LEARNING CENTER FAUCETS
Why is my faucet dripping, and does it actually matter?
The short answer
A dripping faucet is almost always a worn part inside the faucet — usually a cheap washer, O-ring, or cartridge — not a sign your plumbing is failing. It matters more than people assume: a steady drip quietly wastes real water and money over a year, and in Louisville’s hard water the constant wetness stains and corrodes the fixture. The upside is that it’s one of the smallest, most fixable jobs we do — often a $200–$300 cartridge swap.
A dripping faucet feels like a nagging little thing, and honestly, most of the time it is a little thing — mechanically. The drip is coming from a worn part inside the faucet that’s no longer sealing tight. The reason a good faucet lasts years and then suddenly starts dripping is simple: those internal parts wear out, and Louisville’s hard water wears them out faster.
Where the drip is actually coming from
Faucets seal water off in different ways depending on the type, but the failure is the same idea every time — a small part inside stops making a tight seal, so a little water sneaks past and drips out the spout. Here’s what’s usually worn out.
- A worn washer or valve seat Older two-handle faucets seal with a rubber washer pressing against a seat. The washer flattens out over time, or the seat gets pitted from hard-water minerals, and the drip starts. Both are small, inexpensive parts, and a full rebuild with fresh internals runs $100–$200.
- A worn cartridge Most modern single-handle faucets use a cartridge that controls flow and temperature. When it wears, the faucet drips even when it’s off, and sometimes the handle gets stiff. Swapping the cartridge is the usual fix, $200–$300, and it’s a common part.
- A bad O-ring If water is seeping out at the base of the handle or spout rather than dripping from the tip, a small O-ring has usually dried out or cracked. Easy to miss, easy to replace.
- Hard-water damage to the seat Louisville’s water leaves mineral scale on everything it touches. Over time that scale roughens up the sealing surfaces so a fresh washer or cartridge won’t fully seal — which is why a drip sometimes comes back if the seat itself is chewed up.
Does a dripping faucet actually matter?
Yes — more than the size of the drip suggests. It’s not going to flood your house, but ignoring it costs you in ways that add up quietly.
- It wastes real water and money A faucet dripping about once a second wastes over 3,000 gallons a year — enough to notice on a water bill over time. It’s not dramatic, but you’re paying for water going straight down the drain.
- It stains and corrodes the fixture Constant wetness plus hard water means mineral staining in the sink and slow corrosion of the faucet and drain. The drip you ignore today can shorten the life of the fixture it’s dripping from.
- It rarely fixes itself — and usually gets worse A worn washer or cartridge doesn’t heal. A slow drip today tends to become a steady one, and a stiff handle can become one you can’t shut off. Catching it early keeps it a small job.
When it’s more than a worn washer
A drip from the spout is almost always a simple internal part. A couple of things are a different problem, so watch for these:
- Water is leaking under the sink, not just from the spout If you find dampness in the cabinet, that’s a supply line, a shutoff valve, or the drain connection — not the faucet’s internal parts. Worth looking at before the cabinet floor takes damage.
- The handle is hard to turn or won’t shut the water off A worn-out valve that won’t seal at all means you can’t stop the flow. Shut the supply valve under the sink and get it looked at — a faucet you can’t turn off is more than an annoyance.
- You’ve already replaced the parts and it still drips When a fresh cartridge or washer doesn’t stop it, the seat or the faucet body itself is usually the problem. Sometimes a new faucet is genuinely cheaper than chasing an old, corroded one — and we’ll tell you straight which way the math goes.
How we’d approach it
When we fix a dripping faucet, we first figure out what type it is, then replace the worn part — usually a cartridge or a washer kit — and check the shutoff valves under the sink while we’re in there, since those tend to be neglected too. It’s a small, satisfying job. The one time we’ll flag a bigger conversation is when the faucet is badly corroded, a discontinued model with no parts available, or so scaled up that a rebuild won’t hold. In that case a new faucet often costs less than fighting the old one, and we’d rather be honest about that than sell you a repair that won’t last.
Common questions we get
How much water does a dripping faucet really waste?
More than it looks. A faucet dripping about once per second wastes over 3,000 gallons a year. One drip isn’t the point — it’s the constant, around-the-clock loss that adds up on your bill and, in hard water, stains the fixture the whole time.
Can I fix a dripping faucet myself?
Handy homeowners often can. Shut off the supply valves under the sink first, then it’s a matter of matching the right cartridge or washer kit to your faucet — the model number usually gets you the right part. If the shutoffs don’t fully close or the faucet’s badly corroded, that’s the point to call rather than fight it.
Why does my faucet drip only for a bit after I shut it off, then stop?
That’s usually just residual water in the spout draining out, and it’s normal. A true problem drip keeps going long after you’ve shut the handle — that’s the one pointing at a worn washer or cartridge.
Is a dripping faucet even worth calling a plumber for?
It’s a small job, so a lot of folks bundle it with something else. But given what it wastes and how hard water damages the fixture over time, it’s worth handling rather than living with. If you’re not sure whether it’s a five-minute part or a sign the faucet’s done, that’s exactly what a quick diagnosis sorts out.
The next questions to ask
Not sure if it’s a cheap part or a faucet that’s done?
Ask Goldie walks you through it in a couple of minutes and tells you what’s likely going on before anyone comes out. Try it at goldenplumbingky.com/instant-estimate/