Fix the faucet or replace it
Most dripping faucets can be repaired, because the part that wears is small and replaceable. Inside the body sits a cartridge, a ceramic disc, a ball or a pair of rubber washers, depending on the design. Replacing that part stops the drip without a new fixture.
Replacement makes more sense when the body is corroded, when parts for the model are hard to find, or when the finish is peeling. We tell you which path is cheaper to live with before we start. If you have already bought a new faucet, say so on the phone and we plan the visit around it.
Repair
Worn cartridge, disc or washer. The faucet body and finish are still sound.
Replace
Pitted body, seized handle, broken spout or a style you want to change.
Reconnect
The fixture is fine but the sink moved. We rebuild supply and drain connections.
When a broken valve or supply line is flooding the cabinet
A cracked supply line or a valve that has snapped can release water continuously, and it does not stop on its own. Cabinets hide the flood until the floor is already wet. Look for swollen cabinet bottoms, a damp smell and a water meter that keeps turning with everything off.
- Close the valve under the sink, or the main shutoff if that fails
- Open a faucet at a low point to relieve pressure once the water is off
- Move items out of the cabinet and mop standing water at once
- Keep power strips and appliance cords out of any wet area
- Photograph the damage before cleanup for your records
After hours is when these failures tend to be found, usually when someone opens the cabinet in the morning or hears a sound in the night. Call the 24/7 line and we can often schedule the repair the same day when a slot is open.
What leaks and where it usually comes from
| Where you see water | Likely source | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Drip from the spout | Worn cartridge, disc or washer | Replace the internal part or the faucet |
| Water around the handle | Loose packing or a worn O-ring | Rebuild the handle stem |
| Wet cabinet floor under the sink | Supply line, valve or drain slip nut | Replace the line, valve or fitting |
| Valve under the sink drips when turned | Old stop valve with a dried stem seal | Install a new stop valve |
| Water at the base of the faucet | Loose mounting or a failed gasket | Re-seat the faucet and replace the gasket |
| Wet wall or ceiling below a bathroom | Shower valve, tub spout or drain connection | Test, open the access and repair |
Water travels. The wet spot is not always the leaking spot, and we trace it before cutting anything open.
Shower valves, tub spouts and showerheads
A shower that drips after you shut it off usually has a worn valve cartridge. A tub spout that leaks from the wall can be a failed seal where the spout meets the pipe. A showerhead that sprays sideways may only need cleaning or a new washer.
The urgent case is a tub faucet or shower pipe that leaks inside the wall. Water soaks the framing below and can reach a ceiling. If a stain is growing, close the main valve and call. A shower arm that was cross-threaded years ago and now weeps at the wall is also a repair, not a reason to rebuild the bathroom.
Slow tub, shower and bathroom sink drains
Hair and soap gather in the pop-up stopper or just below it. Pulling the stopper and cleaning it by hand clears many slow tubs. If the water drains slowly everywhere in the bathroom, the clog is deeper in the branch line, and a cable or drain cleaning visit is the next step.
Kitchen sinks follow the same pattern with grease. A bathroom sink that gurgles when the tub empties often shares a branch with it.
Laundry sinks, washer valves and outdoor spigots
The valves behind a washing machine sit unused for years, then drip once the hoses are moved. A utility sink in a basement may leak at the drain or at the faucet stem. Both are common, and both are quick to fix when the valve closes fully. If it does not, we replace it.
Outdoor spigots are the winter casualty. Woodridge averages a January low near 19 degrees Fahrenheit at the nearest official station, and the area gets about 38 inches of snow a year. A hose left attached traps water in the spigot, where it freezes and splits the pipe. Disconnect hoses before the first hard freeze. If a spigot drips inside the wall in spring, a burst pipe repair may be the right fix rather than a new handle.
Old Woodridge shutoffs and the water behind them
Roughly seven in ten Woodridge homes were built before 1990. Their stop valves under sinks have sat untouched for decades, so some leak from the stem the first time anyone turns them. We replace weak valves during a faucet repair so the next problem can be isolated in seconds.
Woodridge gets Lake Michigan water through the DuPage Water Commission, and the Village publishes an annual water quality report. If aerator screens clog often, test your tap and ask the Village for the current report on its water page. A clogged aerator is a small repair, but recurring debris deserves an answer.
What changes the price of a faucet repair
A cartridge swap and a leak inside a tub wall are very different jobs, so a single figure would mislead you. We tell you a clear price before work starts, after we see what failed.
Insurance policies differ. Many treat a sudden burst or failed supply line differently from a slow drip that rotted a cabinet over time. Read your policy or ask your agent before you file.
Faucet repairs seldom need a permit, but moving supply lines can. The Village of Woodridge has adopted the Illinois State Plumbing Code, and permitted work is inspected against that standard.
Questions we hear
Yes. The line is open 24/7 and we take overnight and weekend calls for failed valves, spraying faucets and flooding cabinets. Close the valve under the sink or the main shutoff while you wait.
Most dripping faucets only need a new cartridge, disc or washer set. We replace the part when the body is sound and recommend a new faucet when the body is corroded or parts are no longer made.
It becomes urgent if water is running inside the wall or a ceiling stain is growing. Close the main valve if water is spreading and call. A slow weep can wait for a same-day appointment when available.
Yes. We reconnect the supply lines and drain, replace worn valves, and leak test before we leave. Tell us what fixtures are going back in.
Yes. We repair or replace spigots and can add shutoffs so the line can be drained before freezing weather. A spigot that leaks inside the wall needs a pipe repair.
Yes. A washer valve that drips should be replaced rather than tightened. Close the main valve first if water is running, then call.
Yes, as part of larger fixture work. See our plumbing installation service for what that covers. We also visit homes in nearby Naperville.
If a leaking valve has left a wet wall, a leak detection visit finds where the water is really going.