
Nobody likes a leaky faucet. They not only waste water and can add unnecessary costs to your water bill, but they are just annoying with that drip, drip, drip sound reverberating through your house. And no, you should not just have to deal with it or wrap a towel around the faucet to “fix” the issue. Most leaky faucets have a simple solution, like replacing a cracked or worn washer, but they can sometimes be signs of a larger issue, like loose or even broken parts, and a replacement might be needed.
DIY-Style
If you are handy or have a handy person in your life, something like replacing a washer can be done on your own and requires a little bit of house know-how, a small replacement part, and a minimal level of household tools like a screwdriver and wrench. There are a few steps you can take to get started:
- Shut off the water supply. You do not want water to start spraying all over your bathroom (and you) when you start doing work on the faucet.
- Remove the cap from the faucet handle. Depending on the type of faucet you have, this can usually be removed with a flathead screwdriver or Allen wrench.
- After the cap is removed you will see a screw that holds the faucet handle in place or the “handle screw,” and that also needs to be removed so you can remove the entire handle. When you remove the handle you will see what’s called a handle stem, and you’re starting to get into the plumbing components of your faucet.
- When your faucet was installed, there was a plate put into place to cover the hole(s) in your bathroom. The next step is to remove that plate. Some plates can simply be removed with your hands, and others might have additional screws to remove. This plate is called the escutcheon (all these fun plumbing terms).
- After the escutcheon is removed, you will be able to access the stem assembly, and you will need to remove it as well to actually check the washer on the end.
- If you notice that the washer is cracked, dried/hardened and not round, or even broken to where it falls off when you remove the stem assembly, you need a new washer. Most homeowners have a bag of extra plumbing pieces laying around their house, and odds are an extra washer is in that bag. You can also just take the old washer to a hardware store, and they can help you find the right size replacement.
- Once you have the new washer, it should be as simple as putting the new washer on and putting your faucet back together.
- Check to see if the leak is fixed!
There are many how-to guides and YouTube videos on how to fix a leaky faucet as well, especially if you are a more visual person.
However, if you’re not comfortable addressing a leaky faucet on your own or think you have a larger leak issue, that’s why professional services like AZ BathMasters exist. You can let us check out the problem and fix it for you. When it comes to plumbing, we feel it’s always better to be safe than sorry later or risk making a small issue a big one by accident.
When In Doubt, Call an Expert
AZ BathMasters know a thing or two about bathrooms. Give us a call for a free consultation, and we can help fix that leak so you can focus on other things in your life!

AZ BathMasters is a locally owned and operated bathroom remodeling company specializing in Cultured Marble Tyvarian shower and tub conversions, walk-in-showers, and tub and shower side-by-sides. Our conversions produce a fresh, clean, and beautiful atmosphere and with over 200 color and design choices we know you will find just what you are looking for.
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