Fixtures
Why Is My Faucet Dripping, and How Do I Fix It?
A dripping faucet is almost always a worn washer, O-ring, or cartridge — a cheap part most homeowners can replace themselves in under an hour.
A dripping faucet almost always comes down to a worn-out washer, O-ring, or cartridge inside the handle — small rubber and plastic parts that wear out with normal use over years, especially with Toronto's harder water accelerating the buildup. It's one of the most common plumbing complaints, and in most cases it's a cheap fix rather than a sign of anything serious.
Why is my faucet dripping when it's fully shut off?
Every faucet uses some kind of internal seal to stop water when you turn the handle off — older two-handle faucets typically use a rubber washer that compresses against a valve seat, while most modern single-handle faucets use a cartridge or a ceramic disc. Over years of use, that seal wears down, gets nicked, or accumulates mineral deposits from Toronto's harder water, and it stops sealing completely. Even a slow, occasional drip means that seal isn't shutting fully, and it typically gets worse over time rather than better.
Is it the washer, the cartridge, or something else?
It depends on your faucet type. If you have an older two-handle faucet where you turn separate hot and cold handles, and the drip only happens with one handle, that's almost always the rubber washer on that side — a very cheap part. If you have a single-handle faucet that mixes hot and cold with one lever, the culprit is usually the cartridge, which controls both flow and temperature in one unit. Either way, the fix follows the same basic pattern: shut off the water supply under the sink, take the handle apart, and replace the worn part with one that matches your faucet's brand and model.
Does a dripping faucet actually waste that much water?
Yes, more than most people expect. A faucet dripping once every second or two can waste a meaningful amount of water over the course of a year, and because it's constant rather than a one-time event, it shows up gradually on your water bill rather than as an obvious spike. It's easy to tune out the sound and forget it's there, especially on a bathroom sink that isn't used every day. If you've noticed your water bill creeping up and can't place why, a slow drip somewhere in the house is worth ruling out alongside checking your toilets.
Can I fix a dripping faucet myself?
For most kitchen and bathroom faucets, yes. Shut off the water at the shutoff valves under the sink, plug the drain so you don't lose small parts, and remove the handle to access the washer or cartridge underneath. Hardware stores carry replacement kits, but cartridges in particular need to match your faucet's exact brand and model to fit properly, so it helps to bring the old part with you or look up the model number stamped on the faucet body first. If you're not comfortable taking the handle apart or the shutoff valves under the sink won't turn, that's a reasonable point to call in help instead.
When should I call a plumber for a dripping faucet?
Call a plumber if you've replaced the washer or cartridge and it's still dripping, if the shutoff valves under the sink are seized or won't turn, or if the faucet itself is old enough that the exact replacement parts are no longer available. This comes up often in older homes across the city — think original bathroom fixtures in parts of Etobicoke or Scarborough that haven't been touched since the house was built — where the faucet may be due for full replacement rather than a repair. A standard fixture repair typically runs $125–275 with GetFixHero, and if replacement makes more sense than repair, a plumber can walk you through your options on the same visit.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my faucet only drip sometimes, not constantly? Intermittent dripping, especially right after you use hot water, often points to thermal expansion inside the pipes rather than a worn seal — worth mentioning to your plumber since the fix can be different from a standard washer or cartridge replacement.
Can hard water cause a faucet to drip even if the parts aren't that old? Yes. Mineral buildup on the internal seal or valve seat can stop it from closing evenly well before the rubber or plastic itself would normally wear out, which is part of why this shows up more in Toronto than in areas with softer water.
Is a dripping outdoor faucet the same fix as an indoor one? Usually not — outdoor hose bibs are simpler but more exposed to freezing, and a drip there in late fall or winter can be an early sign of internal frost damage rather than just a worn washer, so it's worth having that one looked at separately.
A dripping faucet is easy to put off, but it rarely fixes itself and the bill keeps climbing while you wait — request a plumber or message us on Facebook. Free for homeowners, care of GetFixHero.
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