A faucet that drips all day wastes water, raises your bill, and slowly stains the sink. The good news is that the fix is almost always a small, inexpensive part rather than a whole new faucet. Learning how to fix a dripping kitchen faucet takes basic tools, about half an hour, and no plumbing experience. This guide walks through diagnosing the faucet type and repairing each one step by step.
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A single dripping faucet can waste thousands of gallons a year, so stopping it is worth the short effort. Here is how to do it yourself.
- Why Faucets Drip
- Identify Your Faucet Type
- Gather Your Tools
- Step 1: Shut Off the Water
- Step 2: Remove the Handle
- Step 3: Repair by Faucet Type
- Step 4: Reassemble and Test
- If the Drip Continues
- Cleaning Mineral Buildup Along the Way
- Cost of Fixing It Yourself
- When to Call a Plumber
- Preventing Future Drips
- Tools and Parts Checklist
- Dripping Kitchen Tap or Leaky Faucet? Pinpoint Where the Water Comes From First
- The Bottom Line
Why Faucets Drip
A drip means water is sneaking past a seal that is supposed to shut it off. Inside every faucet, rubber or ceramic components wear out over time from constant use and mineral buildup. Once a seat, O-ring, washer, or cartridge degrades, water leaks through even when the handle is fully closed. Knowing how to fix a dripping kitchen faucet starts with identifying which internal part has worn out, and that depends on the faucet type.
Identify Your Faucet Type
Kitchen faucets come in four common designs, and the repair differs for each:
- Cartridge: a single lever or two handles that move smoothly; a cartridge inside controls flow.
- Ball type: a single handle that moves in all directions over a domed cap; common on older single-handle faucets.
- Ceramic disc: a single lever with a wide cylindrical body; very durable but the disc cartridge can still fail.
- Compression: two separate handles you screw down to shut off; the oldest design, using rubber washers.
If you are unsure, note the brand and model, often stamped on the faucet, so you can buy the right replacement parts.
Gather Your Tools
Before you start, collect a small kit:
- Adjustable wrench and channel-lock pliers
- Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers
- Allen (hex) wrench set
- Replacement parts: cartridge, O-rings, washers, or seats and springs for your faucet
- Plumber’s grease and white vinegar for cleaning mineral buildup
- A rag and a small bowl for parts
Step 1: Shut Off the Water
Turn off both supply valves under the sink, then open the faucet to release pressure and confirm the water is off. Plug the drain or lay a rag over it so small parts cannot fall in. This step is non-negotiable; skipping it leads to a soaked kitchen.
Step 2: Remove the Handle
Most handles are held by a set screw under a decorative cap or on the side of the handle base. Pry off the cap if present, loosen the screw with the hex wrench or screwdriver, and lift the handle straight off. Set the screw somewhere safe.
Step 3: Repair by Faucet Type
Cartridge Faucet
Remove any retaining clip or nut holding the cartridge, then pull the cartridge straight up and out. Take it to the store to match a replacement exactly. Coat the new cartridge O-rings with plumber’s grease, slide it in aligned the same way, and reinstall the clip and handle. A worn cartridge is the most common cause of drips on modern faucets.
Ball-Type Faucet
Unscrew the cap and collar, then lift out the cam, packing, and ball. Underneath are rubber seats and springs that wear out. Use a screwdriver to remove them and press in the new springs and seats from a repair kit. Reassemble in reverse order and avoid overtightening the adjusting ring.
Ceramic Disc Faucet
Lift out the cylinder and inspect the rubber seals on its underside. Clean any mineral buildup with vinegar and replace the seals, or swap the whole disc cartridge if it is cracked. Reassemble and test gently, since discs can crack under too much force.
Compression Faucet
Unscrew the stem to reveal a rubber washer at the bottom held by a brass screw. This flattened or torn washer is almost always the source of the drip. Replace it with an exact match, and while you are there, replace the O-ring on the stem. Reassemble and test.
Step 4: Reassemble and Test
Put the handle back on, tighten the set screw, and slowly reopen the supply valves. Run the faucet through hot and cold and watch for drips at the spout, the handle base, and under the sink. Let it sit for a few minutes and check again to be sure the repair held.
If the Drip Continues
If replacing the obvious part does not stop the drip, consider these causes:
- Damaged valve seat: a pitted seat in the faucet body lets water past even a new washer; it may need resurfacing or the faucet may need replacing.
- Wrong or misaligned part: double-check that the replacement matches and is seated correctly.
- High water pressure: excessive pressure stresses seals; a pressure regulator may help.
- Cracked faucet body: rare, but a hairline crack means replacement.
Cleaning Mineral Buildup Along the Way
While you have the faucet apart, take the opportunity to clear mineral deposits that contribute to leaks and low flow. Hard water leaves scale on cartridges, seats, and inside the spout that keeps seals from closing tightly. Soak metal and ceramic parts in white vinegar for a few minutes, then gently scrub away the chalky buildup with an old toothbrush. Do not use vinegar on rubber parts you plan to replace anyway. Cleaning the aerator at the tip of the spout is also worthwhile, since a clogged aerator is a common cause of weak or sputtering flow that homeowners sometimes mistake for a valve problem.
Cost of Fixing It Yourself
One of the best reasons to tackle this repair is the price. The parts are inexpensive, and doing the work yourself avoids a service call entirely:
- Rubber washers and O-rings: just a few dollars
- Seats and springs repair kit: roughly $5 to $15
- Replacement cartridge: around $15 to $40 depending on brand
- Plumber’s grease: a few dollars and lasts for many repairs
Compare that with $100 to $200 for a plumber or $150 to $400 for a new faucet, and the case for a DIY repair is clear. Even if you have to buy a few tools the first time, they pay for themselves on the very first job and stay in your kit for the next repair around the house.
When to Call a Plumber
Most drips are DIY-friendly, but call a professional if the shutoff valves themselves leak, if the faucet is corroded solid and will not come apart, or if you have replaced parts twice and the drip persists. A plumber’s visit for a faucet repair typically runs $100 to $200, still far less than water damage from ignoring a leak.
Preventing Future Drips
Once you have stopped the leak, a few habits keep the faucet drip-free longer. Avoid cranking the handle shut with force, which crushes the seals and shortens their life; a gentle turn is enough to stop the flow. If your home has hard water, mineral scale is the main enemy of faucet seals, so consider addressing hardness at the source and periodically cleaning the aerator and internal parts. Keeping a small repair kit and the faucet’s model number on hand means the next fix takes minutes rather than a trip to the store. These simple steps stretch the years between repairs.
Tools and Parts Checklist
Being prepared before you start turns a frustrating job into a smooth one. Gather everything in one place so you are not hunting for a tool with the water shut off:
- Wrenches: an adjustable wrench and channel-lock pliers
- Screwdrivers: flathead and Phillips
- Hex (Allen) wrench set for handle set screws
- Replacement parts matched to your faucet type: cartridge, O-rings, washers, or seats and springs
- Plumber’s grease to lubricate new seals
- White vinegar and an old toothbrush for cleaning mineral buildup
- A rag, a small bowl for parts, and a drain plug
Taking a photo of each step as you disassemble the faucet gives you a reliable reference for reassembly, which is especially helpful the first time you work on a particular faucet type. With the right parts and a methodical approach, the repair rarely takes more than half an hour.
Dripping Kitchen Tap or Leaky Faucet? Pinpoint Where the Water Comes From First
Whether you call it a dripping kitchen tap, as in the UK, or a dripping faucet, the repair is the same set of washers, cartridges, and O-rings. What saves time is pinpointing exactly where the water appears before you buy parts, because a leaky kitchen tap can drip from four different places, and each one points to a different component.
| Where the water appears | Likely culprit | What to replace |
|---|---|---|
| From the spout with the handle off | Worn washer, seat, cartridge, or disc seal | Part matched to your faucet type (see above) |
| Around the base of the handle | Stem or cartridge O-rings | O-rings, greased on reinstall |
| Around the base of a swivel spout | Spout O-rings | Spout O-ring kit |
| Under the sink | Supply line, connection nut, or pull-out hose | Tighten or replace the braided connector or spray hose |
A Quick Test Before You Take Anything Apart
Dry the entire faucet and the cabinet floor with a towel, lay a sheet of paper towel on the cabinet base, and run the tap for a minute, swinging the spout and working the handle. Then shut it off and watch for 10 minutes. The first wet spot tells you where to start. Under-sink leaks in particular are often mistaken for a dripping tap, and they are usually the easiest fix: a quarter-turn on a connector or a new braided hose.
UK vs. US Terms, Same Fix
If you are following British instructions, “isolation valve” means the under-sink shut-off, “headgear” is the valve stem assembly, and a “quarter-turn tap” uses a ceramic disc cartridge, the same as the ceramic disc faucets described above. Traditional multi-turn taps with a rubber washer are compression faucets. Whatever the name, close the isolation or shut-off valve (or the main stopcock if there is none), open the tap to drain pressure, and plug the sink before you start.
When a Plumber Makes More Sense
Call a plumber if the shut-off valves will not close fully or they leak when turned, if water is coming from inside the faucet body or the countertop, or if the cabinet floor is soft or stained, which signals a longer-running leak that may have damaged the base. A sealed or unusual designer faucet may also need brand-specific parts that a plumber can source faster than a store.
The Bottom Line
Knowing how to fix a dripping kitchen faucet saves water, money, and the frustration of that endless nighttime drip. Shut off the water, identify whether your faucet is a cartridge, ball, ceramic disc, or compression design, and replace the worn seal, washer, or cartridge inside. With a basic tool kit, a matching repair part, and about thirty minutes, most homeowners can stop a drip on the first try and keep the faucet running smoothly for years.
