If you’ve got water pooling under your sink or an annoying dripping sound coming from your bathroom, you’re most likely dealing with a leaky faucet at home. Not only are leaky faucets a nuisance, but they could also increase your water bill and turn into a larger problem if not addressed properly. Here is everything you need to know about fixing a leaking faucet.

Fortunately, fixing leaky faucets is quick and inexpensive. They’re also simple to do and easy to tackle – even if you’ve got no DIY experience. Just follow the steps below, and you’ll rectify your leaking faucet in no time at all.

TURN OFF THE WATER

Before you do anything, it’s important to shut off the water supply. You can do so by twisting the valve under your sink. If there aren’t any valves, go ahead and shut off the water supply for the entire house.

Once you’ve turned off the water supply, turn on the faucet to empty out the remaining water. As a tip, you may also want to insert a sink stopper or cover the opening to prevent any tools from falling through while you’re fixing your faucet.

REMOVE THE HANDLE

Then, you’re going to remove the decorative parts of the handle knobs. You’ll start by removing the set screw behind the handle before prying off the top screw cover with a screwdriver. Finally, you’ll loosen the screw underneath the cover before pulling out the handle.

REMOVE THE PACKING NUT

Use your wrench to loosen the packing nut; if you notice a stem, you should remove that as well. While some faucets have stems that pop right off, others would need to be twisted off the valve. After removing these parts, check for any damage.

Then, gently pull the cartridge out of the assembly. With some faucets, you may have to remove the cartridge out with a specialized tool. Read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully while doing so to avoid any damage.

INSTALL A NEW CARTRIDGE

After you’ve dried the area around the handle, inspect the O-ring or washer that’s inside the valve seat to see if there’s any damage. If there are, you’d want to replace them accordingly. When it comes to purchasing your O-ring, it has to be an exact fit. If you’re not sure, you can take the old O-ring to a local hardware store to verify the correct size.

Then, insert a new cartridge and ensure that it’s properly aligned. Similar to O-rings, cartridges also come in different shapes and sizes. To be sure that you’re purchasing the right one, you should know your faucet’s model number and manufacturer. You can also bring the old cartridge to the store to ensure that you’re getting the same one.

REASSEMBLE YOUR HANDLE

Once that’s done, you’ll reassemble all of your parts. You should start with the O-ring followed by the stem, packing nut, and end off with the screw and handle. When reattaching your packing nut, make sure that you’re not over-tightening it.

After everything has been reassembled, slowly turn your running water back on to see if you’ve fixed the leak. You should also run both hot and cold water to make sure that your aerator isn’t clogged.

CONTACT THE EXPERTS

If your faucet is still dripping after all your hard work, it could be due to corrosion in your valve seat or other potential problems such as loose parts or worn-out seals. While it’s a worst-case scenario, there’s also a chance that you may have broken plumbing.

While it may be tempting to fix these issues on your own, it’s best to call Ashbury Plumbing’s plumbing service to assist you with the job. We have the expertise and we are better equipped to troubleshoot any issues you may have or deal with any complications that may occur.