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How toLeaky Faucet

How do I fix a dripping faucet?

Most drips come from one worn part inside the faucet: the cartridge in most modern faucets, or the rubber seat washer in an older two-handle compression faucet. Close the shutoff valves under the sink, take off the handle, swap the worn cartridge or washer for an exact match, grease the seals with silicone grease, and test before you refit the trim.

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By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Identify the faucet

    Note whether it has one handle or two, and look for a brand and model on the faucet, its paperwork or the maker's website so you can buy the exact repair part.

  2. Step 2: Shut off the water

    Turn the shutoff valves under the sink clockwise until they are tightly closed, then open the faucet to make sure the water is completely off.[4]

  3. Step 3: Find the leaking side

    On a two-handle faucet, close only the cold valve first; if the drip stops, the cold side needs the new part, and if not, test the hot side.[8]

  4. Step 4: Cover the drain

    Put a rag or a drain stopper in the sink so small screws, clips and washers cannot fall into the drain.

  5. Step 5: Take off the handle

    Loosen the set screw with a hex key, or pop off the cap and remove the top screw, or unscrew a fixed-hub handle by hand.[8]

  6. Step 6: Remove the worn part

    Unscrew the retaining nut or clip and pull the cartridge or stem straight out, keeping any springs or small parts that come with it.[8]

  7. Step 7: Clean the valve body

    Gently scrub the inside of the valve body with a nylon brush to clear mineral build-up and debris before the new part goes in.[6]

  8. Step 8: Grease the seals

    Coat the new part's rubber seals with silicone-based grease, never a petroleum-based lubricant.[7]

  9. Step 9: Fit the new part

    Seat it the way the instructions show, make it hand tight, then give it a half to a full turn more with a wrench and no further.[8]

  10. Step 10: Refit and test

    Put the handle back in the off position, open the shutoff valves slowly, run the faucet for a minute, turn it off and watch the spout for drips.[8]

A dripping faucet almost always has one worn part inside it, and replacing that part is one of the more manageable plumbing repairs in a house. Old and worn faucet washers and gaskets frequently cause leaks in faucets, and EPA's WaterSense program estimates that a faucet that drips once a second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year.[1] The fix is the same pattern on most faucets: water off, handle off, worn part out, exact replacement in.

A drop of water hanging from a chrome faucet aerator crusted with white mineral scale
Photo: User:Dschwen, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Work out what kind of faucet you have

The repair depends on what is inside. Loudoun Water's leak guide notes that compression faucets are usually the two-handled kind, while ball-type and cartridge faucets are the single-lever faucets common in kitchens.[2] Some faucets may need new o-rings, cartridges or ceramic discs, depending on the manufacturer.[2]

Many newer faucets use cartridges. Moen puts it plainly: "If a faucet is leaking water from the spout, the reason is usually the cartridge. Single handle faucets will contain one cartridge and dual handle faucets have two."[3] An older two-handle faucet whose handles turn several times before they stop is usually a compression faucet, with a rubber seat washer screwed to the bottom of each stem.

Get the part before you start. Find the brand on the handle, the base plate or the paperwork, and look up the model's parts sheet on the maker's website. Pfister notes that the hot and cold cartridges are sometimes different parts, because they turn in different directions,[8] so check which side you are buying for. If you cannot identify the faucet, take the old part to a hardware store once it is out.

Shut off the water and find the leaking side

Moen is blunt about this: "Any repairs done to a Moen faucet require the water supply to be shut off. Failure to do so could result in flooding or injury."[4] The shutoff valves, or angle stops, are usually under the sink: turn the knobs clockwise until they are tightly closed, then open the faucet to make sure the water is completely off.[4] If a stop will not turn by hand, Pfister says you can carefully use a wrench to get it moving and then finish by hand, because breaking an angle stop is a much bigger problem.[8]

On a two-handle faucet you may only need to fix one side. With the faucet dripping, close only the cold valve; if the drip stops, the cold side is the one to fix. If it keeps dripping, close the hot valve instead.[8]

Take the handle off

Handles hide their fasteners in one of three places. Pfister describes a set screw in a small hole near the base, a screw under a removable cap on top, or no screw at all, in which case the handle base unscrews counterclockwise.[8] Put a rag in the drain first and keep the small parts together in a cup.

Replace a cartridge

Under the handle there is usually a nut, a clip or a threaded cartridge. Unscrew it, then pull the cartridge straight up and make sure all the pieces come out, since some cartridges have springs at the bottom that may have worked loose.[8]

Details vary by brand. On an older Moen single-handle bathroom faucet with a 1225 cartridge, a copper retainer clip slides out of the valve body with a flathead screwdriver. Moen then has you rotate the cartridge a quarter turn to loosen it, raise the stem, grip it with pliers and pull, which may require some effort.[5]

Before the new cartridge goes in, clean the valve body. Moen recommends this whenever a cartridge is replaced, because it eliminates any mineral build-up and loose debris that may have accumulated inside the valve body.[6] Scrub gently with a nylon brush and dry the bottom with a rolled paper towel: "If the water is not eliminated, the cartridge will not fit all the way back in."[6]

Grease the seals with silicone grease. Moen warns against plumber's grade grease and anything containing petroleum, because Petroleum-based lubricants may react with the rubber seals.[7] The plastic tabs on a Moen 1225 cartridge must sit flush with the valve body and centered on its cut-outs, and if the retainer clip cannot be installed or appears damaged or broken, the water cannot be turned back on until the clip is replaced. If the hot and cold come out reversed, rotate the cartridge stem 180 degrees.[5] On a cartridge held by a nut, Pfister's rule is hand tight plus a half to full turn with a wrench, and no more: Over-tightening can crack the cartridge.[8]

A single-lever brushed steel kitchen faucet on a granite countertop, its pull-out hose hanging loose and water pooled around its base
Tomwsulcer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Replace a washer in a compression faucet

The washer repair has changed little in decades. A USDA plumbing bulletin sets it out: To replace the seat washer, shut off the water to the faucet; then unscrew the cap nut, with a cloth between the wrench jaws to avoid marring it, unscrew the stem from the faucet body, and take out the washer screw at the bottom of the stem.[9] Fit a new washer of the same size and shape, refit the screw and reassemble. The USDA bulletin warns that the washer screw is often hard to start and the head of the screw often splits before the shank of the screw turns in the stem, because it is already corroded and weakened, so have a replacement screw ready.[9]

The same bulletin gives a useful test once it is back together: "Moderate force on the handle of a faucet in good repair should stop all flow and drip."[9] If you have to crank the handle to stop the water, or it still drips, see why a faucet still drips after a new washer.

Stop and call a pro if

  • A shutoff valve will not close, or leaks at its stem once you move it. Replacing a stop valve generally starts with shutting off the main water valve and draining the pipes, and on copper pipe the valve may be a sweat fitting that has to be soldered.[10]
  • The cartridge or stem is seized, breaks apart, or will not come out without forcing the faucet body.
  • The faucet body is cracked or badly corroded, or its threads are stripped.
  • Water is showing under the sink, inside the cabinet or on a ceiling below. That is a supply line, drain or fitting, not the drip; see why water leaks under a kitchen sink.
  • The fix turns into moving the faucet or changing pipes. Virginia's building code exempts replacing a fixture from a permit only without alteration of the water supply and distribution systems, sanitary drainage systems, or vent systems,[11] and Virginia's Board for Contractors must require a master tradesmen license as a condition of licensure for plumbing contractors.[12]

If the repair is not worth it, replacing a kitchen faucet is the next step, and should you repair or replace a leaky faucet helps you decide. For what a plumber charges, see the cost of fixing a leaky faucet in Virginia. You can also browse all plumbing repair answers or find plumbers in Blacksburg.

If the drip will not stop or the shutoffs will not close, describe the faucet repair once and licensed local plumbers quote it.

Common questions

Do I have to turn off the water to fix a dripping faucet?
Yes. Close the shutoff valves under the sink, or the home's main valve if the sink has none, and open the faucet to make sure the water has stopped. Moen warns that working on a faucet with the water on could result in flooding or injury.
How do I know whether my faucet has a washer or a cartridge?
Two-handle faucets that close by turning the handle down until it stops are usually compression faucets with a rubber washer on each stem. Single-lever faucets, and many newer two-handle faucets with quarter-turn handles, use cartridges or ceramic discs. Once the handle is off, the part itself tells you: a stem with a screw and washer at the bottom, or a self-contained cartridge.
Can I use any cartridge that looks the same?
No. Cartridges are made for a particular brand and model, and some makers use different cartridges for the hot and cold sides of the same faucet. Look up the model on the maker's website, or take the old part to the store so you can match it.
What grease should I use on faucet O-rings?
A silicone-based faucet grease. Moen warns against plumber's grade faucet grease, silicone sprays and any lubricant that may contain petroleum, because petroleum can react with the rubber seals.
I replaced the washer and it still drips. What now?
The seat the washer closes against may be cut or grooved, the new washer may be the wrong size, or the drip may be coming from the other handle. Close each side's shutoff in turn to find the leaking handle, then check the seat for nicks and grooves before buying more washers.
Do I need a permit to fix a dripping faucet in Virginia?
Not for a repair inside the faucet. Virginia's building code lists replacing plumbing fixtures as an ordinary repair that needs no permit when the water supply, drainage and vent piping are not altered. Changing the piping does need one.

Sources

  1. [1] Fix a Leak Week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense. Checked October 26, 2026.
  2. [2] Check For Leaks, Loudoun Water. Checked October 26, 2026.
  3. [3] Bathroom Faucet: Dripping From The Spout, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  4. [4] How To Turn Off The Water Supply To The Faucet, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  5. [5] 1225 Cartridge: Single Handle Bathroom Faucets (Prior to 2009), Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  6. [6] Valve Body Cleaning and Flushing, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  7. [7] Handle is difficult to operate, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  8. [8] My widespread bathroom faucet is leaking or dripping, Pfister. Checked October 26, 2026.
  9. [9] Simple Plumbing Repairs in the Home (Farmers' Bulletin No. 1460, revised 1936), U.S. Department of Agriculture, reproduced by Project Gutenberg. Checked October 26, 2026.
  10. [10] Oatey 101: Stops and Supply Lines, Oatey. Checked October 26, 2026.
  11. [11] 13VAC5-63-80. Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 26, 2026.
  12. [12] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100. Definitions, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 26, 2026.

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