Drips with the water off
Almost always the cartridge inside the valve. Some brands use two pieces, a cartridge and a pressure-balancing spool, and replacing only one can leave the drip.
Valdosta, GA · Sinks, showers & spigots
Faucet & Fixture Repair in Valdosta, GA
If you've already swapped the cartridge and the faucet still drips, you're not alone. That's one of the most common stories behind faucet repair in Valdosta. The new part was fine, but the seat, the springs or the faucet body behind it weren't. Call Plumber Valdosta Fix about a kitchen faucet, a shower that won't stop or a spigot that split in a freeze, and you'll hear what failed and what it costs before anyone opens it up. Tub or shower running and won't shut off? Close the main shut-off and call.
Name the faucet, describe the leak and talk the price over on the call.
- 24/7Showers that won't shut off
- $0To call. You only pay for work you approve
- 10+Years helping homeowners get repairs done
10+Years helping homeowners get it fixed
- The part, not the faucetA worn cartridge, washer or O-ring is often the whole fix.
- Runaway showersA tub or shower that won't shut off, day or night.
- Freeze damageSplit spigots and frost-free hose bibs after a cold snap.
- Know the price firstPart or new faucet, you hear the number and then decide.
Where's the water?
Dripping & Leaking Faucets
Where the water shows up says a lot about which part let go. Start here before taking anything apart.
Where it leaksWhat usually failedWorth checking
Drips from the spout with the handle off
UsuallyThe cartridge, or on an older two-handle faucet, the rubber washer and the seat it closes against.
CheckOn a two-handle faucet, feel whether the drip runs warm or cold. That tells you which side to open.
Water seeps out around the handle
UsuallyA worn O-ring on the stem or cartridge, or a packing nut that has worked loose.
CheckUnder the handle cap, a quarter turn on the packing nut can stop it. Don't force it.
Puddle at the base of a kitchen spout
UsuallyThe O-rings on a swivel spout, worn down by years of swinging it from sink to sink.
CheckDry the deck, swing the spout a few times and watch where the water collects.
Water in the cabinet under the sink
UsuallyA supply line, the connection at the shut-off valve, a pull-down sprayer hose, or the drain below.
CheckLay paper towels under each connection, run the water, and see which towel gets wet first.
Weak flow from one faucet only
UsuallyA clogged aerator, packed with grit or scale, often right after the water was shut off for work.
CheckUnscrew the aerator at the tip and rinse it out. If full flow comes back, that was it.
Handle stiff, or hard to set the temperature
UsuallyA cartridge gummed up by hard water and mineral scale.
CheckA new cartridge from the same maker usually brings back the smooth feel.
Know your faucet
Four kinds of faucet, four kinds of wear
Every faucet seals in one of four ways, and the type decides which parts wear out. The EPA notes that old and worn washers and gaskets are a frequent cause of faucet leaks, and a drip of one a second wastes more than 3,000 gallons a year.
- Compression
- Two handles you turn down until they stop, common in older homes.
- What wearsA rubber washer and the seat under it. The drip starts slow and gets worse.
- Cartridge
- One or two handles that move smoothly with no hard stop.
- What wearsThe cartridge and its O-rings. Many Moen and Pfister faucets use one.
- Ball
- A single handle on a rounded cap that swings in every direction.
- What wearsThe rubber seats and springs under the ball, common on older Delta kitchen faucets.
- Ceramic disc
- A single lever over a wide, flat cylinder body.
- What wearsThe discs last; the seals around them wear, and grit can scratch them.
New cartridge, same drip?
It happens a lot, and it rarely means the new part was bad. If two tries haven't stopped it, the faucet body is usually the problem, and that's when a new faucet starts to make sense.
- Grit left in the housing when the new part went in
- Seats and springs under the cartridge left in place
- Corrosion on the seat or inside the faucet body
- A generic part instead of the maker's own
- Water pressure high enough to push past new seals
New kitchen faucet
Kitchen Faucet Installation
Most of a faucet swap happens under the sink, where old valves and rusted nuts decide how long it takes.
Measure before you buy
Count the holes in the sink or counter. A one-hole faucet can cover a three-hole sink with a deck plate; the reverse doesn't work.
Shut-off valves first
Old valves under the sink often won't close all the way, or start to drip once turned. They're replaced before anything else.
Old faucet out
Corroded mounting nuts behind the sink are the slow part of the job, especially on older steel sinks.
New faucet set
New supply lines, the pull-down hose and its weight routed so the sprayer returns cleanly, and the deck sealed.
Flushed and tested
The lines are flushed with the aerator off so debris doesn't clog it, then every connection is checked for drips.
For a dishwasher hookup, new shutoffs or a sink reconnected after new countertops, see kitchen plumbing in Valdosta.
Tub & shower
When the Faucet on the Tub Wall Won't Behave
The handle on the wall is only the trim. The shower valve behind it does the work, and most of its problems come down to one cartridge.
Tub spout won't stop
Water from the spout while the shower runs points to a worn diverter. On most tubs the diverter is in the tub spout itself, which unscrews or slides off after a set screw.
Temperature jumps around
A shower that turns scalding or cold when someone flushes has an anti-scald part that's sticking. Pressure-balancing and thermostatic valves both need a clean, working cartridge.
When it's the valve, not the cartridge
A new cartridge fixes most shower drips. The valve body itself needs replacing when it's corroded inside, when the maker no longer sells parts for it, or when new cartridges keep failing within months.
That job means reaching the pipes. Some homes have an access panel on the other side of the shower wall, often in a closet, which makes it far simpler. Without one, the plumber works through the tile, and a wider trim plate can often cover the opening.
Hard water speeds all of this up. Mineral scale grinds at seals, which is why a cartridge in one house lasts decades and in another a few years. High water pressure has the same effect, so it's worth having it checked if valves keep failing.
Leaks inside the wall, a failing shower pan and tub to shower conversions are covered under shower and tub repair in Valdosta.
Spigots & hose bibs
Outdoor Faucets & Spigots (Freeze Damage)
Hard freezes aren't common in South Georgia, which is exactly why outdoor faucets get forgotten until one splits.
They do come. Black ice shut City of Valdosta offices on January 23, 2025, and the City urged people to protect any pipes left exposed.
- Standard hose bib
- The valve sits outside, so water stays right up to the handle. It's the kind a foam cover is made for.
- Frost-free sillcock
- A long stem puts the real valve inside the warm wall, and the pipe drains out when it's closed, as long as no hose is attached.
- Vacuum breaker
- The small cap on the spout that stops hose water being pulled back into the house. Some screw-on types can hold water in a freeze.
Before a freeze
- Take every hose off, even on a frost-free faucet
- Close the indoor shut-off for the outside line, if there is one
- Open the outdoor faucet so the line can drain
- Cover standard spigots with a foam cover
Signs it split
A frost-free faucet can split inside the wall without showing anything outside until it thaws and someone turns it on.
- Water inside the wall, the crawl space or the garage when you open it
- A spray from behind the faucet instead of the spout
- Water meter moving with every faucet off
Close it right away and keep it closed. A replacement frost-free sillcock has to slope down toward the outside so it drains, and adding an indoor shut-off for the outside line makes the next freeze easy. If the pipe behind it split too, see pipe repair.
Repair or replace
When Faucet Repair in Valdosta, GA Beats a New Fixture
A faucet is a metal body with a few replaceable parts inside. As long as the body is sound and parts exist, fixing it usually costs less than replacing it.
A part will do it if
- It's a name brand with parts sold in local stores
- The leak is one part, like a cartridge, washer, O-ring or seat
- The finish and body are sound, and you like it
Time for a new one if
- It still drips after a new cartridge, seats and springs
- The body is corroded, cracked or pitted
- Parts for it are no longer made, or never were
- You want a pull-down sprayer or a lower-flow model
Take the old part to the store. Cartridges that look alike often aren't, and the maker's own part fits better than a generic one. If you can't identify the faucet, a plumber usually can from the handle and the cartridge.
Before replacing a faucet only for low flow, try the aerator. A clogged one is a common cause, and a new WaterSense aerator can cost as little as a few dollars.
Faucet repair costs
What Moves the Price of Faucet Work
A faucet job can be ten minutes with an O-ring or a morning behind the shower wall. Three things decide which.
Part or fixture
A washer, O-ring or cartridge swap is a short visit. Installing a new faucet takes longer, and shower valve work is the biggest difference of all.
What's behind it
Seized shut-off valves, corroded nuts behind the sink, or a shower valve with no access panel behind it all add time.
When it happens
A shower that won't shut off late at night needs someone now, and an after-hours visit costs more than a weekday one.
Questions to ask on the call
Clear answers to these make it easy to compare two prices, and to spot a new faucet you don't need.
A plumber in Valdosta for every job- Which part failed, and can I keep the old one?
- Is it the maker's own part, or a generic one?
- Will the shut-off valves under the sink need replacing too?
- If you suggest a new faucet, why won't a part fix this one?
- For shower work, will you need to open the wall or the tile?
Questions
Faucet Repair FAQ
Drips that won't quit, frozen outdoor spigots, showers that keep running, and whether an old faucet deserves one more repair.
Call (229) 544-0276Why does my faucet keep dripping after I turn it off?
Something inside isn't sealing. It's usually a cartridge, a rubber washer and seat on an older two-handle faucet, or the seats and springs under a ball faucet. If you've already replaced the cartridge, the seat under it, debris in the housing or corrosion in the faucet body is usually the cause.
Is it worth repairing an old faucet?
Often, yes. If it's a name brand and the body is sound, a cartridge or washer is inexpensive compared with a new faucet. If it's corroded, keeps leaking after new parts, or parts aren't made for it anymore, a new faucet is the better spend.
How do I protect outdoor faucets from a freeze?
Take the hoses off, close the indoor shut-off for the outside line if you have one, and open the outdoor faucet so it drains. Put foam covers on standard spigots. A frost-free sillcock mostly needs the hose off, because a hose left on traps water in the stem, which can split it inside the wall.
Can a plumber install a faucet I bought myself?
Usually, yes. Expect the plumber to stand behind the installation, while the faucet's own warranty stays with the maker or the store. Some plumbers decline no-name online faucets with unusual threads. Ask when you call.
Why is my shower dripping even though the water is off?
The cartridge inside the shower valve is worn or has debris on its seals. Hard water and high water pressure wear them faster. On valves with a separate pressure-balancing spool, both pieces may need replacing.
Why won't my bathtub water turn off?
A cartridge that has failed in the open position, or a broken stem on an older two- or three-handle valve. Push the handle firmly to off, check for stops behind the trim plate, and if it still runs, close the main shut-off and call.
Do you need a plumber to replace a shower valve?
Swapping a cartridge is a manageable DIY job for many homeowners. Replacing the valve body means cutting into the wall or tile and soldering or crimping new connections, which is plumber work, and in some cases needs a permit.
How much water does a dripping faucet waste?
The EPA says a faucet dripping once a second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year, and a showerhead leaking 10 drips a minute more than 500.
Keep reading
More Help Around the House
- Toilet repair
Running tanks and leaks at the base.
- Garbage disposal repair
Hums, jams and leaks under the kitchen sink.
- Pipe repair
Pipes that split in a freeze or leak in a wall.
- Leak detection
A meter that moves with every faucet closed.
- Water heater repair
No hot water at any faucet in the house.
- Backflow testing
Vacuum breakers and backflow devices outdoors.
Dripping Faucet in Valdosta? Call Now
Kitchen, bath, shower or outside. Describe the drip or the leak and hear the price first.