A dripping faucet almost always comes down to one worn part: a rubber washer, an O-ring, a cartridge or a seal. Which part depends on your faucet type and where the water shows up. A drip from the spout points to a different problem than a puddle at the base. Below, we walk you through finding the cause, fixing the common ones, and recognizing the point where a licensed plumber saves you time, money and a flooded cabinet.
TL;DR
- Spout drips usually mean worn washers, seals or a cartridge. Leaks at the base usually mean a failed O-ring or a loose mounting nut.
- Identify your faucet type first (compression, cartridge, ball or ceramic disk), because each one uses a different repair part.
- Always shut off the water, open the faucet to drain it, and cover the drain before you take anything apart.
- If you can't find or turn the shutoff valves, or the leak keeps coming back after a new part, stop and call a plumber.
- Replacing the whole faucet is often the smarter move on an old, corroded fixture. Our team handles both repairs and replacements across New Mexico.
Table of Contents
- Why Your Faucet Is Dripping
- Identify Your Faucet Type
- Tools and Precautions Before You Start
- How to Fix a Dripping Faucet, Step by Step
- Kitchen Faucet Leaking at the Base
- What About Water Quality?
- When to Stop and Call a Plumber
- What Does Faucet Replacement Cost?
- Our Perspective
- Let Waller's Handle Your Leaky Faucet
- FAQ
- Sources
Why Your Faucet Is Dripping
A faucet is a simple machine. Inside the body, a seal presses against a seat to stop the flow when you turn the handle off. Every time you use it, that seal rubs, flexes and gets squeezed. Over the years it wears, hardens or gets chewed up by mineral deposits, and a little water slips past.
The location of the leak tells you most of what you need to know. According to one plumbing guide, a drip from the spout is typically caused by worn internal parts like washers, seals or cartridges, while a leak at the base usually points to a failed O-ring or a loose mounting nut. That gives you a quick first sort:
- Drip from the spout when the faucet is off: worn washer, seat, cartridge or disk seals.
- Water around the handle: a worn O-ring or packing inside the handle stem, or a loose retaining nut.
- Water at the base of the spout or pooling on the counter: O-rings on the spout, a loose mounting nut or a damaged gasket.
- Water under the sink: a failing supply line, a loose connection or a leaking shutoff valve. This is not a faucet-body issue, and it deserves attention quickly.
Hard water makes it worse
If you live in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales or anywhere else in New Mexico, you already know our water carries a lot of minerals. Scale builds up on seats, washers and cartridges, which roughs up the surfaces that are supposed to seal. A faucet that drips every couple of years in a soft-water town may drip more often here. If you keep replacing parts and the new ones fail early, it's worth looking at the water itself, and we cover that further down.
Identify Your Faucet Type
Before you buy a single part, figure out what kind of faucet you have. The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer's guide notes that compression faucets have two handles, while washerless faucets typically have one. The same guide describes ball faucets as having a single handle over a dome-shaped cap, cartridge faucets as containing a narrow cartridge, and disk faucets as having a single handle and a wide cylinder.
| Faucet type | How to recognize it | Usual culprit | Typical repair part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Two handles, turns several times to close | Worn rubber washer or seat | Seat washers, sometimes a new seat |
| Cartridge | One or two handles, smooth motion | Worn cartridge or O-rings | Replacement cartridge or O-ring set |
| Ball | Single handle over a rounded cap | Worn springs, seats or seals | Ball-faucet repair kit |
| Ceramic disk | Single sturdy handle over a wide cylinder | Damaged or dirty seals | Seal set or new disk cartridge |
A useful point from one guide: ceramic disk faucets rarely leak, so if yours does, check the rubber seals before assuming the disk is cracked.
If you can't tell which type you have, take a photo of the faucet and, once it's apart, of the part you removed. A hardware store counter can match a washer or cartridge by sight, and the brand name is often stamped on the spout or the body.
Tools and Precautions Before You Start
Most faucet repairs need only a handful of ordinary tools. The City of Portland's water program lists Teflon tape, masking tape, screwdrivers, an adjustable wrench, petroleum jelly, replacement O-rings or washers and a hand towel. Add a flashlight, a small bowl for screws, and a basin wrench if the mounting nut is tucked up behind the sink.
Three precautions prevent most beginner mistakes:
- Shut off the water first. Close the shutoff valves under the sink, or the main valve if there aren't any, then open the faucet to drain the lines. Family Handyman advises exactly this before any repair.
- Cover the drain. A strainer basket or a rag in the drain keeps tiny screws and O-rings from disappearing into the pipe, a tip that Family Handyman also gives.
- Tape the shiny surfaces. Masking tape on the jaws of your wrench or on the finish protects chrome and brushed nickel from scratches, as the Portland water program recommends.
One more habit worth copying: photograph each step and lay the parts out in the order they came off. Plumbing professionals quoted by Forbes Home point to this simple, methodical approach as the best way to get everything back together correctly.
How to Fix a Dripping Faucet, Step by Step
The general sequence is the same for every type. As Bob Vila's repair guide puts it, you shut off the water, take the handle apart, and replace the faulty component that belongs to your faucet type. Here is how that plays out in practice.
The universal first steps
- Turn off the water and open the faucet to relieve pressure.
- Plug the drain and lay a towel in the sink.
- Pry off the decorative cap on the handle with a small flat screwdriver.
- Remove the handle screw and lift the handle off. Stubborn handles sometimes need a gentle wiggle, never a hammer.
- Unscrew the retaining nut or collar to expose the stem, cartridge or ball assembly.
Compression faucets: replace the washer
This is the classic two-handle faucet, and the easiest repair of the bunch.
- Pull out the stem. You'll see a rubber washer held at the bottom by a small screw.
- Remove the old washer. It will probably be flattened, cracked or hard.
- Check the brass seat inside the faucet body. If it feels rough or pitted, a worn seat will chew through a new washer within months. A seat can be smoothed with a seat dresser or replaced.
- Fit a new washer of the exact same size and shape, add a thin coat of petroleum jelly to the stem threads, and reassemble.
If the handle drips from underneath instead of the spout, swap the O-ring on the stem while you're there.
Cartridge faucets: replace the cartridge or its O-rings
- After removing the handle and nut, you'll see a metal or plastic cartridge. Some have a retaining clip that must come out first.
- Note the orientation of the cartridge, since it has to go back in the same way. Your photos help here.
- Pull the cartridge straight out. If it's stuck, a cartridge puller tool makes it easier than pliers.
- Inspect the O-rings on the cartridge body. Sometimes a new O-ring set is all you need. Often the whole cartridge is cheaper and more reliable to replace.
- Match the new cartridge to the old one by brand and shape, then reinstall.
Ball faucets: use a repair kit
Ball faucets, with a single handle over a dome cap, have more parts, including springs, seats, a cam and O-rings. Buying a kit designed for your brand is the practical route, because the kit covers every wear part at once. Unscrew the cap, lift out the ball and cam, replace the rubber seats and springs from the kit, swap the O-rings on the body, and reassemble with the ball's slot aligned to the pin in the faucet body.
Ceramic disk faucets: clean or replace the seals
Disk faucets wear slowly. Remove the cylinder, then look at the rubber seals at its base. Mineral buildup there is a common issue in hard-water areas. Soaking the cylinder in white vinegar and gently scrubbing can clear deposits. If the seals are cracked, replace them. If the ceramic disks themselves are chipped, replace the whole cartridge.
Test before you close up
After reassembly, open the faucet handle first, then slowly turn the water back on at the shutoff valves. This lets air escape and keeps a surge from blowing debris into your new parts. Run hot and cold, then dry the faucet with a towel and check for fresh moisture after ten minutes.
Kitchen Faucet Leaking at the Base
Water at the base of a kitchen faucet is a different animal from a drip at the spout. It often runs down the outside of the faucet and slips under the sink deck, where it can quietly soak the cabinet floor for weeks. Work through these checks in order:
- Look underneath first. Use a flashlight and dry the area, then run the faucet and watch. Confirm whether the water is coming from the faucet body, the supply lines or the shutoff valves.
- Check the mounting nut. From below, the faucet is held by a large nut or bracket. If it has worked loose, snug it with a basin wrench. Don't over-tighten, which can crack a plastic fitting or damage the sink.
- Inspect the mounting gasket or putty. A compressed or cracked gasket lets water seep under the faucet. Replacing it means lifting the faucet off the sink.
- Replace the spout O-rings. On a pull-out or swivel-spout faucet, the spout rotates on a pair of O-rings. Lift or unscrew the spout, replace the rings with the right size, and coat them lightly with plumber's grease or petroleum jelly before reassembly.
- Consider the cartridge. If the leak shows at the handle and the base, the cartridge itself may be failing.
If the faucet is older, the finish is flaking, and the metal under the sink shows green or white crust, patching one part after another isn't a good use of your weekend. Our guide on when to replace your sink or faucet helps you weigh repair against replacement.
What About Water Quality?
When the same faucet keeps failing, scale is a frequent suspect in New Mexico homes. White crust around the aerator, spotty fixtures and short-lived cartridges are the signs. A water softener or filtration system reduces the minerals that attack seals and seats, and a water quality assessment tells you what you're actually dealing with before you buy equipment. If you're also seeing stains on fixtures and glass, our article on testing your water first and hiring a pro for hard water stains explains the next steps.
When to Stop and Call a Plumber
Fixing a faucet is a reasonable project for many homeowners, but there's a clear line where continuing costs more than calling. Forbes Home quotes industry experts who say knowing your limitations is a key safety and financial precaution, and that if you can't locate or operate your shutoff valves, you should call a professional to avoid water damage.
Call a licensed plumber when:
- The shutoff valves won't turn or they leak when you do turn them. Old valves can break, and forcing one turns a drip into a flood.
- The leak returns after you've replaced the right part.
- You can't remove the handle or stem without force. Corroded parts snap.
- The faucet is decades old and parts are no longer made.
- You see water stains, soft cabinet wood or a musty smell under the sink. Slow leaks do their damage out of sight. If it has gone that far, a guide on what to do about a water damaged house can help you think through the bigger picture.
- The leak isn't the faucet at all. Pipe leaks behind a wall, in a slab or at a fitting need leak detection, not a new washer.
A steady drip can also hide a bigger system issue. If you notice banging when the faucet shuts off, our article on code-approved water hammer fixes explains why that happens. And if water is actually spraying or flooding, skip the troubleshooting and follow the steps in our burst pipe emergency guide while you shut off the main.
What Does Faucet Replacement Cost?
Sometimes a new faucet is the better answer. HomeAdvisor puts a kitchen faucet replacement by a professional at roughly $162 to $364, averaging $262, with labor making up most of the bill. Your actual cost depends on the faucet itself (a basic model and a touchless pull-down are very different purchases), how easy it is to reach the connections, and whether corroded shutoff valves or supply lines need replacing at the same time.
Forbes Home's analysts note that bundling professional services can often save money on travel fees. In practice, that means it makes sense to have the plumber replace a worn shutoff valve, fix the dripping bathroom faucet and look at the running toilet in one visit. If you'd like a firm number for your own home, we'll look at the job and tell you before we start, because every house and fixture is different.
A quick way to decide:
| Situation | Repair | Replace |
|---|---|---|
| First drip on a faucet in decent shape | Yes | |
| Parts still available, no corrosion | Yes | |
| Repeated leaks within a year or two | Yes | |
| Pitted, flaking finish or corroded body | Yes | |
| You want a new style, pull-down spray or better flow | Yes |
Our Perspective
Most of the faucet calls we get start the same way: the homeowner tried a washer, it held for a few weeks, and the drip came back. Nine times out of ten, the washer wasn't the whole story. The seat was worn, the cartridge was the wrong match, or New Mexico's mineral-heavy water had been chewing on the parts the whole time.
After more than 38 years in this trade, we believe a faucet repair should be done once and done right. That means identifying the faucet type, replacing every wear part that belongs in the job, checking the shutoff valves and supply lines while the cabinet is open, and leaving your kitchen as clean as we found it.
We also believe you shouldn't have to fight a phone tree to get help with a leak. When you call Waller's, you reach local people who know the homes and water in Rio Rancho, Albuquerque and Corrales. A small drip is the cheapest time to fix a plumbing problem, so don't wait until it becomes a stained cabinet floor.
Aaron Waller, General Manager
Let Waller's Handle Your Leaky Faucet
If the drip is stubborn, the shutoff valves are stuck, or you simply want it done properly the first time, our licensed plumbers repair and replace faucets in kitchens, bathrooms and utility areas across the Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Corrales area. We also handle leak detection, re-piping, water heater work and water treatment, so one visit can cover everything that's quietly wearing on your plumbing. See our plumbing repair and faucet services and book an appointment online.
We leave your home clean, we explain what we found, and you talk to a real person from the first call.
FAQ
Can I fix my own leaky faucet?
Often, yes. Many leaks come down to a washer, O-ring or cartridge, and the City of Portland's water program confirms that some faucet leaks can be repaired at home. Shut off the water first and photograph each step. If you can't operate the shutoff valves or the leak returns after a repair, a plumber is the safer choice.
Why does my faucet keep dripping after I replaced the washer?
The usual reasons are a worn or pitted valve seat, a washer of the wrong size, or a cartridge or O-ring that is also failing. Mineral buildup from hard water can also damage seals quickly. A plumber can check the seat and the rest of the assembly in one visit.
Why is my kitchen faucet leaking at the base?
Most often it's a worn spout O-ring or a loose mounting nut, as the plumbing guide we referenced describes. A damaged mounting gasket or failing cartridge can also be the cause. Check under the sink, because water at the base can seep into the cabinet without being obvious.
Is it better to repair or replace a leaking faucet?
Repair makes sense for a newer faucet in good shape with an inexpensive part. Replace it if the faucet is old, corroded, or has leaked repeatedly. Our kitchen upgrade guide walks through the decision.
How much does it cost to have a plumber replace a faucet?
HomeAdvisor reports a typical professional kitchen faucet replacement range of $162 to $364. The final price depends on the faucet you choose, access to the connections and any valve or supply line work. Contact us for an assessment of your own setup.
Sources
- Don't Waste a Drop, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer
- How to fix a faucet leak, Portland.gov
- How to Fix a Leaky Faucet (Step by Step, Any Type), The Handy Hearth
- How to Fix a Leaky Faucet (DIY), Family Handyman
- How to Fix a Leaky Faucet, Bob Vila
- How To Replace A Kitchen Faucet, Forbes Home
- Average Cost To Install Or Replace A Faucet, Forbes Home
- How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Kitchen Faucet, HomeAdvisor
- Water Damaged House: What to Do First