Kitchen Faucet Dripping? Replace Washer Yourself Quickly

Is your kitchen faucet leaking even when it's turned all the way off? Do you cringe every time you hear the sound of water dripping into the sink? A leaky faucet is not only annoying but can lead to higher water bills and potential water damage over time. In most cases, the cause of a drippy kitchen faucet is a worn out rubber washer inside the faucet assembly. Replacing this small part is much cheaper and easier than replacing the entire faucet. With a few basic tools and a little time, you can replace the washer yourself quickly and stop those maddening water drips!

In this DIY guide, you'll learn how to diagnose and fix a leaky kitchen faucet by replacing the worn rubber washer. We'll provide step-by-step instructions even novice homeowners can follow to complete this repair in under an hour, without needing to call a plumber. You'll be relieved to have a drip-free, fully functioning kitchen faucet once again.

Signs You Need a New Kitchen Faucet Washer

How can you confirm that the leak in your kitchen faucet is due to a faulty rubber washer needing replacement? Here are the most common signs:

• Water continues dripping out of the faucet even when turned completely off
• Loss of water pressure - lower flow when the faucet is turned on
• A spike in your water bills from increased waste of water down the drain

If your kitchen faucet exhibits these symptoms, replacing the worn rubber washer with a new one should solve the problem. The washer plays an important role in sealing off the water flow when the handle is turned to the closed position. Over years of frequent use, these washers deteriorate and no longer provide a tight seal, allowing water to drip out.

Kitchen Faucet Washer Replacement Parts

Now that you've decided to tackle this leaky faucet repair yourself, let's review exactly what you'll need:

Essential Tools & Supplies

• Flashlight - to see into narrow spaces
• Adjustable wrench - to loosen nuts and bolts
• Flathead screwdriver - to pry off caps and covers
• Replacement washers - match your original's color, size, shape, material
• Bucket - to catch water drips or leaks
• Cloth - clean up small messes

These basic household items are all it takes to DIY this straightforward kitchen faucet repair. Before we dig into the steps for removing and replacing the washer, let's go over how to cut off the water supply lines first.

Turning Off the Water Supply

Before disassembling any part of your kitchen faucet, it's essential to shut off the hot and cold water lines feeding it. This prevents water from gushing out unexpectedly when you remove components. Locate the shutoff valves controlling the faucet's water supply lines underneath or behind your sink. They often have colored tags indicating hot and cold. Turn the handles clockwise until tight to stop the flow of water to the faucet.

Disassembling the Leaky Kitchen Faucet

With no water running to your kitchen faucet temporarily, it's safe to take things apart to access and remove the old rubber washer. Here are the key steps involved:

Remove Faucet Handle and Cap

The common single-handle style faucets have just one lever to control hot and cold water flow. Start by carefully prying off the decorative cap on top of the handle using your flathead screwdriver. This exposes the screw holding the handle down. Remove this screw, then pull off the handle exposing the inner cartridge.

Take Out Worn Rubber Washer

On most faucets, you'll see a cylindrical cartridge containing small rubber washers (typically black or off-white). Carefully take this cartridge piece out with an adjustable wrench. Inspect closely to find the worn out washer(s) needing replacement. Also take this opportunity to scrub other faucet components to remove mineral deposits which can accelerate wear.

Clean Faucet Components

While disassembled, give all the faucet parts a thorough cleaning. Use warm water, mild soap and an old toothbrush to gently scrub away any built-up gunk or hard water deposits. Rinse everything afterwards. Make sure components are completely dry before attempting to reassemble your kitchen faucet.

Installing a New Kitchen Faucet Washer

Once you've completed taking apart your drippy kitchen faucet to remove the damaged rubber washer, it's time to put things back together with the new replacement part installed.

Insert New Washer Properly

First, slide the new replacement washer over the central cartridge stem, making sure it's facing the correct direction to seal properly when compressed. Some faucets may have more than one washer; replace all worn ones. Position washers in the precise order and alignment they were originally found.

Reassemble Faucet

After inserting the new washer(s), carefully reassemble the entire faucet assembly by reversing all the steps you took when disassembling it initially. Replace any screws, caps or decorative handles tightly to keep interior components securely compressed together for a waterproof seal.

Turn On Water & Confirm No Leaks

The moment of truth - it's time to turn your faucet's water supply back on. Locate the previously shut off valves and open both hot and cold water lines slowly. Check for any drips or leaks around newly replaced washers before confirming repair a success. Give a big sigh of relief when your formerly drippy faucet is restored to full working order!

Testing Your Repaired Kitchen Faucet

Before putting your tools away, thoroughly test out your kitchen faucet to ensure the new washer has resolved all issues:

• Turn faucet handle to full hot & full cold - strong water flow?
• All intermediate settings work properly?
• Turn off handle completely - water stops completely, no drips?
• Let sit 10+ minutes then recheck for leaks again

By methodically testing all modes of your kitchen faucet, you can reassure no underlying problems still exist and be confident in the DIY repair you've performed by replacing the worn out washer.

Troubleshooting Problems After Repair

In most cases, replacing an old worn out rubber kitchen faucet washer with a new one of the same specifications will permanently fix a drippy faucet. But occasionally issues crop up. Here's how to troubleshoot problems with your faucet continuing after the repair:

Persistent Leaks

If water continues slowly dripping out of your kitchen faucet even after replacing washers, there could still be debris trapped inside causing problems. Consider taking apart the faucet again for cleaning before reassembling with the new washers again.

Lower Water Flow

A kitchen faucet lacking adequate water flow and water pressure after replacing its washer often indicates incomplete part reassembly. Double check for loose components or something assembled out of sequence allowing water to leak out internally.

Replacing damaged internal rubber washers is only part of maintaining a leak-free kitchen faucet. Here are some additional recommendations for keeping your faucet in good working order long-term:

• Replace washers regularly once per year even if not yet leaking as preventative maintenance
• Invest in higher quality kitchen faucets made from durable materials that resist mineral buildup
• Install water softening systems if you live in a hard water area to minimize mineral deposit accumulation
• Repair plumbing issues causing ongoing water pressure fluctuations that accelerate faucet wear and tear

By being proactive replacing small plastic and rubber faucet components before they fail outright, you can preserve the working lifespan of your existing kitchen faucet for years before needing to install an entirely new fixture.