Blame the rubber. Usually the culprit is rubber that has aged: a washer, an O-ring or a cartridge, and the job runs roughly thirty minutes with the supply off. Our overview of faucets, sinks and disposals sets the scene; here we go fixture by fixture, and mark the spot where a plumber becomes the cheaper option.
Why does my faucet drip in the first place?
A seal that has worn smooth, gone hard or been scratched by grit lets water slip through. Inside every faucet, rubber, ceramic or brass is squeezed against a seat to shut the flow, and when that contact surface wears the spout drips or the handle seeps. Mineral crust speeds the wear, and South Bay water carries plenty of minerals.
Look at yours before buying anything. Old two-handle faucets in Torrance's 1950s houses are usually compression type with a rubber washer. A single lever may hide a cartridge, a ball under a domed cap, or a pair of ceramic discs, the longest-lived of the four. Each wears out in its own way.
A drip is not harmless. By the EPA's count, a drip each second means roughly 3,000 gallons gone in a year, and the typical house loses over 9,300 gallons to all of its leaks combined.
What are the steps for a kitchen or bathroom sink faucet?
Close the two small angle valves under the basin, let the faucet empty, cork the drain so screws can't vanish, then remove the handle and pull the worn cartridge or washer. Take it to the store for an exact match, then install the new one and check for drips. For a first-timer this is a manageable job.
The sequence below suits most sink faucets.
- Turn both under-sink valves clockwise. Missing or stuck? Close the main at the street side of the house instead.
- Leave the faucet open so the line empties. A rag in the drain catches strays.
- Flick out the small cap, undo the screw beneath it, and the handle lifts away.
- Back out the packing nut or clip, then lift the stem or cartridge free.
- Photograph the part, then bring it along. Brand, diameter and spline count matter.
- Seat the replacement, with a smear of silicone grease on any rubber.
- Put it back together, reopen the valves slowly, and run the tap for sixty seconds.
Wet around the foot of the spout, not the tip? Suspect the swivel O-rings. They cost pennies and sit under the spout. A drip from the tip with the handle closed points at the cartridge, washer or seat.
What about a tub or shower valve that won't stop?
The valve sits inside the wall, so close the house supply, unscrew the handle and the escutcheon plate, and reach the cartridge or stem behind. A tub spout that drips has the same cause as a kitchen drip: a spent cartridge or washer. A wet wall or ceiling nearby is your cue to hand it over.
Dripping tub spouts are routine in postwar Torrance houses with the original valve. The seat is often pitted by decades of use, so a fresh washer changes nothing. A plumber can grind the seat smooth or swap the whole valve, and the second option means cutting into the wall. For a shower that weeps inside the wall, read about shower leak calls.
Is a Delta faucet fixed differently?
Only the parts differ. A single-handle Delta has either a ball assembly or a cartridge, and the maker sells repair kits for each. Identify yours, buy that kit, and change seals, springs and cartridge together. Water around the handle itself generally traces to a worn O-ring or a loose nut.
The maker's parts diagrams make matching easier than guessing in an aisle. If the handle leaks under its cap, a small turn of the retaining nut can end it. Still loose afterward? The cartridge has probably worn and should go. Other brands follow this pattern too, but their parts don't swap.
How can I stop a hose bib from dripping?
A garden spigot leaks in one of two spots. Water from the mouth with the handle shut means the washer inside has worn, while water around the stem means the packing nut needs snugging or a new packing washer. Find the shutoff inside the house, if there is one, then pull the stem and install a fresh washer.
Plenty of Torrance houses have a bib on the front or side wall fed by copper or old galvanized pipe. If the pipe wiggles or weeps where it enters the wall, stop there. Galvanized threads can snap under force. A hose left on all summer keeps the bib loaded with pressure and wears it faster.
When does hiring a plumber beat doing it myself?
Hire help when valves refuse to close, scale has welded parts together, the faucet body is eaten away or cracked, or water shows inside a wall or cabinet. By then, a new faucet could cost less than another repair. Under California law, plumbing past a small dollar limit needs a contractor license, so bigger work goes to a contractor.
A repair kit is cheap, yet one stripped screw can make the visit unavoidable. Weigh it against faucet installation costs and the broader plumber costs first. Then request a quote, naming the faucet, the room and the symptom. Requests are read weekdays between nine and five. Back on the Del Amo Plumbing home page you will find our other services.
Common questions
Do I need the water off first?
Yes. Pull a stem or cartridge with the line live and you get a spray in the face. Shut the valves below the sink, or the feed to the outdoor spigot. If a valve is frozen with age or weeps when touched, shut the house main and phone a plumber.
Why is it still dripping with a new washer?
The seat under the washer may be pitted, and a rough seat defeats any new rubber. A wrong-size washer or an untouched worn cartridge can do the same. A seat tool can resurface the brass, or the whole faucet can be swapped if the body has had it.
Is a slow drip worth bothering about?
Yes, because you pay for every drop. Using the EPA's rate of one drip per second, call it 3,000 gallons a year, and leaks rarely shrink on their own. Expect an hour or two of effort and a cheap part.
Is a new faucet better than a repair?
Repair if the fixture is sound and just a seal or cartridge is spent. Replace it when the finish has corroded, parts are discontinued or two repairs have already failed. Have a plumber quote each way and compare the totals, including parts and your own time.
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