How to Fix a Leaky Faucet: A Step-by-Step Repair Guide

A faucet that drips once per second wastes roughly 3,000 gallons of water per year. That’s not a rounding error — it’s a measurable utility bill impact and an EPA WaterSense calculation. The repair itself takes 30–60 minutes and costs $5–$20 in parts. The reason most people don’t do it is that faucet internals look complicated until you’ve done it once.

They’re not. The mechanism inside a faucet is either a ball, cartridge, or rubber compression seat — and all three fail the same way: a seal wears out and water bypasses it. The repair in every case is: identify the type, get the right replacement parts, swap them.

Identify Your Faucet Type First

Single-handle ball faucet (common in kitchens): The handle rotates and tilts. Loose internal ball mechanism causes dripping from the spout or base. Most Moen and Delta kitchen faucets fall here.

Cartridge faucet (most common bathroom type): One or two handles that move up/down or left/right, no rotating ball. The cartridge — a self-contained cylindrical valve — is replaced as a single unit.

Compression faucet (older or utility sinks): Two separate handles that require noticeable pressure to turn off. A rubber washer at the bottom of the stem compresses against a seat to stop flow. The washer is the part that fails.

What You Need

• Adjustable wrench or basin wrench
• Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
• Needle-nose pliers
• Replacement parts kit for your faucet brand
• Plumber’s grease (silicone-based)
• Towel and bucket

Step-by-Step: Cartridge Faucet (Most Common)

1. Remove the handle. Look for a decorative cap on the handle top — pry it off with a flathead screwdriver to expose the screw underneath. Remove the screw and pull the handle straight up.

2. Remove the retaining clip. A small U-shaped clip holds the cartridge in place. Use needle-nose pliers to pull it straight up and out. Keep it — you’ll reinstall it.

3. Pull out the cartridge. Grip the top of the cartridge with pliers and pull straight up. Note its orientation before removal (or photograph it). The cartridge must go back in the same direction.

4. Take the old cartridge to a hardware store and match it. Faucet brand and series determine which cartridge you need. The brand name is usually on the faucet body or on packaging from original installation.

5. Install the new cartridge. Insert it in the same orientation as the original. Push firmly until it seats fully.

6. Reinstall the clip. Press it back into the slot on both sides until it clicks.

7. Reinstall the handle, turn water on slowly, and test.

Step-by-Step: Compression Faucet

1. Remove the handle (same as above — find and remove the screw under the decorative cap).

2. Unscrew the packing nut using an adjustable wrench. Turn counterclockwise. The stem will then lift out.

3. Inspect the rubber washer at the bottom of the stem. If it’s cracked, hardened, or flat, that’s your drip. The seat it compresses against may also be worn — run your finger around the inside of the valve seat; if it’s rough or scored, it needs re-facing or replacement.

4. Replace the washer. Remove the brass screw holding it and swap in a new washer of the same size. Apply a thin coat of silicone-based plumber’s grease before installing.

5. Reassemble in reverse order and test.

For Delta Single-Handle Faucets: Use the Repair Kit

Delta single-handle ball faucets have multiple small components (ball, springs, seats, O-rings) that wear together. Replacing individual parts is impractical — by the time one fails, the others are close. A repair kit contains every replaceable component and costs a fraction of a new faucet.

Danco 86968 Delta Faucet Repair Kit, Delta Seat-Springs

Danco

Product DescriptionDanco 86968 Delta Faucet Repair Kit, Delta Seat-SpringsFrom the ManufacturerDanco is one of the largest plumbing repair, replacement and remodel suppliers in the…

• For single-handle faucets
• Fits most delta and peerless faucets
• Use to repair both old and new style faucets
• For single-handle faucets

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The Danco kit is specifically engineered for Delta’s ball-type seat-and-spring mechanism. Rather than sourcing individual springs and rubber seats separately (which often involves guessing at sizes), this kit includes the matched components. Install springs and seats first, then reinstall the ball, replace the O-rings on the faucet body, and reassemble. If the drip was at the spout, the ball mechanism was the cause. If it was at the base, the O-rings were the cause.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I need to replace the whole faucet instead of just repair it? If the faucet body is cracked, if the valve seat is deeply scored and can’t be re-faced, or if parts for your specific model are no longer available, replacement makes more sense. For any faucet under 15 years old from a major brand, repair parts are almost always available and repair is the right call.

The faucet still drips after I replaced the cartridge. Why? Most commonly: the new cartridge was installed in the wrong orientation, or the O-rings on the faucet body (separate from the cartridge) are also worn and were not replaced. Check cartridge orientation first, then inspect and replace any O-rings.

Can I use Teflon tape anywhere in this repair? Teflon tape is for threaded pipe connections, not rubber seat-type repairs. Don’t use it on faucet internal components — use silicone-based plumber’s grease on rubber parts instead.

How long do cartridges typically last? Cartridges in typical residential use last 10–20 years. Lifespan shortens significantly in areas with hard water, which causes mineral buildup that accelerates wear on the rubber seals.