How to Fix a Leaking Bathroom Faucet

How to Fix a Leaking Bathroom Faucet

Bathroom faucet leaks are one of the most common household plumbing repairs — and one of the easiest to fix yourself. In most cases, the culprit is a worn washer, O-ring, or cartridge that costs just a few dollars to replace.

Identify Where It's Leaking

• Dripping from the spout — worn seat washer, cartridge, or springs
• Leaking around the handle — worn O-ring or packing nut
• Leaking at the base — worn O-rings on the faucet body
• Dripping under the sink — loose supply line or drain connection

What You Need

• Faucet stem repair kit — cartridge, seats, springs for two-handle faucets
• PTFE thread seal tape
• Rubber strap wrench
• Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers
• Adjustable wrench
• Plumber's grease

Step-by-Step: Fix a Dripping Bathroom Faucet Spout

Step 1: Turn off the water.
Close the hot and cold shut-off valves under the sink. Open the faucet to drain remaining water and release pressure.

Step 2: Remove the handle.
Look for a decorative cap on top of the handle — pry it off with a flathead screwdriver. Unscrew the handle screw underneath and pull the handle off.

Step 3: Remove the cartridge or stem.
For two-handle faucets: unscrew the packing nut with a wrench and pull out the stem.
For single-handle faucets: the cartridge usually pulls straight out after removing a retaining clip.

Step 4: Replace worn parts.
Inspect the seat washer at the bottom of the stem — if it's flattened or cracked, replace it. Replace the seat springs too using your faucet stem repair kit. For cartridge faucets, replace the entire cartridge.

Step 5: Lubricate and reassemble.
Apply plumber's grease to O-rings and moving parts. Wrap threaded connections with PTFE tape. Reassemble in reverse order.

Step 6: Test.
Turn the water supply back on slowly. Check for dripping at the spout and leaking at the handle or base.

Fix a Leak Around the Handle

If water seeps out around the handle when the faucet is on:

1. Turn off water supply
2. Remove the handle
3. Tighten the packing nut slightly — sometimes this alone stops the leak
4. If not, replace the packing washer or O-ring on the stem
5. Reassemble and test

Fix a Leak at the Faucet Base

1. Turn off water and remove the faucet from the sink
2. Replace the O-rings on the faucet body
3. Reinstall with fresh PTFE tape on threaded connections

Bottom Line

Most bathroom faucet leaks are fixed by replacing a washer, O-ring, or cartridge. Identify where the leak is coming from, turn off the water, swap the worn part, and reassemble. The repair takes 30–60 minutes and costs under $20.