A leaky bathroom faucet wastes water, stains the basin and gets louder at night. Most drips come from a worn washer, a worn cartridge or a damaged ceramic disc, and you can fix many of them with a screwdriver, a wrench and a matching part.
The fix depends on the faucet type. A two-handle faucet with a washer works differently from a single-handle faucet with a cartridge. This guide shows how to tell them apart, shut the water off, take the faucet apart and find the right replacement.
If the shutoff valves under the sink do not close, or the leak is inside the wall, stop and call a plumber.
Washer, Cartridge Or Ceramic Disc: Which Do You Have?
Faucets use one of a few valve designs. Washer faucets close by pressing a rubber washer against a seat, so they usually have separate hot and cold handles that you turn several times. Cartridge faucets use a replaceable cylinder inside the body, and they appear in both single and two-handle styles.
Ceramic disc faucets use two polished ceramic plates that slide against each other. They tend to be single-handle, turn with a quarter turn or less and feel smooth. If you cannot tell which you have, remove one handle and look at what sits underneath.
| Valve type | How it feels | Usual cause of a drip | Typical repair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression washer | Handle turns several times, tightens at the end. | Worn rubber washer or damaged seat. | Replace the washer, resurface or replace the seat. |
| Cartridge | Smooth, often single handle with a lever. | Worn seals or a cracked cartridge. | Replace the cartridge with a matching one. |
| Ceramic disc | Smooth quarter turn | Debris or scale on the discs, worn seals. | Clean the cylinder or replace it. |
Step One: Shut Off The Water
Look under the sink for two small valves, one for hot and one for cold. Turn each clockwise until it stops. Open the faucet to drain what is left and confirm that water stops.
If there are no shutoff valves, or they will not close, close the main shutoff for the building or the unit. Plug the sink drain with a rag or stopper so small parts cannot fall in.
Step Two: Take The Faucet Apart
Pry off the decorative cap on the handle and remove the screw underneath. Lift off the handle. You may need a penetrating oil on a stuck handle, and you should wiggle it gently, not pry hard.
Use an adjustable wrench to loosen the packing nut or the retaining clip, then lift out the stem or cartridge. Lay the parts out in order on a towel, and take a photo so you can reverse the steps.
Step Three: Match The Part And Reassemble
Bring the old stem or cartridge to the store, or match the faucet brand and model online. Cartridges look alike but are not interchangeable, and a close match can leak or bind. A washer kit is cheap, but the correct size and the correct seat matter.
Coat the new o-rings with a thin layer of plumber's grease. Reinstall in reverse order. Open the shutoff valves slowly, check for leaks at the base and handle, and run both hot and cold for a minute.
Hard Water Scale: The Hidden Cause
Mineral scale is a common reason that a new cartridge fails early or that a faucet drips again. Scale coats the seat and the moving parts, and it clogs the aerator at the spout. White crust at the tip or a sputtering stream both point to scale.
Unscrew the aerator and soak it in white vinegar, then rinse. Clean the seat area with a cloth before installing the new part. If a faucet is scaled beyond cleaning, replacement may be the better choice, and our faucet repair team can do either.
When To Call A Plumber
Call a plumber if the handle will not come off, the shutoff valve will not close, or the stem has corroded in place. Forcing a seized part can twist the supply line or crack the fixture. Call too if there is a leak under the sink or inside the wall, because that may be a larger issue.
A drip behind the wall, a water stain on the ceiling below or a musty smell are all signs for leak detection, not a faucet fix. If the faucet is old and parts are not available, a replacement faucet may be the better value, and our plumbing installation team handles that work.
Tools And Parts To Gather
- Adjustable wrench and a small flat screwdriver, plus a hex key set for set screws.
- Replacement washer kit, cartridge or ceramic cylinder matched to the faucet brand.
- Plumber's grease for o-rings and white vinegar for scale.
- A towel, a flashlight and a small bowl for screws.
- A phone photo of each step so you can rebuild in order.
Test And Clean Up
After reassembly, open the shutoff valves slowly, and then run hot and cold water for a minute to purge air. Dry the faucet base and the cabinet floor and check again after ten minutes. A new drip means a part is seated badly or the wrong size.
Drips that return in a few weeks usually mean the wrong part or scale on the seat. If a second repair fails, call (973) 488-5410 and we will look at the faucet and the supply valves together.
Safety Notes
- Close both supply valves before taking anything apart, and test by opening the faucet.
- Hot water in the lines can scald, so let the faucet run cold for a minute before you start if the hot side was in use.
- Never use a flame or heat gun on pipes under the sink, where cabinets and cleaners are close by.
- Keep small parts out of the drain by plugging it first.
- Wear safety glasses if you are using penetrating oil or prying a stuck part.
When Replacing The Faucet Makes More Sense
If the faucet is corroded, the finish is flaking or parts are no longer made, a new faucet may be a better use of time than another repair. A new faucet also gives you fresh supply lines and a clean seal at the sink deck. Choose a model whose mounting matches your sink holes, whether one, three or the widespread layout.
A like-for-like swap is a straightforward job for many owners. If the sink or countertop must change, or the shutoff valves are old, ask a plumber to look at the whole setup so you do not repeat the work.
What This Means In East Orange
The City of East Orange describes its water as very hard. Hard water is the usual cause of white crust on a faucet and of cartridges that seize or wear early. The Water Commission's own softening page notes that softened water can raise lead and copper leaching from brass fixtures after the water has sat overnight, so run the tap briefly each morning if you soften your water.
The Water Commission's 2025 report lists lead at 2.65 parts per billion at the 90th percentile and copper at 0.0585 parts per million, both below the action levels. Questions about water quality go to the Water Commission at 973-266-8869.
Under the state's ordinary maintenance rule (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7), replacing faucets and valves is ordinary maintenance and does not need a permit. The same rule says that changing the piping is different. If a faucet job turns into pipe work, call the East Orange Building Division at 973-266-5320. We serve Irvington and Newark too, so call (973) 488-5410 from any of them.
Code And Standards Reference
Replacing a faucet or its internal parts is ordinary maintenance under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 and needs no permit. If the work changes the supply piping, the plumbing subcode (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.15) applies and a licensed plumber should do it.