Stop a Dripping Faucet
A faucet that drips after you shut it off has a worn cartridge or washer inside the valve. This guide covers shutting the water off, pulling the cartridge or stem, matching the replacement part, and testing properly.
What is actually broken
A faucet that drips from the spout when fully off has a worn seal inside the valve: a cartridge on modern single-handle faucets, or a rubber washer and seat on older two-handle compression faucets. The seal no longer closes completely, so pressurized water seeps past it, drip by drip.
Safety first
- Shut off the water at the valves under the sink before opening the faucet up — and confirm it's off by turning the faucet on.
- Plug the drain before you start. Faucet screws are small, spring-loaded, and apparently magnetically attracted to drains.
The fix, step by step
1 Shut off the water and drain the line
Turn both angle-stop valves under the sink clockwise until closed. Open the faucet to drain what's left and confirm the flow stops. On a two-handle faucet you can identify the leaking side: close only the hot valve — if the drip stops, the hot side is the culprit; if not, it's the cold.
Tip: If the valves are stiff, don't force them with a wrench. Valves that haven't moved in years sometimes leak once disturbed — work gently.
2 Remove the handle
Pry off the decorative cap, remove the screw underneath (Phillips or Allen), and lift the handle off. On two-handle faucets, do the leaking side. Photograph the stack of parts as you remove them — reassembly is just the photos in reverse.
Tip: Set parts on a towel in the order you removed them.
3 Pull the cartridge or stem
Remove the retaining clip or nut, then pull the cartridge/stem straight out with pliers, wiggling gently if mineral deposits resist. Inspect it: torn O-rings, a cracked cartridge body, or a washer that's flattened, grooved, or crumbly — any of these is your drip.
Tip: Damage often looks minor. If it drips, the seal is done — replace rather than clean and hope.
4 Match and replace the part
Take the old cartridge/stem with you to match brand, model, and length exactly — cartridges are not interchangeable between brands. Wipe mineral crust from the valve seat inside the faucet body with a vinegar-dampened cloth. Install the new part with fresh O-rings and a thin film of plumber's silicone grease, aligned the same way the old one sat.
Tip: Write the faucet brand and model on painter's tape inside the cabinet door. Future you says thanks.
5 Reassemble and test
Rebuild in reverse order, snug but not gorilla-tight. Unscrew the aerator from the spout tip, then turn the water back on slowly and flush for 30 seconds to clear debris before refitting the aerator. Shut the faucet off and watch for a full three minutes — no drip — then check under the sink while running both hot and cold.
Tip: A slow drip can take a minute to show. Do the three-minute watch before you put everything back under the sink.
Stop and call a pro if…
Call a plumber if the shut-off valves under the sink won't close or leak when you touch them, or if the faucet body itself is cracked or corroded — replacing supply valves and faucets involves the pressurized side of the system.
Your work, your responsibility
If you do this repair yourself: you attempt it entirely at your own risk. This guide is general information, not professional advice, and it can be wrong or incomplete. ClickTheFix is not responsible for injury to you or anyone else, or for damage to your property, that results from following — or misfollowing — this guide. Follow the safety warnings, use proper protective gear, follow the manufacturer's instructions and your local codes, and stop if any step is beyond your skill or comfort.
If a contractor does the work: any contractor you hire is an independent professional working under an agreement between you and them alone. ClickTheFix does not provide repair services, does not supervise or control their work, and does not guarantee or warranty it. ClickTheFix is not liable for a contractor's errors, omissions, poor workmanship, property damage, or injuries.