Where is the water coming from? Answer that one question and the repair gets much simpler. Under the sink, close the two small oval-handled valves by turning them clockwise. If they will not move, or the water keeps coming, shut off the whole house at the main. Our 24/7 line is open for faucet emergencies across Elmwood Park.
Faucet repair means finding the worn part, not just tightening what looks loose. A drip at the spout, a puddle at the base, a stuck tub handle and a hose bib that sprays all trace back to different parts, and each has its own fix.
Stop the leak in four moves while you wait
Before anything is replaced, you can limit damage in a couple of minutes without tools.
Try this sequence
- Close the fixture valves. Look under the sink for the pair of small valves on the supply lines. Turn each clockwise until firm, not forced.
- Close the main if those fail. A valve that spins freely or leaks at the stem needs to be bypassed. Shut off the house at the main.
- Empty the cabinet. Pull cleaning supplies and trash cans so nothing soaks, and put a bowl under any drip.
- Dry the area and look for electricity. Keep cords, garbage disposal switches and outlets out of the puddle.
Why a faucet drips, and which part is guilty
Nearly every drip is wear in a small internal part. In a single-handle faucet that part is usually the cartridge. Old compression faucets use a rubber washer and a seat that corrodes. Ball and disc designs have their own seals, and each wears out at its own pace.
A drip from the spout when the handle is closed is a seal problem. A drip around the handle is an O-ring or packing issue. A leak at the base is often a worn gasket or a cracked body. Fixing the wrong one just moves the drip.
A faucet that spits, hisses or sprays sideways can have a clogged aerator or mineral buildup. Unscrew the tip and rinse it. If water still flows weakly, the trouble sits deeper.
Kitchen, bathroom, tub and outdoor faucets compared
Where the faucet sits changes the likely failure, the way we get at it and how much water is waiting to leak.
| Location | Common failure | What the job involves |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen sink | Cartridge, sprayer hose, base gasket | Cabinet access, disconnect supply lines, test the sprayer |
| Bathroom vanity | Aerator, pop-up drain, cartridge | Small space, hand tools, careful with plastic nuts |
| Tub and shower | Worn cartridge, stripped handle, cross-threaded fittings | Remove the trim, shut off, sometimes open the wall |
| Outdoor hose bib | Packing leak, frozen split, bad vacuum breaker | Shutoff inside the house, replace or add frost-free bib |
Repair the faucet you have, or install a new one
Repair makes sense when
- The faucet body is sound and the finish is intact
- A cartridge, washer or seal is the only worn part
- The model is common and parts are available
- You like the faucet and just want the drip gone
Replace makes sense when
- The body is corroded, cracked or pitted
- Parts for an older or imported model are no longer sold
- Repairs keep failing within a short time
- You want a different style or a pull-down sprayer
For premium or imported faucets, tell us the brand on the phone. Some parts have to be ordered, and we say so up front. We can usually repair a stripped handle or a worn cartridge without replacing the whole fixture.
Water still running after you closed the valve?
Do not wait for it to stop. Call the 24/7 line.
Under-sink shutoff valves and supply lines deserve attention too
Those small valves under the sink are rarely touched for years, then they are needed in an emergency and will not turn. Old multi-turn valves can seize or leak at the stem when you finally try them.
We replace failing shutoff valves and braided supply lines as part of a faucet job when they are suspect. A new valve costs little to install while the cabinet is already open, and it means the next leak is a thirty second fix for you.
Winter, hose bibs and older Elmwood Park homes
Cold shows up in the plumbing. The county plan notes frozen pipes in extreme cold, and O'Hare recorded minus 23 F on January 30, 2019.
Outdoor spigot that sprays inside the wall
If a hose was left on during a freeze, the pipe can split behind the bib and leak only when the water is turned on. We replace it with a frost-free bib that shuts off inside the heated space.
Original brass and galvanized behind the wall
The median home here was built in 1955, so older supply piping often sits behind the sink. A corroded shutoff may mean replacing a short section, not just the valve.
Low flow at one faucet
If only the bathroom faucet is weak, we check the aerator and the shutoff valve before blaming the house pressure.
A faucet leak or a bigger problem?
Most leaks stay at the fixture. A few do not.
Water stains on the ceiling below
The leak is traveling inside the floor or wall. It needs a leak detection visit.
Both hot and cold are weak
Look at the main valve, a clogged line or a water line problem, not just the faucet.
Rust-colored water
Old galvanized or iron pipe can be shedding scale into the line.
Hot water only is weak
The problem may sit in the water heater or a partly closed valve.
How the price is set
The price depends on the faucet, how hard it is to reach, and what has to come out of the wall. A cartridge swap on an accessible faucet differs from a tub valve behind tile. We explain the choices and quote before any work begins.
If you supply your own faucet, we install it. If you want us to bring one, say so on the phone and we will explain what is available. Related fixture jobs are described on our plumbing installation page.
Faucet and sink questions, answered plainly
Yes. Call at midnight or on a Sunday morning and a licensed plumber picks up. Same-day visits are booked whenever the schedule allows. Until someone arrives, the pair of valves under the sink, or the main, keeps water from spreading.
Usually. A faucet that will not shut off has a failed cartridge, washer or seat, or a stripped stem. We shut the supply, open it, and replace the worn part. If the body is damaged, we talk through a replacement.
Often, yes. We pull the trim, check the cartridge and stem, and replace the failed piece. When the valve body behind the wall is damaged or the fittings are cross-threaded, the repair becomes a bigger job and we say so before we cut anything.
It depends on who supplies it. We state the price for labor and any parts we provide before the work starts, so you see what is included. A customer-supplied fixture is installed at the labor price we quote.
We repair and install many brands. Some European and designer faucets need special cartridges, and we tell you if a part must be ordered. Ask by brand on the phone and we will say plainly what we can do.
Yes. We replace damaged hose bibs and add frost-free ones. If the pipe inside the wall is split, we repair that as well. Many winter leaks are discovered only when the hose is first connected in spring.
A clogged aerator is the usual cause. Mineral scale, a partly closed shutoff valve, a bent supply line or a failing cartridge are the other suspects. If every faucet in the house is weak, look at the main valve and the service line instead.
That depends on scope, and the Village building department is the office that answers it. A straight replacement and a relocated supply line are not the same project.
Standards and sources: Work in Illinois follows the Illinois Plumbing Code (77 Ill. Adm. Code 890), and the Village of Elmwood Park building department applies those minimum standards locally. Licence guidance comes from the Illinois Department of Public Health, whose online lookup verifies any Illinois plumber.