Why is My Faucet Dripping?

Okay, so you have a leaking faucet on your hands and it’s annoying the heck out of you.  But, being the curious type – perhaps even handy with a wrench – you want to know why it’s leaking. Did you buy a bum product? Did someone mess with it? Is it the result of normal wear and tear?

Actually, there are several common causes of a leaking (or dripping) faucet. But don’t be too quick to start working on it – you first need to know what kind of faucet you have. Compression faucets, for example, have washers and seals; disc, cartridge, and ball style faucets are made with moving parts sealed by an O ring.

Here are the main reasons why a faucet might drip:

• Worn-out rubber washer – Each time you turn on a faucet, you’re effectively forcing the washer against the valve seat. Over time, that causes erosion of the rubber until eventually it fails.
• Washer wasn’t installed properly – Not all plumbers or handy types are created equal, so human error – or the wrong washer – always has to be considered a possibility.
• The O ring – Over time, the O ring in your disc, cartridge, or ball type faucet will wear out. When it does, you’ll notice leakage near the handle.
• Worn out seals – Are you starting to get the idea that plumbing parts don’t last forever? Well, here’s another prime example.  Water sediment inside the inlets and outlets of faucets causes the seals to wear out. There are only so many times you can clean the seals before you need to replace them, thus stopping the leak.
• Corrosion in the valve seat – Water sediment can also result in valve seat corrosion which then leads to leaks around the spout. Regular cleaning can forestall water leaks indefinitely.

If you’ve done all the work but without a favorable result, your next best move is to contact Your 1 Plumber to check out the faucet and to see if you have high water pressure, another common cause of a leaking faucet.

With Your 1 Plumber on the job, you’ll receive a guaranteed price quote before we start the job. We also guarantee your 100% satisfaction on all plumbing services and repairs.