A dripping faucet is more than an annoyance — it wastes water and quietly inflates your utility bill. Here is what causes it and what you can realistically fix yourself.
Why is your faucet dripping?
In older compression taps the culprit is almost always a worn rubber washer inside the valve seat. Single-lever mixers use a ceramic cartridge instead — and those wear out too. Water leaking around the handle means a failing stem packing or o-ring. A drip at the wall connection points to a loose fitting or a bad supply-line washer.
- Drip from the spout — worn washer or ceramic cartridge
- Leak around the handle — stem packing or o-ring failure
- Drip at the wall — supply line washer or thread issue
Safety first — shut off the water
Before touching anything, close the isolating valve — usually a small valve on the supply pipe under the sink. If there is none, you will need to use the building’s main stopcock on the landing. Never unscrew a tap under live pressure; Warsaw apartment systems often run at high pressure and a mistake can flood the flat below you.
Replacing a washer — step by step
- Shut the isolating valve and open the tap to release pressure
- Remove the handle (there is usually a screw under a decorative cap)
- Extract the valve or cartridge
- Replace the washer or the entire cartridge (bring the old one to the hardware store as a reference)
- Reassemble, restore water, check for leaks
Concealed body valves, thermostatic mixers, and vintage packing-gland taps are more involved — improvising there usually makes things worse.
When to call a plumber
If the tap still drips after a new washer, the valve seat is likely scored or the spindle thread is damaged. At that point replacing the whole tap is usually more cost-effective than patching the old one. Fill in the request form and we will come out, take a look, and give you an honest recommendation — repair or replace.
How much does faucet repair cost?
The price depends on the tap model, the type of fault, and whether it needs a washer swap or a full replacement. Check the quote form on the site for current rates.