That drip is costing you money. A faucet dripping once per second wastes over 3,000 gallons of water per year, according to the EPA.
Why Is Your Faucet Dripping?
Most dripping faucets come down to one of four culprits:
- Worn rubber washer (the most common cause in older faucets)
- Degraded O-ring around the stem
- Corroded valve seat where the washer presses to stop flow
- Faulty cartridge or ceramic disc inside ball and cartridge faucets
Knowing your faucet type super matters. Ball faucets, cartridge faucets, ceramic disc faucets, and old school compression faucets each have different internal parts and failure points.
Key Takeaway: Don’t just replace the washer and call it done. If the valve seat is pitted or the cartridge is worn, the drip can come back.
What You Can Try Yourself
- Shut off the water supply valve under the sink or at the main shutoff.
- Remove the handle. Usually one screw under a decorative cap.
- Inspect the washer and O ring for wear, cracking, or deformation.
- Replace worn parts with an exact match. Bring the old part to the hardware store.
- Reassemble, restore water pressure, and test.
Brands like Moen, Delta, and Kohler sell rebuild kits specific to their faucet lines. Using a generic washer on a Delta cartridge faucet is a common mistake.
Key Takeaway: If you open the faucet and don’t see an obvious worn washer, stop. The problem may be deeper in the valve seat or cartridge assembly.
When to Call a Plumber in Missoula
Some Missoula homeowners try three rounds of DIY before calling us. By then the valve seat is damaged, and what was a $15 washer job has turned into a replacement.
Call a plumber when:
- The faucet keeps dripping after replacing the washer
- You see corrosion or pitting on the valve seat
- The leak is at the base of the faucet, not the spout
- You’re dealing with a slab faucet or a home with copper compression fittings
One customer on the outskirts of Missoula said it well:
“Tyler responded promptly and professionally to replacing our kitchen faucet. Everything went smoothly and quickly. I was particularly grateful for his explanations of what he was doing, how things worked, and how we should watch for potential problems…”
Key Takeaway: If the fix didn’t hold, the problem is probably beyond your skill level, and that takes the right tools and training to fix correctly.
Right Now Plumbing and Heating Is the Call to Make in Missoula
Locally owned, licensed, and we stock our trucks for first visit fixes.
Other plumbers in town like Garden City, Plumb Tech, Hellgate may have you waiting days for a call back or showing up with parts they don’t carry.
Our team arrives on schedule, diagnoses fast, and has the parts on board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a dripping faucet actually a big deal?
Yes. One drip per second wastes over 3,000 gallons annually according to the EPA, which adds up on your water bill and wears on your fixture.
What causes a faucet to drip after the water is turned off?
Usually a worn washer, O-ring, or cartridge that no longer seals completely when the handle is closed.
Can I fix a dripping faucet without a plumber?
Depends on the situation. If it’s a simple worn washer in a compression faucet, yes. If the valve seat is damaged or you have a cartridge faucet, you’ll need professional help.
How do I know what type of faucet I have?
Ball faucets have a single rounded handle that rotates. Cartridge faucets have one or two handles that move up and down. Compression faucets have two handles that you tighten to stop flow. Ceramic disc faucets have a single wide cylindrical body.
How long does a faucet repair take?
A straightforward washer swap takes 30 to 45 minutes. A cartridge replacement or valve seat repair can take an hour or more.
Does a dripping faucet get worse over time?
Almost always. The friction from continued dripping accelerates wear on the valve seat and surrounding parts.
Can cold Montana winters make faucet leaks worse?
Yes. Temperature swings cause pipes and fittings to expand and contract, which stresses seals and can turn a drip into a steady leak.
When should I replace the faucet entirely instead of repairing it?
If the valve seat is too corroded to resurface, the faucet is more than 15 to 20 years old, or repair parts are no longer available for your model.
Written by the owner of Right Now Plumbing and Heating in Missoula, MT.
Sources
- U.S. EPA Fix a Leak Week (2025)
- American Water Fix a Leak Week Report (2025)
- USGS Water Data