What do you do with a faucet that will not turn off?

Answer 1

Your first instinct should be to call a licensed plumber.

Otherwise, only attempt this if you are what you would consider handy. You most likely have warn out washers, o-rings, seats and spring, or cartridges. Depending on the faucet you have, a repair kit (which usually includes washers, o-rings, seats and springs) or faucet cartridge can usually be found for most major name brands at your local hardware store).

First Step, if it is a single handle faucet, skip to the part I labeled "second step". If you have a separate hot and cold handle, can you determine by the temperature of the water of the leak which supply is leaking, hot or cold? If not, you need to isolate which side is dripping by stopping the flow of water from both your hot and cold shut off supply valves, then drain the remaining water out of both sides. Shut both hot and cold off again. Turn your shutoff to the hot side on and see if it leaks. If it does, it's the hot side. Double check this by turning the hot shut off and handle both off again and turn the cold shut off valve on and check for a leak. By now, you should be able to determine which side is leaking.

Second step, you have to be able to identify the manufacturer which is sometimes stated on a piece of the faucet, but not always. If you have no way of telling the manufacturer, (as a back up plan to bringing a faucet cartridge to your home improvement center) it's best to take a picture using your camera phone of the faucet, try to get any part number you can such as under a handle where sometimes you can find a factory stamped OEM part number (many major brands keep old original part numbers handy for warranty and replacement purposes, it is best if you can gauge the year the faucet was installed).

Third step. Shut your water off to the faucet. Take the handle off which is usually held on by Allen wrench screws or Phillips head screws. Now is the time to take the bad cartridge out. It's usually held on by rings, copper clips (usually Moen faucets), or sometimes unscrews or a combination of the above mentioned. A cartridge can look like a round cylinder made of plastic and or metal or sometimes is round like a ball with a stem sticking out of it (common on Delta and Peerless faucets). Once you have the cartridge out, head out to your local home improvement center or Plumbing supply outfit to see if it's a common one in stock. Costs can vary considerably from $4.00 a cartridge to $60.00 depending on if it's common, in stock, or the application. Median price is about $12.00. AS A REMINDER: Many major brands in the mid 90's went to Limited Lifetime Warranties which cover the costs of replacement pieces so you may be able to get some of these pieces at the cost of shipping or sent free if you can wait for the replacement. If you are under warranty and know your model of faucet or are willing to call the manufacturer and troubleshoot to narrow down the faucet model, this is a bonus.

Fourth Step. You have the replacement cartridge now. It's time to put the cartridge back in the way you took it out. when putting a new cartridge and or repair pieces in, remember to get silicone plumbing grease and put a light coating on the rubber parts which will prolong the life of your replacement. It's only a couple of dollars and it's worth the investment.

Fifth Step. Turn your water supply back on to check for leaks. If you still have leaks, you can retrace your steps or .... CALL A LICENSED PLUMBER. If you don't have any leaks, your job is done.