Michigan State University Extension
Home Maintenance And Repair - 01500175
06/24/03
Repairing Dripping Faucets
1. Shut off the water to the faucet, either at the pump
or where the supply enters the house which is usually on
the side next to the street. It should be near the water
meter. Some installations have a valve under the sink or
lavatory and this is convenient. (Vis. 1)
2. On some faucets the handle must be remove to get at
the bonnet. To do this, remove the screw on the top of
the faucet and remove the handle. Lay out all parts in
the order you take them off so you can put them back in
that order later.(Vis. 2)
3. With a monkey wrench or adjustable wrench remove the
bonnet. (Vis. 3)
4. Remove the valve stem by rotating the handle in the
same direction as you would to shut off the water. The
assembly should come out. (Vis. 4)
5. Remove the screw on the bottom and pry out the old
rubber washer. Be sure to replace the washer with the
same size and type. If you do not have a washer of the
appropriate size you might try reversing the present
washer. This would be a temporary solution especially if
the washer is a flat disc and not a coned washer.
Measure the diameter. For the first replacement buy a
package of assorted sizes and remember what size you
faucet requires. (Vis. 5)
6. Check the valve seat to be sure it is not scored.
(Vis. 6)
7. Replace the faucet assemble in the reverse order you
disassembled the faucet.
8. Turn the water back on.
Repairing Single-Lever Faucets
By: Carol Selby, Extension Home Economist, Saginaw County
and Betty Shelby, Extension Home Economist, Kent County.
Single-lever (one handle) faucets are trickier to repair
than the stem faucets mentioned on pages earlier. There
are several different styles of single-lever faucets, with
each being repaired differently and some often requiring
special tools for disassembly. Most manufacturers sell a
complete repair kit for their brand of faucet. The
rotating ball faucet is the most common, and below are the
steps in its repair.
1. Under the shank of the handle is a set screw which must
be removed with a hex wrench. Do not take the screw all
the way out. It is easily lost. (Vis. 7)
2. If the drip is from the spout, replace the two rubber
valve seats and steel springs in the bottom of the faucet
body. Unscrew the cap assembly and lift out the ball/ stem
and cam assembly. (Vis. 8)
3. With fingers on long nose pliers, remove the valve
seats and springs. Push replacements firmly into place.
While you have the ball out, check for corrosion and
replace if necessary. (Vis. 9)
4. When replacing the ball, make sure that the peg that
projects from the side of cavity fits into the oblong slot
on the ball. (Vis. 10)
5. Replace the cam assembly as shown, making sure that the
small tab on the side fits into a slot on the faucet body;
screw on the cap assembly. (Vis. 11)
6. Before reattaching the faucet handle check for leaks
around the stem by moving the ball/ stem to the "on"
position. If there is a leak, use the tip of a small
screwdriver to tighten the adjusting ring by turning it
clockwise. If, in order to stop the leak, you have to
tighten the ring so that the handle is difficult to work,
then the entire cam assembly needs to be replaced.
(Vis. 12)
This article was written by Anne Field, Extension
Specialist, Emeritus, with references from Michigan
Extension bulletin E-811, Get Rid of the Drip in Your
House.
This information is for educational purposes only. References
to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not
mentioned. This information becomes public property upon
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Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in
cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director,
MSU Extension, East Lansing,MI 48824. This information is for educational
purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.
This file was generated from data base 02 on 02/04/08.
Data base 02 was last revised on 06/24/03.
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