Match the drip to the part that wore out
Every faucet has a seal that squeezes shut when you turn the handle off. Over the years that seal hardens, cracks or gets scored by grit. Water then slips past it one drop at a time. The design of your faucet tells you which seal is involved.
| Faucet style | Where it drips | Part that usually fails |
|---|---|---|
| Two handles with a screw stem | Spout, even when the handle is tight | Rubber washer or valve seat |
| Single lever that swings side to side | Spout, or around the base of the lever | Cartridge or O-rings |
| Ball-style single handle | Spout and below the handle | Spring, inlet seals or the ball itself |
| Two handles that turn a quarter turn | Spout | Ceramic disc cartridge |
| Pull-down kitchen faucet | Under the sink or from the hose head | Hose connection, spray head check valve |
A drip from the base of the handle is a different leak than a drip from the spout, and it often points to a different part.
What a drip costs you even when it looks small
A faucet that drips all day wastes water you are paying for. It also stains the basin, and a leak under the sink can soften a cabinet floor for months before anyone notices. Treat a drip as a small repair that is cheaper to do now than later.
If the drip is only from the spout, a worn seal is the likely cause. If water appears under the sink, on the cabinet floor or on the wall behind the vanity, the problem may be a supply line or a shutoff valve. Dry the area, place a paper towel under the connections, and check again in an hour to see which joint is wet.
Repair steps a handy homeowner can try
Replacing a cartridge or washer is routine work when the shutoff valves cooperate. Stop if anything fights you. A forced valve can snap and turn a drip into a flood.
- Close the two small shutoff valves under the sink, or the main valve if the sink has none, then open the faucet to release pressure.
- Plug the drain and lay a towel in the basin so a dropped screw does not vanish.
- Pop off the handle cap, remove the screw and lift off the handle.
- Pull out the cartridge or unscrew the stem, and photograph how it sits before you remove it.
- Take the old part to a hardware store and match it by size and shape, since model names are hard to read on worn parts.
- Install the new part, reassemble, open the shutoffs slowly and check for drips.
If a shutoff valve will not turn, or it weeps when you move it, leave it alone and call. Old stop valves are a common reason a simple job becomes a plumbing visit.
When to stop and call a plumber
- A shutoff valve is stuck, leaking or turns freely without closing the water
- Water is dripping inside the cabinet from a supply line or the drain
- The cartridge will not pull out after the handle is off
- The faucet body is pitted, cracked or green with corrosion
- You see water near electrical outlets, a dishwasher or a disposal
If water is spreading, close the main valve and call our 24/7 line. Keep everyone away from wet outlets until the area is dry.
Repair or replace the faucet
A repair makes sense when the faucet body is sound and parts are easy to find. Replacement makes sense when the finish is flaking, the body is corroded, or you have already fixed the same faucet more than once. A new cartridge in a worn body often buys only a short stretch of quiet.
Swapping in a new faucet, or moving a supply line to fit a different sink, is installation work rather than repair. Our team handles that as part of plumbing installation, including new shutoff valves so the next repair is simple.
Repair it
The body is intact, parts are available, and the faucet is not very old.
Replace it
The finish is failing, the body is corroded, or repairs keep coming back.
Faucets and plumbing work in Woodridge
The Village gets treated Lake Michigan water through the DuPage Water Commission, and its annual water quality report does not print a hardness figure. If mineral crust builds on your aerator, test your tap and ask the Village for its report instead of guessing. A clogged aerator can mimic a failing faucet, so unscrew it and rinse it before you buy parts.
Census-based estimates put the median Woodridge home at 1980, and about seven in ten homes are at least 35 years old. In houses that age, the original shutoff valves under sinks have had decades to stiffen. Plan on replacing them when you replace the faucet.
The Village's permit FAQ lists plumbing work as permit-required, so ask the Community Development Department at 630-719-4750 before swapping fixtures or moving lines. A like-for-like washer or cartridge swap is maintenance, but the permit line is the place to confirm. Plumbers working in Woodridge must be licensed under state law, and the IDPH license lookup lets you verify one.
Drips across the neighboring towns
The same drip shows up across the area, from two-handle bath faucets in Downers Grove to kitchen faucets with sprayer hoses in Lisle. In either town the fix starts with finding the exact joint or seal at fault, not replacing everything.
For a drip that keeps coming back after a repair, our licensed plumbers will pull the part, check the valve seat and tell you if the faucet is done. We give you a clear price before work starts, and our faucet repair crew can often book a same-day visit when available.
Fix the drip before it spreads
Call the 24/7 line and describe where the water shows up. Dispatch can book a same-day visit when a technician is free.
Questions we hear
The valve seat is probably scored or corroded, so even a new washer cannot seal against it. The seat can be reground or the faucet replaced.
Yes. A steady drip adds up over a day, a month and a year. It is also a sign that a seal is failing and will get worse.
It depends on water use and what passes through the line. Many last for years, and grit or mineral scale shortens that. A cartridge that drips is worn and should be replaced, not tightened.
The Village lists plumbing work as requiring a permit. A simple part swap is normally maintenance, but call Community Development at 630-719-4750 to confirm before you replace fixtures or move lines.
Water pressure is often higher when demand drops, and that pushes drops past a weak seal. A worn seal is the cause either way.
Sometimes. Supply lines, shutoff valves and drain connections can all leak. We check each joint, because replacing the faucet will not fix a bad valve.
If your faucet is past repair, a new fixture installed by a licensed plumber with fresh shutoff valves is a sound fix.