Faucet Dripping? Here Is How to Fix It

Step 1: Identify Your Faucet Type

Before you buy parts or start disassembling, you need to know which of the four main faucet types you have. Each one fails differently and requires different parts.

Ball Faucet

Found mostly on single-handle kitchen faucets. The handle rotates over a rounded ball-shaped cap. When you look inside, there is a ball mechanism with springs, seats, and O-rings. These are common and prone to dripping because they have many small moving parts.

Cartridge Faucet

Common in bathroom faucets, both single and double handle. Pulling or rotating the handle moves a cartridge up and down to control flow. The cartridge is a self-contained unit that is usually replaced as one piece rather than repaired.

Ceramic Disc Faucet

A wide cylindrical body with a single lever. Two ceramic discs rotate against each other to control water. These are very durable and usually only drip when the discs crack or when sediment scratches the disc faces.

Compression Faucet

The oldest type — two separate handles you tighten down to stop flow. Common in older homes. These use rubber washers that compress against a seat. They are the easiest to repair but the most likely to wear out quickly.

What Is Causing the Drip?

Once you know the type, the culprit becomes clearer:

• Ball faucet: Worn springs, seats, or the ball itself. Sometimes the O-rings on the body.
• Cartridge: The cartridge itself has worn out. Usually a straightforward replacement.
• Ceramic disc: Cracked disc or sediment scoring. Sometimes a thorough cleaning fixes it.
• Compression: The rubber seat washer has deformed or hardened. Or the valve seat it presses against is pitted and rough.

How to Fix a Dripping Faucet: General Steps

The specific steps vary by type, but the overall process follows this pattern:

1. Turn off the water supply. Look for shut-off valves under the sink (clockwise to close). If there are none, close the main. Turn on the faucet to release pressure and drain the lines.
2. Cover the drain. Put a rag or plug in the drain so small parts cannot disappear.
3. Remove the handle. Most handles are held by a screw hidden under a decorative cap. Pry off the cap with a flathead screwdriver, unscrew, and lift off.
4. Access and remove the internal mechanism. For cartridge faucets, there is usually a retaining clip or nut. For ball faucets, a cap and collar unscrew. Take a photo before disassembling.
5. Bring the old part to a hardware store or look up the brand + model number to get the exact replacement. Generic parts often cause new leaks.
6. Install the new part, reassemble in reverse order, and turn the water back on slowly. Test for drips.

When DIY Gets Complicated

Stop and call a plumber if you encounter any of the following:

• The shut-off valves under the sink are frozen or leaking themselves.
• The valve seat (the surface the washer or cartridge seals against) is visibly damaged or corroded — resurfacing it requires a seat wrench and some skill.
• You cannot identify the faucet brand or find matching replacement parts.
• After replacing the part, the faucet still drips — the underlying supply lines or connections may be at fault.
• The faucet body itself is cracked or corroded.

How Much Is That Drip Costing You?

One drip per second adds up to roughly 3,000 gallons a year — and in Pflugerville and the greater Austin area, water costs enough that a persistent drip adds real dollars to your annual bill. Most faucet repairs cost far less than what the wasted water costs over 12 months.

Call Alberto Plumbing for Faucet Repair

If you have worked through these steps and the drip continues, or if you would rather have it done right the first time, Alberto Plumbing handles all faucet types. We offer upfront pricing with no surprises, and we carry most common cartridges on the truck. Call (512) 429-6933 — Jose A. Vital, TX Master Plumber (M-39647), serves Pflugerville, Round Rock, Hutto, and Austin with same-day availability.