A drip means a seal has given up. Which seal comes down to how the faucet was built. Old two-handle taps hold a rubber washer. Most one-handle taps hold a cartridge. A few Delta styles use a ball and springs, and many newer fixtures use ceramic discs. Close the little valves under the sink, take the handle off, and the parts tell you what you have. Below, each type gets its own fix, then the tub, shower and garden versions. Fixture trouble in general belongs to the faucet, sink and disposal repair work we arrange.
How can I tell what kind of faucet this is?
Watch the handles move. Two handles that wind down to a hard stop point to compression. One handle that tilts and pivots means cartridge, ball or disc. A short quarter-turn on each handle suggests ceramic discs. Removing the handle settles it, and a photo of the parts helps whoever sells you the replacement.
| What you see | Likely type | Part that usually fails |
|---|---|---|
| Two handles, they tighten to a stop | Compression | Rubber seat washer, then the seat |
| One handle, smooth sweep, no ball visible | Cartridge | Cartridge or its O-rings |
| One handle with a rounded cap | Ball | Springs, seats, O-rings |
| One handle, short travel, heavy feel | Ceramic disc | Cylinder seals |
Jot the brand, and any digits cast into the body or hidden beneath the handle. A parts counter can match from that, or from the worn part itself.
What tools and prep does a faucet repair take?
Gather an adjustable wrench, a slotted screwdriver, hex keys, a towel and the exact new parts. Close the two stop valves below the basin and run the tap until it sputters dry. Plug the drain, so a stray screw cannot vanish down it. Done this way, a cartridge swap is a twenty-minute job.
Try the cheap fixes before you take anything apart:
- Unscrew the aerator on the spout's end and flush the grit out of its screen. A clogged one makes a faucet sputter or spray sideways, which can pass for a leak.
- Nip up a loose packing nut when water seeps from the handle's collar.
- Wipe the supply hoses dry and watch where the wetness returns. A leak that begins under the basin is a different job, laid out in a pipe that leaks under the kitchen sink.
What stops a compression faucet from dripping?
A new rubber washer, in most cases. Unthread the stem and look at the washer clamped on its tip. Flattened, split or grooved means it is spent. Fit the same size, look at the brass seat for a rough lip, and reassemble. A pitted seat needs a dresser tool or a replacement seat.
The order of work:
- Shut both stops and open the tap.
- Prise off the cap, loosen the handle screw, raise the handle off and unthread the stem.
- Undo the screw holding the old washer, and fit the new one.
- Put a film of silicone grease on the stem threads and put it back together.
- Reopen the stops slowly, and test with the handle closed.
If the stem threads are chewed, buy a whole new stem rather than wrestling the old one.
What fixes a leaking Delta, Moen or other one-handle faucet?
Usually a fresh cartridge or new O-rings. Lift the cap, take out the screw, slide the handle off. A clip or a nut keeps the cartridge in place. Release it, remember which way the cartridge faces, and draw it straight out. Delta also builds ball-style faucets, where the fix is a seat-and-spring kit. Moen faucets are mostly cartridge-based.
A few details save a second attempt:
- Buy the cartridge by brand and model. A near match can leak or swap hot and cold.
- Drop it in the same direction as the old one, tabs included.
- Lube new O-rings so they slip in without nicking.
- A spout that still weeps means the cartridge is not pushed home, or the brass body is scored inside.
Kitchen-specific notes sit in the guide to leaky sink faucet repair.
Why does a tub or shower faucet drip, and is the fix similar?
Same logic, different access. The worn cartridge or stem hides in the wall behind the handle, and many tubs have no stop valve of their own, so the whole house supply must be closed first. A tub spout that leaks only in shower mode has a tired diverter, and the valve is fine.
Trim removal differs by brand, so each gets separate treatment: the tub faucet and the shower valve. If the wall is wet or stained, stop and read about ceiling and wall water damage before you open anything.
What about the garden spigot that leaks outside?
Check the packing nut behind the handle first. Close the water, tighten the nut by a fraction of a turn, then test. Still weeping from the handle area? Replace the packing and the washer. Water dripping from the nozzle itself means the washer. A leak at the wall points to the pipe, and that is no longer a faucet job.
The step-by-step is its own piece: repairing a leaky outdoor faucet.
Why do faucets in Mission Viejo wear out, and is a drip worth fixing?
Mineral scale and hard water roughen seats and clog aerators, and strong pressure beats on the rubber. Streets on slopes can run high. Pressure over about 80 psi is generally the line where code calls for a regulator. A drip also costs: Per the EPA, one drip every second wastes over 3,000 gallons across a year.
When one faucet keeps failing, or several drip together, attach a pressure gauge to the garden spigot. Hardware stores sell them cheaply. Where a pressure regulator is found shows the usual spots, and the effect on your bill is in leaky faucets and water bills.
When is a new faucet smarter than another repair?
Buy new when the body is corroded, the model's parts are gone, or the repair adds up close to a new fixture's price. A basic replacement faucet can beat hours of hunting for obsolete cartridges. Rather hand it off? Prices for that are in the faucet replacement cost guide.
Common questions
Why does the drip seem worse at night?
Silence makes small sounds obvious, and pressure in the street often rises overnight when fewer neighbors draw water. A tired seal that holds against daytime flow can weep at that peak. It still means the seal is wearing, so fix it before the seat is scored.
Does the whole cartridge need replacing?
Usually, yes. Cartridges come as sealed units, and swapping the full part is quicker than rebuilding it. Some models have separate O-rings that cost pennies. Noting whether water escapes at the spout or at the handle base tells you which part is at fault.
Can I stop the water at the faucet alone?
Only if the fixture has its own stop valves. Sinks nearly always do, found beneath the basin. Tubs and showers frequently lack them, so you shut the main supply to the house. Afterward, crack the faucet to bleed the line.
What if it still leaks after the new part goes in?
Check that the cartridge is clipped and fully seated, the O-rings are not pinched and the seat is smooth. If water still gets past, the body may be scored or simply worn out, and a new faucet is cleaner than a third attempt.
Which faucet jobs go to a plumber?
Call someone if a stop valve will not budge, wall pipes are in play, or the supply lines are crusty with corrosion. A plain cartridge swap falls well under the $1,000 line, above which California wants a contractor, so it is fair DIY.
For the wider picture, start with Mission Viejo plumber.
Sources
Updated