A dripping faucet wastes about 3,000 gallons of water a year. I know because I looked it up after my bathroom sink started dripping at 2am and the sound was driving me insane. Every drip. Every second. I was ready to pay a plumber anything.

Then my dad said “it is a five-dollar washer and a wrench.” He was right. Twenty minutes later the dripping stopped and I felt like I had just saved a hundred bucks and a year of sleep.

What Causes the Drip

Inside every faucet handle there is a rubber washer or a cartridge that seals the water flow. Over time it wears down, hardens, or cracks. Water sneaks past the gap and drips out. That is literally the whole problem in most cases.

Step by Step

First, turn off the water under the sink. There are two valves — hot and cold. Turn both clockwise until they stop. Then turn on the faucet to drain the remaining water.

Cover the drain with a rag or a stopper. You are about to handle small screws and if one goes down the drain you will be under the sink taking apart the P-trap and cursing.

Pop off the decorative cap on top of the handle — it usually has a red/blue indicator. Use a flathead screwdriver. Underneath is a screw. Remove it and lift the handle off.

Now you see the packing nut. Use an adjustable wrench to loosen it. Under the nut is the stem assembly. At the bottom of that stem is the washer — a little rubber disc held by a small brass screw.

Take the old washer to the hardware store. Buy an exact match. Put the new one in, reassemble everything in reverse order, and turn the water back on. That is it.

If It Still Drips

Check the valve seat — the metal ring the washer presses against. If it is rough or pitted, water seeps past even a new washer. A valve seat dressing tool costs about ten bucks and smooths it out in seconds.