Where is your faucet leaking?
Where the water shows up tells you a lot about what failed.
| Where you see water | What usually causes it |
|---|---|
| Dripping from the spout with the faucet off | Worn cartridge, washer or valve seat |
| Around the handle when the water is on | Worn O-rings or a loose or cracked cartridge |
| Pooling around the base of the faucet | Worn O-rings in the spout, or a failed seal under the faucet |
| Under the sink, in the cabinet | Loose or worn supply line, leaking shutoff valve, or a pull-down hose leak |
| From the kitchen sprayer or its hose | Cracked hose, worn quick-connect, or a failed spray head |
If you're not sure where it's coming from, wipe everything dry and run the faucet with a dry paper towel under each connection. The towel that gets wet first is your leak.
Dripping faucets
A drip seems small, but it adds up. The EPA says a faucet dripping once per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year (EPA WaterSense). A drip also tends to get faster as the worn part breaks down.
On most single-handle faucets, a new cartridge stops the drip. On older two-handle faucets, it's usually a washer or seat. A pro can tell which side is leaking by feeling whether the drip is hot or cold.
Leaks under the sink
This is the leak that does the most damage, because nobody sees it. Particleboard cabinet floors swell and fall apart once they stay wet. Signs to look for:
- A soft or bubbled cabinet floor
- A musty smell when you open the doors
- Water stains on things stored under the sink
- Drips on the supply lines or shutoff valves
Braided supply lines don't last forever, and older ones can split without warning. If yours are more than about ten years old, it makes sense to replace them while the faucet is being worked on.