Fixtures · Florence, SC
Dripping Faucet Repair in Florence, SC: Loose Handles, Worn Cartridges and Leaks Under the Sink
A dripping faucet is the plumbing problem people live with longest, and it is the one that quietly costs the most to ignore. A steady drip is not just water. It is a worn seat or cartridge that is still wearing, and the repair gets larger the longer it runs.
Most of this work is small, fast and inexpensive relative to what it prevents. The exception is a fixture leak that is actually a symptom of something behind the wall, and part of the job is knowing which is which.
How a dripping faucet damages the valve seat and cabinet
Water is the visible cost and usually the smaller one. The real damage is mechanical and structural: a dripping seat erodes further every day it runs, so a cartridge swap today can become a valve body replacement later.
Under a sink, a slow leak at a supply connection or a trap soaks the cabinet base, and particleboard does not recover. A leak nobody notices for a month often costs more in cabinetry than in plumbing.
Outdoor hose bibs are the worst case, because the leak frequently runs back inside the wall rather than onto the ground where you would see it.
Faucets, cartridges and valve seats
Which part has failed depends on the faucet type, and the type decides the repair. Cartridge faucets are the most common now and are usually a straight cartridge replacement. Ball and ceramic disc faucets have their own kits.
Compression faucets, the older two-handle type with separate hot and cold, fail at the rubber washer and the seat beneath it. Replacing the washer without dressing or replacing the seat is why that repair often does not hold.
Where a faucet is old enough that parts are no longer made, replacement is the honest answer and we will say so rather than fitting something approximate.
| What it is doing | Usual cause | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Drips from the spout when off | Worn cartridge, washer or valve seat | Cartridge or washer and seat |
| Leaks around the handle base | Failed O-rings or packing | O-ring replacement |
| Leaks under the sink only when running | Supply connection or trap joint | Reseal or replace the connection |
| Weak flow at one tap only | Blocked aerator or a partly closed stop | Clean the aerator, check the stop |
| Handle stiff or seized | Mineral build-up in the valve | Strip, clean or replace the valve |
Several fixtures doing the same thing? That usually points past the fixtures, and it is worth a call before replacing any of them.
Call (866) 919-0785
Shower valves and bathtub spouts
Shower valves are the same problem in a harder location. A shower that drips after the handle is off is a cartridge or seat, exactly as at a sink, but the valve sits inside the wall and the access is the work.
On a tub spout, water coming from the spout while the shower runs means the diverter has failed. On a spout that drips when everything is off, the valve is the culprit rather than the spout.
A shower valve leaking inside the wall is a different and more urgent matter, because the water has nowhere visible to go. Staining on the far side of the wall, or a soft patch at the floor edge, is the usual first sign.
Outdoor faucets and hose bibs
Hose bibs take more abuse than any fixture in the house and get the least attention. They are leaned on, hung off, left with a hose attached through a cold snap, and they sit at the point where a leak can travel back along the pipe into the wall.
Florence does not freeze often, but the county has recorded three ice storms and a record low of one degree below zero. A hose left connected through a freeze traps water in the bib, and a split there drains into the wall rather than the yard.
Disconnecting hoses before a cold snap is the whole of the prevention, and it costs nothing.
Installing new fixtures
New faucet and sink installs are straightforward where the existing rough-in suits the new fixture. Where it does not, because the hole spacing differs or the new sink sits at a different depth, the job grows and we will tell you before starting rather than halfway through.
The parts worth not economising on are the supply lines and the shutoff stops. Replacing both at install time is inexpensive, and an old stop that will not close is the thing that turns a future small repair into an emergency.
When a fixture leak is a symptom of something larger
Most fixture leaks are exactly what they look like. A few are not, and the pattern is what gives it away.
Several fixtures failing in a short period, or pinhole leaks appearing at more than one point, points at the supply system rather than the fixtures. Water pressure running high does the same, and a failing pressure regulator will take out fixtures across the house one after another.
Warm spots on a floor, a meter that moves with every tap closed, or a bill that jumped with no change in use all point somewhere else entirely. Those belong on the leak detection and slab leak pages rather than here.
Fixture questions worth asking before you book
Is a dripping faucet actually worth paying someone to fix?
Usually yes, because the cost of the repair rises the longer it runs. A drip means a worn cartridge, washer or valve seat that is still wearing, so an inexpensive cartridge swap now can become a valve body replacement later. Under a sink, a slow leak also destroys the cabinet base, and that repair costs more than the plumbing did.
Why does my faucet still drip after I replaced the washer?
On a compression faucet, the washer presses against a brass seat, and that seat wears too. Fitting a new washer against a pitted seat gives you a few weeks before it drips again. The seat has to be dressed or replaced at the same time. On a cartridge faucet, a drip after a cartridge change usually means the wrong cartridge or a damaged valve body.
Can you fix a shower that drips without tearing out the tile?
In most cases yes. Shower valve repairs are normally done from the front through the trim plate, so the cartridge comes out without touching tile. An access panel from the far side of the wall is the usual alternative where the valve body itself has failed. Tile removal is a last resort and we would tell you before starting if it looked likely.
What does faucet and sink repair cost in Florence?
Fixture repairs are at the lower end of plumbing work. A cartridge or washer and seat repair is modest, a shower valve replacement sits higher because of the access, and a new fixture install depends on whether the existing rough-in suits it. We give a range before starting, and the Cost page carries wide market ranges.
Does a job this small still need a licensed plumber?
South Carolina requires a Residential Plumber license from the Residential Builders Commission for residential work over $500, so many single-fixture repairs fall under that threshold. The license lookup at verify.llronline.com under that Commission is still worth checking for any contractor you let into the house, and the Commission can be reached on (803) 896-4696.
Book a fixture repair in Florence
Describe what is happening and you get a straight read on the likely cause, what the fix involves, and a price range before any work starts.