Plumbing

How to fix a leaking faucet

By Jordan Hale · Updated October 31, 2026

Most leaky or dripping faucets come from one worn part: a rubber washer, a seal, or a cartridge. The fix is usually cheap, but the part depends on the type of faucet, so you need to work that out first. A faucet dripping once a second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year, according to the EPA, so it’s worth doing.

1. Shut off the water

Turn the hot and cold shutoff valves under the sink clockwise until they stop. Open the faucet to drain the line and confirm the water is off. If there are no shutoffs, or they won’t close, turn off the main shutoff for the house.

2. Work out which type you have

The handle gives you a clue, but the surest check is the part you find once the handle is off. If you know the brand and model, look up the parts list on the maker’s website.

3. Find where it’s leaking

• Drip from the spout: the shutoff part (washer, seats, cartridge or disc seals).
• Leak around the handle: packing or O-rings on the stem or cartridge, or the cartridge itself.
• Leak at the base of the spout: spout O-rings. Moen’s instructions say to replace the spout seals for a leak from the top or bottom of the spout hub.

Compression faucets

1. Pry off the decorative cap, remove the handle screw and handle.
2. Unscrew the stem with a wrench (turn it the way you’d open the faucet).
3. Replace the washer at the bottom of the stem with an identical one, and the O-ring or packing on the stem if the handle leaked.
4. Look at the seat inside the faucet body. If it’s rough or pitted, the new washer won’t seal for long; replace it with a seat wrench if it’s removable.

The EPA’s advice for dripping faucets is simply to replace worn washers and gaskets, which is this repair.

Cartridge faucets (Moen-style)

From Moen’s single-handle kitchen faucet instructions:

1. Remove the handle, then the parts holding the cartridge (on that model, the collar, retainer nut and thrust washer).
2. Pry out the cartridge retaining clip with a screwdriver.
3. Loosen the cartridge with the twisting tool supplied with a new Moen cartridge, or a cartridge puller, and pull it straight out with pliers.
4. Insert the new cartridge with the stem up and the ears lined up as the instructions show, then refit the clip.
5. Reassemble. Before turning the water on, make sure the retaining clip is in place. Moen warns that without it, water pressure can force the cartridge out and cause damage or injury.

Moen says to replace the cartridge if the faucet drips from the spout or leaks up through the handle. Cartridges are model-specific, so take the old one with you.

Ball faucets (Delta-style)

From Delta’s RP3614 repair kit instructions for its single-handle ball faucets:

1. Remove the handle, unscrew the adjusting ring and the cap.
2. Pull up on the ball stem to remove the cam, packing and ball.
3. Lift the rubber seats and springs out of the body with a small screwdriver or needle-nose pliers.
4. Put the new springs into the two small holes in the valve body, with the new seats over them.
5. Kitchen models: lift off the spout, cut off the old O-rings and fit new ones.
6. Refit the ball, the new cam and packing, and screw the cap on hand-tight. Remove the aerator, run the water to check for leaks and flush out debris, then refit the aerator and handle.

Ceramic disc faucets

The discs sit inside a cartridge. Remove the handle and the cap or bonnet nut, lift out the cartridge, and check the rubber seals on its underside. Clean out grit and replace the seals if they’re worn, or replace the whole cartridge with the one listed for your model. Seat it the same way round as the old one.

After any repair: flush and check

Turn the shutoffs back on slowly with the faucet open. Moen recommends flushing a faucet after work so pipe grit doesn’t damage the new cartridge: run cold, then hot, for about 15 seconds each, then clean the aerator screen. Check under the sink for leaks.

When to call a plumber

• The shutoff valves won’t close, or leak when you turn them.
• Parts are corroded or seized, or the faucet body is cracked.
• The faucet still drips after you’ve replaced the right part.
• Water is leaking inside the cabinet or the wall.

Replacing a water heater instead? See water heater replacement cost for published price ranges and an estimator, or tankless water heater cost if you are thinking of switching. For a toilet that keeps refilling, see how to fix a running toilet. Disposal humming or not draining? See how to fix a garbage disposal. More guides are in the plumbing section.