Faucets and sinks · Oviedo, FL
Drip, Spray or Stain Under the Cabinet? Faucet and Sink Repair in Oviedo, FL, Including Shower Valves and Hose Bibs
A leaking fixture wastes water around the clock and often hides a bigger problem behind it. Call Oviedo FL Expert Plumbers and tell us which fixture is leaking and where the water shows. Use this page to read the sign before anyone takes a handle apart.
Where is it leaking from? Read the drip before you buy parts
| Where you see water | Likely cause | Typical repair |
|---|---|---|
| Drips from the spout when the faucet is off | A worn washer, cartridge or seat | Replace the cartridge or washer set |
| Water leaks around the base of the handle | A worn seal or loose packing nut | Replace the O-rings or seal |
| Water pools at the base of the faucet on the sink | A failed gasket or a cracked body | Reseal or replace the faucet |
| Drips from the supply lines under the sink | A loose nut or a worn hose | Tighten or replace the supply line |
| Drips from the trap or the drain below the basin | A loose slip nut or a worn washer | Reseat the joint or replace the part |
Shut off the small valves under the sink before you start. If you cannot find them or they will not turn, close the main shutoff for the house instead and do not force a valve.
Repair the faucet or replace it? What the age and the finish tell you
A compression faucet with a washer and a single-handle cartridge faucet fail in different ways. Washers and cartridges are routine to replace when parts exist for your model. If the faucet is corroded, pitted or the body has cracked, new parts will not hold.
- Is there a brand and model on the faucet or the box, so parts can be ordered?
- Is the finish worn, pitted or flaking where the water runs?
- Has the same faucet needed work before?
- Is the repair close in cost to a new faucet?
A new faucet is not just a cosmetic upgrade if the old one has failed twice. Ask what the repair would involve, what a replacement would involve, and what each carries in parts and time.
Mineral buildup on a screen or aerator can also reduce flow, and that is a cleaning job. A faucet that sprays in two directions or runs weak is a common sign. If it is weak at every tap in the house, that is a different problem, and a hidden leak may be behind it; see tracking a leak that shows up as low pressure.
A leaking shower valve or bathtub: why the wall behind it matters
A drip from the tub spout or the shower head while the water is off is usually the cartridge or valve behind the handle. It is a fixture repair that starts by removing the handle trim.
A leak inside the wall is harder to see. Watch for stains on the ceiling below, a soft spot in the wall outside the shower, loose tiles or a musty smell. If any of those appear, stop using the shower and say so when you call.
| Sign | Where it likely starts | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Drips from the spout after the tub is off | The valve cartridge or the diverter | Replace the cartridge or diverter |
| Drips from the shower head | The valve seat or cartridge | Replace the cartridge |
| Stain or soft wall near the tub | A leak in the wall or a failed tub seal | Stop using it; the wall may need opening |
| Water below the shower on the floor beneath | A pan, drain or supply leak | Stop using it and call to locate the source |
If a leak has already soaked a wall or floor, the plumbing repair is only part of the work. Ask about drying a wall that stayed wet so the structure is not left damp.
Outdoor faucet and hose bib repair: leaks at the handle and behind the wall
A hose bib drips at the handle when the packing or washer wears. That is a small repair. A leak at the pipe behind the spigot is more serious, because the water goes into the wall instead of the yard.
- Water at the handle or spout only when it is turned on: a packing or washer repair
- A constant drip from the spout when it is off: a worn washer or seat
- Water running inside the wall, or a stain on the interior wall behind the spigot: close the shutoff to that line and call
- A hose bib with a broken or missing vacuum breaker: replace the fitting
A hose left attached all season holds water against the spigot, so detach it when you are not using it and check the bib for a drip afterward. The City says its reclaimed irrigation water can never be interconnected with any other water system. If you are unsure which line feeds an outdoor spigot, ask before you repair or replace it.
Installing a new faucet or sink: measure before you buy
Many callers buy a fixture first and call a plumber second. A few measurements save a return trip. The mounting holes in the sink or counter decide which faucet will fit, and the depth of the cabinet decides which basin will fit.
- Count the holes in the sink or counter, and measure the spacing between them
- Confirm the supply lines and shutoff valves under the sink are in good shape
- Check the cabinet depth and the drain position for a new sink
- Find out whether a garbage disposal or dishwasher shares the drain
- Decide who removes and disposes of the old fixture
Ask whether the quote includes new supply lines and shutoff valves. Older valves often fail when they are turned again after years of sitting. Replacing a faucet on a shutoff that will not close puts you in the same place the next time something drips.
If the sink drains slowly or the kitchen sink backs up when the disposal runs, that belongs on when the disposal is the problem or the drain page. A faucet install does not clear either.
A fixture leak or a larger problem? Three signs it is not just the faucet
A single leaking fixture is a fixture problem. When several fixtures act up together, the cause is somewhere else.
- Low pressure at every tap in the house, not only one
- Hot water that is weak at one faucet but normal at the rest: compare it with the test in separating a heater fault from a faucet fault
- Repeated leaks in different parts of the house, which may point toward replacing the supply pipes
None of that makes a dripping faucet urgent, and none of it means you should skip the small repair. It is a reason to mention the other symptoms when you call, so the visit covers them.
Tell a plumber which fixture is leaking and where
Call Oviedo FL Expert Plumbers and describe the fixture, where the water shows and when it started. We will tell you what to check before the visit.