Short answer
A faucet that keeps dripping with the handle pushed fully down has a worn cartridge inside. That is a part, not a new faucet, and it comes out in under an hour on most single-lever kitchen faucets. A handle that feels loose and wobbly is a different fault: the set screw holding the lever to the stem has backed off, and tightening it can restore the shut-off. Replace the whole faucet only when the body is corroded, the brand is unknown and no cartridge matches, or the faucet has never shut off properly since the day it was installed.
Tell a loose handle from a worn cartridge in five minutes
- Shut both supply valves under the sink. Turn each one clockwise until it stops.
- Open the faucet. Water should stop within a few seconds, which confirms the valves hold and the fault sits in the faucet.
- Watch where the water comes from. Drips out of the spout point at the cartridge. Water seeping around the base of the handle or the spout points at worn O-rings.
- Hold the handle and rock it side to side. A lever that wiggles on its stem has a loose set screw.
- Find the set screw. On most single-lever faucets it hides under a small cap on the front or side of the lever and takes a 7/64 inch hex wrench.
- Tighten the set screw, open the supply valves, and test the shut-off.
- Push the handle fully down and watch the spout for 2 minutes.
If the handle firms up and the drip stops, you are done. If the handle still travels past its stop, or the spout keeps dripping with the handle down, the cartridge is worn and it has to come out.
Repair or replace
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Drips from the spout, handle firm and stops at its normal point | Repair. Fit a new cartridge for that brand and model. |
| Handle loose and wobbly, drip stops once the set screw is tight | Repair. Tighten the set screw and check it again in a week. |
| Handle over-rotates and never reaches a hard stop | Repair. The cartridge stem is stripped and a new cartridge restores the stop. |
| Water seeps around the handle base or under the spout | Repair. Replace the O-rings and the cartridge together while the faucet is open. |
| Brand unknown and no cartridge matches the stem | Replace the faucet. Cartridges are brand-specific and generics rarely seal. |
| Faucet body is corroded, pitted or crusted with mineral scale | Replace the faucet. A new cartridge in a worn body starts dripping again. |
| It has never shut off properly since you moved in | Repair, but have a plumber pull the cartridge. A faucet that was wrong from day one often has the wrong part or a damaged seat. |
| Water pooling in the cabinet under the sink | Hire a plumber this week. That is a supply or drain leak, and it wrecks the cabinet floor. |
Can I do it myself?
Yes, on a single-lever faucet that you can identify. Shut the supply valves, open the faucet to drain the pressure, pull the handle cap and set screw, lift out the retaining clip or nut, and pull the cartridge straight up. Take the old cartridge to the counter and match it exactly, because stem length and spline count differ between brands. Budget an hour and a towel in the cabinet.
Hire a plumber when the supply valves under the sink will not close or weep once you turn them, when the cartridge will not budge and the body flexes as you pull, or when you cannot identify the brand. Seized valves are the common trap, because a failed valve turns a 1-hour part swap into a shutoff replacement on a live line.
What a contractor will ask you
Have these ready and you skip the back-and-forth.
- A wide photo of the whole faucet and sink area from a few feet back, showing the handle, the spout and how it is mounted.
- The brand, or any name or logo stamped on the spout, the lever or the escutcheon.
- The age of the faucet, or how long you have lived with it.
- When you first noticed the handle not fully shutting the water off.
- Whether the handle feels loose and floppy, or firm but never quite closes.
- Whether the handle over-rotates past its stop, or just wiggles in all directions.
- A photo under the sink showing the supply valves and whether anything is damp.
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