Faucets are small jobs that add up. A drip that never stops, a handle that has gone stiff, a sprayer that has lost its pressure, or a new fixture that needs installing without turning into a leak. None of it is dramatic, but a faucet done poorly leaks under the cabinet where nobody looks, so the details matter more than the size of the job suggests.
On the coast there is an extra wrinkle. Minerals and humidity are hard on faucet cartridges and finishes, and salt air is hard on outdoor spigots. A faucet that would last a decade inland can wear faster here, which is why a stiff handle or a persistent drip is worth attending to before it becomes a valve you cannot turn or a spigot that snaps off.
Repair or replace, and how to tell
A modern faucet is mostly a cartridge or a set of seals inside a body. A drip or a stiff handle is often just that cartridge, which is a clean repair on a good faucet. The replace decision comes when the faucet body itself is corroded, when parts for an older model are no longer made, or when a base model has simply worn out and a new one costs little more than chasing repairs. We will tell you which side of that line yours is on.
Diagnose the drip
A constant drip is usually a worn cartridge or seat, not the whole faucet. We confirm the model and whether the part is still available before deciding.
Repair what is sound
On a quality faucet worth keeping, a new cartridge and seals restore it to as new for a fraction of a replacement.
Replace what is spent
A corroded body, an obsolete model or a tired base unit gets replaced, and we set the new one so the connections are dry and solid.
Check the shutoffs
While we are under there, the little angle stops get checked, because a shutoff that will not turn is its own emergency waiting to happen.
The overlooked part under every faucet
The small shutoff valves under a sink are the ones you reach for in a hurry when a supply line lets go. On the coast they corrode and seize, so the day you need one is the day you find it frozen. We check and, where needed, replace these while installing or repairing a faucet, so the emergency shutoff actually works when the moment comes.
A faucet install is also the moment to catch a slow problem. If the supply lines feeding the faucet are the old braided hoses, we replace them as a matter of course, since a failed supply line is a leading cause of the flooded cabinets that turn into a water leak repair call. If a shutoff will not close, that is worth fixing then and there rather than discovering it during a burst.
Worth a call for a faucet visit
- A drip that will not stop no matter how hard you close it
- A handle that has gone stiff, loose or hard to turn
- Low or uneven pressure from one fixture
- A new sink, vanity or kitchen faucet that needs installing
- An outdoor spigot that leaks, sticks or has frozen
Questions Foley homeowners ask
Is a dripping faucet really worth fixing?
Yes, on two counts. A steady drip wastes a surprising amount of water over a month, and it usually means a worn cartridge that will only get worse until the handle stops sealing at all. Catching it as a small repair is cheaper than replacing a seized valve, and it stops the slow waste in the meantime.
Can you install a faucet I bought myself?
In most cases, yes. We are happy to install a fixture you have chosen, and we will flag before starting if the one you bought is missing parts or is a poor match for the plumbing it is going onto. The install includes checking the supply lines and shutoffs so the new faucet goes in dry and solid.
Why does my faucet handle keep getting stiff?
Minerals in the water build up inside the cartridge and the humidity does the finish no favors, so handles stiffen faster on this coast than in a dry climate. A new cartridge usually restores smooth action. If the same faucet stiffens repeatedly, hard water may be the underlying cause, which is worth addressing at the source.
My outdoor spigot snapped off. Can that wait?
Not really. A broken hose bib can leak into the wall behind it or run continuously, and on an empty property that runs unwitnessed. It is a quick replacement with a frost resistant bib, and doing it promptly avoids water finding its way into the structure where it does the real damage.
Faucet dripping or ready for an upgrade?
Call and tell us what it is doing. We will repair what is worth keeping and install what is not, with dry connections either way.