Faucet Repair 101: Stuck Handles, Worn Washers and Valve Seats
The short version
Richard Trethewey of This Old House walks through a basic faucet repair, from removing a stuck handle with a handle puller to replacing a worn washer. He explains the difference between cartridge and older stem faucets, uses a retainer ring on a worn stem end, and removes the seat with a seat wrench. The key is a tight seal between washer and seat.
Full written account
Faucet repair, according to This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, comes down to one thing: making a tight seal between the washer and the seat. Often the hardest part of the whole job is getting the handle off.
Getting the handle off
There is always a screw, sometimes covered by a hot or cold button that pulls out. Push down with a clean bite and turn counterclockwise. It is a brass screw, so it can strip and needs care. If the handle does not pull up, it may have been fused in place by water over time. A handle puller goes down inside, low enough to catch the bottom of the handle, and as it screws down it pulls the handle up.
Cartridge or stem
A faucet from the last 20 years has some sort of cartridge controlling the water. Cold water comes into the bottom of the stem, and turning it lets water into the mixing chamber and out the spout. If the cartridge goes bad, replace it with a new disposable unit that costs a couple of bucks. A traditional faucet has a stem unit and is 20 years or older. It has a washer at the bottom that pushes against the seat as the water shuts off.
The worn washer
On the stem shown, the washer was deeply indented and fully worn out. Only the washer at the bottom needs replacing. The screw holding it is a Phillips head that has sat in water its whole life, so use a clean Phillips tip and push hard. Stripping it would mean drilling and tapping it, or changing the whole faucet.
The end of this stem was also worn on the side, so a new washer would blow out through the side against the seat. The fix is to break the end off, grind it down and fit a retainer ring. The washer sits in it with a new screw, giving a new end and a tight seal.
The seat
The last place the repair can go bad is the seat at the bottom, where the washer sits. It can be pitted or cracked. A seat wrench, which fits four corners, goes down through the faucet to remove it; in the demonstration one seat did not come out as easily as the other. A worn or pitted seat can be replaced, ground down with a piece of emery cloth, or reamed in place with a tool. The aim is a flat surface so two flat surfaces touch and seal.
Questions this video answers
How do you get a faucet handle off?
Often a screw sits under a hot or cold button you pull out. Push down with a clean bite and turn counterclockwise; it is a soft brass screw that can strip. If the handle is fused by water over time, a handle puller screws down inside and lifts it off.
What is the difference between a cartridge and a stem faucet?
A modern faucet (last 20 years) uses a cartridge; if it fails, replace it with a new disposable unit that costs a couple of bucks. A traditional stem faucet, 20 years or older, has a washer at the bottom that presses against a seat.
What usually causes the drip in an older faucet?
Replace the washer at the bottom of the stem. In this case the washer was indented and fully worn out, and the screw holding it must be handled carefully because stripping it can mean drilling and tapping or changing the whole faucet.
What if the valve seat is pitted or cracked?
A seat wrench removes the seat. If it is worn or pitted, replace it, smooth it with emery cloth, or use a tool that reams the seat in place, so the washer and seat make two flat surfaces and a tight seal.
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