Water that will not stop at the sink
When a faucet or supply line is flowing and the handle does nothing, call the 24/7 line and shut the water off while you wait. Look under the sink for the two small oval or round handles, which are the angle stops. Turn each clockwise until snug. If water keeps coming, the house main is the next valve to close.
Faucet and sink repair means finding which internal part has failed. That may be a cartridge, a washer and seat, an O-ring, a flexible supply connector or the valve under the sink. The symptom usually points straight at it.
Emergency steps while the plumber is on the way
These keep the damage small and save time at the visit.
- Close both angle stops under the sink. If one will not turn, do not force it. Close the main instead.
- Open the faucet above to drain what is left in the line and relieve pressure.
- Move everything out of the cabinet and put a bucket or towels under the leak.
- Switch off power to anything wet near the sink, such as a disposal, if you can do it from a dry spot.
- Photograph wet cabinets, floors and ceilings for your insurer, then tell the dispatcher what you saw.
Kitchen, bathroom, tub and outdoor: where it fails
Each location has its own weak point, and knowing it helps the dispatcher send the right parts.
| Location | Common failure | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen sink | Cartridge, spray hose, braided supply line | Drip at the spout, wet cabinet floor |
| Bathroom sink | Pop-up drain seal, worn stem seats | Slow drip, water under the basin |
| Tub and shower | Cartridge, diverter, stem seal | Drip at the spout, weak shower flow |
| Laundry sink | Loose slip nuts, cracked trap | Water at the cabinet back or floor |
| Outdoor spigot | Packing nut, freeze damage | Water at the handle, spray inside the wall |
A valve that will not shut off is the real emergency
Water spraying from a supply line or a broken stop valve will not wait for office hours. A broken angle stop often leaves you with no way to isolate one fixture, so the main is the only option. Know where the main is before you need it, because everything else in the house goes without water until it is repaired.
Braided steel connectors under the sink can also burst at the crimped ends after years of pressure. The plumber replaces the connector and tests the stop valve behind it. If that valve is corroded or seized, replacing it keeps the next repair from becoming an emergency again.
What a drip actually costs you in water
Hardin County Water District No. 1 notes that a dripping faucet can waste up to 5,000 gallons a month and a steady stream up to 21,000 gallons a month. In Radcliff, sewer charges follow the same water use, so a drip adds to two lines on the bill.
Most drips come from a cartridge, washer or seat that has worn out. A hard water supply speeds that up. HCWD1 says its water is hard from the rock the spring water moves through, so mineral scale on aerators and valve seats is common in this area.
Cartridge, washer and seat explained
A faucet is a small valve, and each style fails in its own way.
- A cartridge faucet has one or two handles that move a plastic or brass insert. Worn seals cause drips and stiff handles.
- A compression faucet presses a rubber washer onto a seat. The washer wears down, and a pitted seat has to be ground smooth or replaced.
- A ball or disc faucet uses rubber inlet seals and springs that harden over time.
- Scale can clog the aerator and tighten the handle without the faucet being worn at all.
- Parts for discontinued models may be hard to find, which is one reason a full replacement can make sense.
The plumber opens the handle, checks each part and tells you which are worn before replacing any of them.
Repair or replace the faucet
Neither is always better. This is how it usually breaks down.
| Situation | Repair | Replace |
|---|---|---|
| One drip, faucet in good shape | Swap cartridge or washer | Not needed |
| Corroded body or cracked spout | Rarely holds | Better choice |
| Parts no longer made | May need workaround | Better choice |
| Low flow from scale | Clean aerator and valve | Only if the body is pitted |
| Handle loose on a well-built fixture | Tighten and reseal | Optional |
Shower valves, diverters and the wall behind them
A shower that drips from the tub spout when the shower is on usually has a worn diverter. A shower that will not get hot or runs scalding often has a failing cartridge. Both can be replaced from the front once the trim comes off.
A leak at the valve body itself is different. It is behind the wall, and getting to it means opening tile or drywall from the back or the front. A plumber can say before cutting whether the problem can be fixed from the trim. If a ceiling below is stained, check for a hidden leak before closing anything up.
Slow tub and shower drains
Hair and soap collect in the trap just below the drain, so most slow tubs clear with simple tools. If the water backs up into the tub when you run the washer or flush a toilet, the blockage is further down the line and needs a larger cable or a camera.
Gurgling from the tub when the sink drains is another sign of a line issue. A toilet that struggles at the same time points the same way, so see our notes on toilet overflows for what to check.
What moves the price of a faucet or valve repair
You get a clear price before work starts. These are what shape it.
Common cartridges are easy to source. Older or imported fixtures can take extra time to match.
A faucet in an open cabinet is quick. A valve behind a finished wall needs the wall opened and later repaired by another trade.
A seized stop valve has to be replaced before the faucet can be serviced. That adds a part and a few steps.
Wet cabinets and floors may need drying or replacement beyond the plumbing repair.
Many policies cover a sudden burst line but not slow wear. Photograph everything and ask your insurer before you start repairs.
Outdoor spigots and ice storms
Hardin County had ice storms in November 2018 and February 2021, and a hose left on a spigot is how pipes crack inside the wall. If you find water inside the house near an outside faucet after a freeze, shut the main first. Pipe damage that continues past the spigot may need a burst pipe fixed. Disconnect hoses before the first hard freeze each year.
Other fixtures, neighboring towns
Kitchen leaks often involve the garbage disposal, which hangs from the same drain. If water is dripping from the disposal body, see how a leaking disposal is handled. The same dispatch also reaches Elizabethtown and other Hardin County towns.