How to Find Where Your Faucet Is Dripping

"My faucet is leaking" can mean several different things, and each points to a different part. Before you call, a few minutes of looking will tell you, and the plumber, a lot about what's wrong.

Step 1: Dry everything

Wipe the faucet, the sink deck and the area under the sink completely dry. Put a dry paper towel on the floor of the cabinet. Then run the faucet for a minute, turn it off, and watch.

Step 2: Where is the water?

Dripping from the spout with the handle off. The part that stops the water, a cartridge, ceramic disc or washer, is worn or scaled. This is the most common faucet leak.

Water around the base of the handle while running. An O-ring or packing around the stem is worn.

Water around the base of the spout on a kitchen swivel faucet: the spout O-rings.

Water under the sink. Check each connection with a dry tissue: the supply lines where they meet the valves, the valves themselves, the pull-down hose connection, and the drain. The tissue will get wet at the leak.

Water only when the sprayer is used: the sprayer hose or diverter.

Step 3: Hot, cold or both?

On a two-handle faucet, close the hot shut-off under the sink. If the drip stops, it's the hot side. That tells the plumber which stem or cartridge to bring.

Step 4: Find the brand

Look for a logo on the handle, spout or base. The brand, and a photo of the faucet, help the plumber bring the right cartridge.

What to do right now

• Drip at the spout: it's wasting water but not doing damage. Put a cloth in the sink to muffle it until it's repaired.

• Leak under the sink: close both shut-off valves under the sink and leave them closed. Dry the cabinet so the floor doesn't swell.

• Valves won't close: close the main water valve, or on a well, switch off the pump at the breaker, and call.

Then see leaking faucet repair. For bathroom sinks, including pop-up drains and vanity leaks, see bathroom faucet repair; for kitchen hoses and sprayers, kitchen faucet repair.

How much a drip really wastes

A drip looks small, but it runs day and night. A faucet dripping steadily can waste many gallons a week. On public water that shows up on the bill. On a well it shows up as extra pump cycles and wear, and as more water through your softener or filters, which means they need servicing sooner.

Tools that make it easier to find a leak

You don't need much to find a leak:

• A flashlight, for looking at the back of the cabinet and behind the faucet.

• Dry paper towels or tissue, to find which connection is wet.

• Your phone camera, to take photos behind the sink where you can't see directly, and to show the plumber.

• A towel or tray under the valves while you look.

Leaks that aren't the faucet

Sometimes what looks like a faucet leak is something else. A dishwasher drain hose or supply connection under the kitchen sink can leak into the same cabinet. So can a garbage disposal, a water filter or an ice-maker line. Water running down the back wall of the cabinet might come from the countertop, where water from the sink edge seeps through a failed caulk line. Checking each connection with a dry tissue sorts these out quickly.

What not to do

• Don't overtighten. Cranking a handle harder to stop a drip can damage the cartridge or seat and make the repair bigger.

• Don't force old shut-off valves. If a valve won't turn, forcing it can break the stem. Use the main valve instead.

• Don't leave a cabinet leak running. Particleboard cabinet floors swell and can't be dried back to shape.

When to call

A drip at the spout can wait for a convenient time. Water under the sink should be looked at soon, especially if the valves won't close. Water leaking from the wall behind the sink, or from the ceiling below a bathroom, needs attention straight away.

Why it matters on a well

On a private well, even a steady drip keeps the pump cycling more than it should. Homes around Goochland and across Powhatan County are mostly on wells, so it's worth fixing drips promptly. Read how to tell if a leak is making your well pump run for how to check.