A faucet or valve that will not shut off
If a faucet will not stop, a supply line is spraying, or a valve handle snapped off, call the 24/7 line. Faucet repair in Suwanee, GA is dispatched at night and on weekends, because water that cannot be stopped does damage by the hour.
Look under the sink for the two small shutoff valves, called angle stops, one for hot and one for cold. Turn each one clockwise until it stops. If they are stuck, corroded or missing, go to the main shutoff for the house.
The main valve is usually where the water line enters the house. The meter itself sits in the front yard under a metal cover, and Gwinnett County Water Resources says everything on the customer side of it is the homeowner's to fix.
- Close both angle stops under the sink, clockwise, hot and cold.
- If a stop will not close or leaks around the stem, shut the main valve for the house.
- Open the lowest faucet in the house to drain the line, then keep it open.
- Keep people and electronics away from spray, especially near outlets.
- Photograph any damage for the insurance claim, then call.
Faucet problems, in the words people use
Not every drip is an emergency, but each tells you something about what is wearing out.
A steady drip from the spout
A worn washer, seat, cartridge or O-ring. The leak is small now and wastes water around the clock.
Water pooling under the sink
The leak may be a supply line, the faucet base or the drain. Dry the cabinet, wipe the lines and watch where drops return.
Handle stiff, loose or hard to turn off
Mineral buildup or a worn cartridge. A handle that has to be forced is close to failing.
Low flow from one faucet only
Most often a clogged aerator or a partly closed angle stop, not a pipe problem.
Spray from the side or base
Seals at the body have gone. This faucet is usually replaced, not repaired.
What is inside your faucet
A faucet is a valve with a decorative shell. What matters for repair is the type of valve inside, because each one fails differently.
Compression faucets use a rubber washer pressed on a seat and have separate hot and cold handles. They drip when the washer wears. Cartridge and ceramic disk faucets, the single-handle kind, seal with a replaceable cartridge, so the fix is a swap, not a rebuild.
Older ball-type faucets have many small parts and are commonly replaced outright. A good plumber will tell you whether parts for your faucet are still easy to find, or whether replacement is cheaper than repair.
Repair or replace the faucet
The call depends on age, finish and whether the fault is a seal or the body.
| What you see | Typical fix | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Drip from the spout | New cartridge, washer or seat | The valve inside wore out, the shell is fine |
| Leak around the handle | New O-rings or cartridge | Seals dried or loosened |
| Corroded or pitted body | Replace the faucet | Metal damage cannot be repaired |
| Hard-to-find parts | Replace the faucet | Repair can cost more than a new faucet |
| Leaking supply line | Replace the line | Braided lines age and kink |
Outdoor faucets, hose bibs and freezing nights
Outside spigots fail differently. A hose left attached through a freeze can burst the pipe behind the wall, and the leak only shows when the spigot is turned on in spring.
Gwinnett County Water Resources notes that Georgia temperatures do not drop below freezing very often, but when they do, water in home plumbing can expand and break pipes. DWR advises dripping a faucet overnight and opening cabinet doors when temperatures dip below 32 degrees.
Take hoses off before a cold night. If a spigot drips from the stem or the vacuum breaker cap, it can often be repaired, but a spigot that leaks inside the wall needs a plumber and burst pipe repair if the pipe split.
What changes the price of faucet work
A cartridge swap and a new faucet with new supply lines are different jobs, and you hear the number before work starts.
Repair or replace
A cartridge or washer is a short job. A full replacement adds the new faucet and removal of the old one.
The faucet itself
Kitchen, bathroom, tub and outdoor faucets differ. A touchless or pull-down model costs more than a basic one.
Shutoff condition
Seized angle stops and old supply lines are replaced during the visit.
Access
A cramped vanity or a wall-mounted tub spout takes longer than an open sink.
Time of day
A faucet that will not shut off at midnight is an emergency visit, and that rate can differ from a daytime booking.
Home insurance often covers sudden water damage from a failed fitting but not the faucet that wore out through use. Read the policy and ask your agent.
Want your real number?
Describe the job on the phone and get a clear price before any work starts.
Low flow and the aerator kit
A faucet that suddenly runs weak often just has a clogged aerator, the small screen on the spout tip. Unscrew it, rinse out the grit, and you are done.
Gwinnett County Water Resources hands out free low-flow retrofit kits at its Central Facility. Each kit has a low-flow showerhead, faucet aerators and toilet leak detection dye tablets, so a fresh aerator may cost you only a trip to pick one up.
Georgia's plumbing code limits bathroom faucets to 1.5 gallons per minute and kitchen faucets to 2.0 in new construction, so those are good targets if you swap fixtures. If low flow hits every faucet, the pressure reducing valve is the homeowner's, and a plumber should check it with a gauge.
Related work and nearby
A leaking faucet often means a shutoff or supply line is older than it should be. If the leak hides behind a wall, leak detection finds it before the drywall does, and a new vanity or tub faucet pairs with plumbing installation.
Callers from Lawrenceville and nearby are served by the same 24/7 line.
Know what to do before a faucet fails by finding the stop valves under each sink and the main shutoff. According to the Georgia amendments to the plumbing code, new construction requires high efficiency fixtures, with lavatory faucets limited to 1.5 gallons per minute, so check the flow rating on any replacement.
Faucet questions
Yes. Yes, the line is staffed around the clock, so a stuck valve on a Sunday night is treated like any other call. Close the angle stops under the sink, or the main valve if they fail, and call.
Turn it clockwise, then open the faucet. If water still runs, the stop is failing and the main shutoff is the next step.
Yes. Gwinnett County Water Resources says leaks are a common cause of high bills. DWR offers leak adjustments on eligible accounts, and you need proof of repair, so keep the invoice.
If the faucet is sound and parts are available, the cartridge is the cheaper fix. A corroded body or discontinued parts points to replacement.
Disconnect hoses before a freeze. DWR also advises dripping a faucet overnight when temperatures dip below 32 degrees.