Shawn Nelson PlumbingSpringtown, Texas
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Plumbing tips · October 27, 2026

The faucet that drips all night

A faucet that keeps dripping after you shut it off has a worn part inside. Which part depends on the kind of faucet.

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Single-handle faucets

Most kitchen and bathroom faucets with one handle use a cartridge. The rubber seals on it wear out over the years, or grit and hard water scale get into it, and water slips past when it is closed. A new cartridge made for that faucet stops it.

Two-handle faucets

Older faucets with a hot and a cold handle often use a rubber washer pressed against a metal seat. When the washer hardens or the seat gets worn, it cannot seal. A drip from the hot side or the cold side tells you which handle to open up.

Before you take it apart

Shut off both valves under the sink and open the faucet to let the pressure out. Put the stopper in so small parts cannot fall down the drain, and lay the pieces out in the order they came off.

Repair or replace

Parts for an older or off-brand faucet can be hard to find. If the faucet is worn, corroded or the handle is loose as well as dripping, a new faucet is often the better fix.

Questions we get asked

Does a dripping faucet really waste much water?A steady drip adds up to gallons a day. It also leaves a stain or scale in the sink, and in a hot water faucet it is heating water that goes straight down the drain.
Why does it drip only sometimes?A worn seal that just barely holds can leak when the handle is left in one spot, or when the water pressure in the house is high.
Can I just turn the handle tighter?Cranking it harder can stop the drip for a while, but it wears the washer or cartridge faster and can strip the handle. Replace the worn part instead.

Plumbing questions we answer

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Where we go

Parker, Wise and Tarrant County, out of the shop in Springtown. Springtown, Weatherford, Azle, Boyd, Decatur, Newark, Millsap, Fort Worth and the country in between.

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