Should You Repair or Replace Your Faucet?

When a faucet starts dripping or leaking, the first question is whether to repair it or replace it. There isn't one right answer. It depends on the faucet, its condition, and your water. Here's how to think it through.

When repair usually makes sense

• The body is sound. No cracks, no heavy corrosion and no leaks from the casting itself.

• Parts are available. Major brands keep cartridges and seal kits available for years.

• The problem is a common wear part. A cartridge, washer, O-ring or pull-down hose.

• You like the faucet. It suits the sink and the room, and you don't want to change it.

A proper repair, with the right cartridge and the seats cleaned of scale, can give a sound faucet many more years. Leaking faucet repair explains what's involved.

When replacement usually makes more sense

• The body is cracked or water is coming from the faucet itself, not a seal.

• Parts are discontinued or the brand can't be identified.

• It has been repaired repeatedly and keeps failing.

• Scale or corrosion has fused parts so they can't be removed without damage.

• The finish is failing: flaking chrome or worn plating.

• You're changing the sink or countertop, or you want a different style.

See faucet replacement and installation for what the job includes.

Your water matters

On a private well with hard or sediment-heavy water, which is most homes around Powhatan, the water decides how long any faucet will last. If a faucet keeps dripping within a year or two of each repair, replacing it with a ceramic-disc design from a brand with easily found parts can be better value than another rebuild. Adding a sediment filter or softener helps whichever you choose.

Things to check before buying a new faucet

1. Count the holes in your sink or countertop: one, two, three or four. A single-hole faucet can go on a three-hole sink with a deck plate.

1. Measure the spacing between the outer holes on a bathroom sink: 4-inch centerset or 8-inch widespread are the most common.

1. Check the sink depth and space for pull-down kitchen faucets.

1. Look at the shut-off valves. If they're old or stiff, plan to replace them at the same time.

1. Choose a brand with available parts, so the next repair is a cartridge rather than a new faucet.

The plumber's view

When a plumber looks at the faucet, they'll tell you whether it's worth repairing. Ask directly: is the body sound, are parts available, and how long is the repair likely to last on your water?

Understanding the main faucet types

Knowing what kind of faucet you have helps you understand the repair.

• Compression faucets have separate hot and cold handles that you tighten to close. They use rubber washers that press against a seat. They're simple and repairable, but the washers wear quickly on hard water.

• Cartridge faucets can have one or two handles. A replaceable cartridge controls the flow. Most modern faucets use cartridges.

• Ceramic disc faucets use two ceramic discs that slide against each other. They're durable and generally handle hard water well, though scale can still build between the discs.

• Ball faucets are single-handle faucets with a rotating ball inside. They have more small parts and seals than other types.

Compression and ball faucets tend to need repair more often. If you have one that keeps failing, a ceramic disc replacement is often the better long-term choice.

What a repair visit usually involves

The plumber shuts off the water, takes the faucet apart and looks at the worn part. If the matching part is available, the faucet can often be repaired on the spot. If the faucet needs a part that has to be ordered, or if it turns out the body is damaged, you'll be told what the options are before anything else is done.

Thinking about the whole sink, not just the faucet

The faucet is only part of the picture. Supply lines, shut-off valves and the drain all age alongside it. Braided stainless supply lines replace older chrome or plastic tubes easily. Quarter-turn shut-off valves are more reliable than older multi-turn valves. If any of these are old, replacing them during a faucet repair or replacement costs less than a separate visit later, and removes the most common causes of a flooded cabinet.

Looking at the long run

A repair that lasts five more years on a good faucet is usually better value than a new faucet. A repair that lasts one year on a faucet that keeps failing usually isn't. Ask the plumber what they expect on your water.

Kitchen faucet with a leaking pull-down hose? See kitchen faucet repair. In newer subdivision homes like many in Moseley, builder-grade faucets often reach this decision at the same time. For why well water shortens faucet life, read hard well water and your faucets.