Drip Driving You Mad? Let’s Fix that Faucet for Good!

We’ve all been there. The leaky water faucet. Clean running water is one of the benchmarks of civilization, yet there’s no quicker way to make you start climbing the walls than that constant drip, drip, drip. Kitchen faucet, bathroom faucet, shower faucet, the bathtub faucet – if it’s not one of them, it’s another. ALL DAY LONG.

You might be asking yourself if you need a plumber for a leaky faucet, if the faucet repair is going to require spare parts, or if the dripping faucet repair is going to mean cutting off water to the house. Don’t worry, nobody is born knowing how to fix faucets, but TLC has the best techs in New Mexico on the job, and we’re gonna walk you through how to fix it.

How Do I Fix a Leaky Faucet?

Most leaky faucets are caused by worn-out, corroded, loose, or faulty parts. For a DIY leaky faucet fix, TLC’s expert technicians recommend that you take the following steps:

Purchase a faucet repair kit from a local hardware store, which will give you almost any part you could need.
Cut off the water flow to the leaky faucet.
Take the faucet apart using an adjustable wrench and/or screwdriver.
Examine all internal parts for corrosion, breakage, and wear.
Replace any damaged or defective parts.
Reassemble the faucet.
Turn the water back on and test the repair.
If the faucet is still leaking after all visibly damaged parts have been replaced, call an experienced TLC technician and schedule an appointment with an expert.

Pro Tip: Before you buy any repair kits, make sure the parts in that kit match your specific faucet. If you don’t want the whole kit, you can try to find the specific problem and go buy the parts after.

How Do I Stop the Faucet from Dripping?

If your faucet is dripping, it might be hard for you to sit down and think through exactly what might be causing it. The sound alone can make it hard to think, but when you start considering the cost of the extra water being used, you might be tempted to throw out everything – including the kitchen sink.

However, to put it simply, the vast majority of leaky faucets leak for the same reasons, and it’s so common that you can buy a faucet repair kit at a local hardware store. A kit like this is likely going to include replacement washers, cartridges, and stems. It may also include plumber’s tape, but if it doesn’t, we highly recommend you pick up some of that too. Plumber’s tape on a repaired faucet is like swaddling a sleeping newborn. It may not have been necessary, but you’re gonna be glad you did it when you sleep soundly through the night.

The absolute first thing you want to do before even touching the sink is to make sure the water is off to the sink. Once you turn it off, turn on the sink and run any extra water left in the pipes. Depending on the faucet, you may need to have an adjustable wrench, screwdriver, and or pliers handy. You’ll need to disassemble the faucet, checking each piece as you do for wear and tear. Most leaks will be caused by a corroded piece, a loose or disconnected o-ring, or an outright bent or broken piece.

Once you have taken the faucet apart and replaced any damaged parts with new parts from your repair kit, it’s time to reassemble the faucet. Make sure all the pieces are back where they belong, seals are tight, and you don’t over-tighten any screws or connections. Over-tightening can lead to breakage, which can be more severe than what you set out to fix. Once everything is reconnected, we highly recommend using plumber’s tape to reinforce connections between pipes. It may or may not be absolutely necessary, but it provides an extra security you’ll be glad you have.

With the faucet repair complete, you’ll need to turn the water back on and allow it to run for at least a minute. Try to make sure any potential problem areas are well lit and dry before you start, so you can spot any water droplets. Even a tiny leak over time can damage your pipes, your cabinets, and even your floors. If, after the test run, there is still no water, turn the faucet off. Give it a few minutes, and if the dripping doesn’t start up again, you’ve done it! Your water torture is over, and you can go back to meditating without the worry!

What are the Most Common Causes of a Leaky Faucet?

There are a number of different things that can cause a faucet to leak, but by far the top four are:

Worn-out Washers
Damaged O-Rings / Seals
Corroded Valve Seat
Faulty Faucet Cartridge
Loose or Faulty Parts
High Water Pressure

One through four are addressed through the faucet repair procedure above, and are simple enough to fix. Option five can be a little tricky, as faulty faucet parts don’t always stop working immediately. Things could work for days or weeks, only to suddenly snap. It may simply be a matter of watching the faucet run and seeing if you can identify the problem part. It may also be helpful simply to attempt to tighten the potential problem areas. If something you just bought as a replacement part is causing the leak, we recommend returning it and trying another item or brand.

Finally, high water pressure can be a more complex problem. If it is possible, check and adjust the water pressure in your house to a safe level. If you do not know how to do this or do not have a manual way to make this change, we recommend calling us here at TLC Plumbing to help with the repair.

How Do I Fix a Leaky Faucet with One Handle Vs Two Handles?

So far, all the discussion has been about fixing faucets with one handle, but what do you do if you need to fix a faucet with two separate handles for hot and cold water? Well, you could jump right into the above process and do it twice, or, in most cases, you can save yourself some time by adding one step to the beginning.

In most two-handled faucets, there are separate water lines going to the two handles. So, it is very likely that only one side is leaking. In most cases, you’ll be able to cut off water flow to each of these two lines. If you cut off water to one side and the leak stops, that means the side you cut off is the source of your leak! You just cut your work in half!

What if the DIY Faucet Repair Doesn’t Work?

We’ve covered the top six reasons that a faucet might leak, but plumbing is a complex system that runs through your whole house. It is possible you have an uncommon problem. Heck, you might have invented a whole new problem! Congratulations! I bet you didn’t think you were going to invent something new today, did you?

The good news is, you’re already in the right place! TLC has Albuquerque and Santa Fe’s best plumbers for leaky faucets available to help 24/7. Give us a call, and we will work with you to put a stop to the drip, drip, drip so you can go back to living in relative peace and quiet.