A leaky faucet in Kingston starts as a small annoyance. A drip every few seconds. A handle that never quite shuts off. A stain building up in the sink. Drips add up over time, and a faucet that drips today often leaks worse in a few months. The good news is that most faucet drips come from a small part inside the faucet, not from the whole fixture. Leak Free Plumbing repairs faucets for homes and businesses in Kingston, Odessa, Bath, Inverary, and Amherstview. Call (613) 876-6688 if a faucet in your home keeps dripping after you shut it off.
Why faucets drip
A faucet controls water with parts that wear out through daily use. Washers flatten and harden. Cartridges wear and corrode. O-rings shrink and crack. Valve seats develop rough spots that stop a clean seal. Hard water speeds up the wear. Each time you turn the handle, those parts move against each other. After thousands of uses, the seal no longer closes fully. Water slips past and drips from the spout. A drip from the handle or the base usually means a worn O-ring or cartridge seal. A drip from the spout after shutoff usually means a worn washer or cartridge. The location of the drip tells a plumber where to look first.
Which parts fail most often
Cartridges fail most often in modern single-handle faucets. A cartridge mixes hot and cold water and controls the flow. Mineral buildup and wear leave it unable to shut off cleanly. Washers fail most often in older two-handle faucets. A washer presses against a valve seat to stop the flow, and it wears down with each use. O-rings fail around handles and spouts. A worn O-ring lets water escape at the base of the handle or the spout joint. Valve seats corrode over time, especially with hard water. A rough valve seat chews up a new washer fast, so a repair that ignores the seat may drip again soon. A plumber checks all of these parts together. Replacing only the obvious part while a rough seat remains is a short-lived fix.
Repair or replacement: how to decide
Repair makes sense when the faucet body is sound and the failed part is available. A cartridge swap, a washer change, or a new O-ring restores a good faucet at a modest scope of work. Replacement makes sense when the faucet body is corroded, the finish is failing, parts are no longer available, or the same faucet has needed repeated repairs. Replacement also makes sense during a bathroom or kitchen update, when the faucet changes as part of the larger job. A plumber can advise after inspecting the faucet. The inspection covers the body, the cartridge or washers, the valve seat, and the supply connections underneath. That inspection decides the repair, not the age of the faucet alone. For broader home plumbing work, see our Residential Plumbing Services page.
What a faucet repair involves
A faucet repair starts with shutting off the water to that fixture and checking the supply valves underneath. The plumber removes the handle and the cartridge or stem, inspects the parts and the valve seat, and replaces what has worn out. The faucet goes back together, the water comes back on, and the plumber checks for drips at the spout, the handle, and the base. The check also covers the supply lines and connections under the sink. A faucet drip sometimes hides a slow leak underneath. A full check catches both. The job ends with the handle moving smoothly and the faucet shutting off cleanly.
What not to do with a dripping faucet
Do not crank the handle harder to stop the drip. Extra force wears the washer or cartridge faster and can damage the handle. Do not ignore a drip at the base of the faucet. Water at the base can run down into the cabinet and damage the wood underneath. Do not take a faucet apart without knowing how to shut off its water supply. A faucet opened under pressure sprays water across the room. Do not replace parts by guesswork. Faucet cartridges vary by brand and model, and the wrong cartridge will not seal. If you are unsure about the part or the shutoff, leave the repair to a plumber.
When to call a plumber
Call a plumber when a faucet drips after shutoff, when a handle feels loose or stiff, or when water appears at the base of the faucet. Call when a previous repair dripped again within weeks. That repeat drip often means a valve seat problem or the wrong part. Call sooner when the drip sits over a cabinet or a finished floor, because hidden water damage grows quietly. Leak Free Plumbing provides 24/7 emergency service and repairs for homes and businesses. Every job is priced individually for its own situation, with flat-fee pricing quoted per job and approved before work begins.
FAQ
Why does my faucet keep dripping after I turn it off?
A worn washer, cartridge, or O-ring usually lets water slip past the seal. The faucet looks shut, but the seal no longer closes fully. A plumber inspects the internal parts and the valve seat to find the failed piece.
Is a dripping faucet worth repairing?
Yes, in most cases. A drip usually comes from a small worn part, and a repair restores the faucet. Replacement makes sense when the body is corroded, parts are unavailable, or the same faucet keeps failing.
How do I know if my faucet needs a cartridge or a washer?
Single-handle faucets usually use cartridges. Older two-handle faucets usually use washers. A plumber confirms the type after removing the handle, because cartridges vary by brand and model.
Can hard water cause a faucet to drip?
Yes. Mineral buildup roughens valve seats and wears cartridges and washers faster. A repair should include a check of the valve seat, or a new washer may fail again soon on a rough seat.
Does Leak Free Plumbing repair faucets in Kingston?
Yes. Leak Free Plumbing repairs faucets in Kingston, Odessa, Bath, Inverary, and Amherstview. Call (613) 876-6688 for a dripping faucet, a loose handle, or water at the base of a faucet.
A drip looks small, but it wastes water and it rarely stays small. Fix the worn part now, before the drip turns into a cabinet leak or a faucet replacement. Call Leak Free Plumbing at (613) 876-6688, or Book Online. Leak Free Plumbing is a licensed master plumber service in Kingston, Ontario, with 15+ years of experience, serving homes and businesses in Kingston, Odessa, Bath, Inverary, and Amherstview.
