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 photo of the whole faucet and the sink area from a few feet back, not a close-up.
- The brand, if there is a name on the spout, the handle or under the sink.
- Roughly how old the faucet is.
- Whether the handle still shuts off normally or feels loose, stiff or vague.
- Where the water appears: the end of the spout, the base where it meets the sink, or the handle.
- Whether it has one lever or two separate hot and cold handles.
- Whether the spout pulls out on a hose or is fixed.
- Whether the drip is a thin steady stream, a fast drip, or an occasional slow drip.
Common questions
- Why does my faucet drip when the handle is fully off?
The cartridge inside has worn and no longer seals against its seat. That is a part, not a new faucet, and it comes out in under an hour on most single-lever kitchen faucets.
- The handle is loose and wobbly.
The set screw holding the lever to the stem has backed off. Tighten it before you buy anything, because a loose lever cannot push the cartridge fully closed.
- Should I repair or replace a faucet I have no brand name for?
Repair is still worth trying. A plumber matches most cartridges by shape on site. Replace when the body is corroded or no cartridge matches.
- The handle feels totally normal and it still drips fast.
The handle and the seal are different parts, so a perfect-feeling handle tells you nothing about the cartridge. A fast, steady drip with the lever fully down is the classic worn cartridge. Have it swapped before the seat scores, because a scored seat turns a cartridge job into a new faucet.
- Is the drip coming from the spout or from the base?
They are different repairs, so look before you call. Water from the end of the spout is the cartridge inside the body. Water pooling around the base or inside the cabinet is the spout O-rings or a supply connection, and that one wets the cabinet floor.