brass surface the washer presses against. Mineral buildup can pit it. Sometimes a new washer doesn’t solve the drip because the seat itself is damaged.
Fix: a seat wrench (a few bucks) lets you unscrew the old seat and install a new one. Or use a seat-grinding tool to smooth out the existing seat. Either way, 10 minutes.
5. High Water Pressure (Affects All Types)
If multiple faucets across the house drip even with new washers, cartridges, or kits, your water pressure is probably too high. The pressure is pushing water past seals that would otherwise hold.
Test with a pressure gauge ($15 at hardware stores) on any hose bib. Anything over 80 PSI is too high and stresses every fixture in the house. Fix is at the pressure regulator, not the faucets.
The Quick Diagnostic Test
Which side of the faucet is dripping tells you which one to fix:
- If it’s only the hot side, the hot washer/cartridge is bad
- If it’s only the cold side, the cold side needs replacing
- If you can’t tell, shut off the cold supply only and watch. If dripping stops, it was the cold side
Saves you replacing parts you don’t need to.
When to Just Replace the Whole Faucet
Sometimes repair stops making sense:
- The faucet is more than 15-20 years old and parts are hard to find
- You’ve already replaced cartridge/washer recently and it’s leaking again
- The body itself is cracked or visibly corroded
- You don’t love the faucet anymore (might as well upgrade while you’re under there)
A decent replacement faucet is $80-300. Installation takes 30-60 minutes. Worth doing when repair gets repetitive.
When to Call a Plumber
- The supply valves under the sink are stuck or leaking themselves
- You can’t get the faucet apart (corrosion-stuck handles, stripped screws)
- You replaced parts and it still drips
- Multiple faucets across the house drip (probably a pressure issue)
- You see water leaking somewhere other than the spout
Bottom Line
One dripping faucet is almost always a washer, cartridge, or O-ring. $5-25 in parts and 20 minutes solves the problem. Multiple drips across the house point upstream to your pressure regulator. Either way, fix it now — that drip is $30 a year on your water bill and a sound you don’t need to live with.
Trusted Local Network
Water heater and tankless work often pairs with HVAC and broader home-system trades. For related needs, we recommend plumbing services for water heater coordination in the Salt Lake City area.
Your Riverside Pipe and Faucet Repair Pros
Stuck faucet, mystery drip, or multiple leaks across the house? Rooter King Plumbing serves Riverside, Corona, Jurupa Valley, and Orange County with same-day pipe repair and replacement including faucet repair and replacement. Contact us and we’ll get the drip silenced today.