How a Leaky Faucet Can Raise Your Water Bill

How Much Water a Drip Wastes

A faucet that drips once per second wastes roughly 3,000 gallons of water per year — that's more than enough to fill a small swimming pool. At Redlands water rates, which include both water and sewer charges on the water you use, that adds a real amount to your annual utility costs.

A faster drip — say two to three drops per second — triples that waste. A faucet that's moved past dripping into a thin stream can waste 30 or more gallons per day. You can estimate your own drip rate by catching drips in a measuring cup for a minute and extrapolating. Even a "minor" drip is worth fixing promptly.

Beyond the bill, in California's ongoing water conservation context, wasting clean treated water unnecessarily is worth taking seriously. A faucet repair is almost always a relatively quick, modest-cost job — the savings usually exceed the repair cost within a few months.

Why Faucets Start Dripping

Faucets drip when the internal sealing component — washer, O-ring, ceramic disc, or cartridge depending on faucet type — wears out and can no longer make a watertight seal when the handle is closed. This is normal wear over years of use.

The most common internal wear points:

• Rubber washers or seats in traditional compression faucets (older Redlands homes)
• Ceramic cartridges in single or double handle ball-type faucets
• Cartridge seals in single-handle mixing faucets
• O-rings in ball-type faucets

High water pressure accelerates wear — the constant pressure against the seat stresses the sealing components. In Redlands, where municipal supply pressure can run high in some neighborhoods, faucet wear happens faster than in lower-pressure systems. A pressure-reducing valve at the main helps, but regular washer and cartridge replacement is still expected maintenance.

Hard Water and Faucet Wear

Redlands' hard water plays a specific role in faucet failure. Calcium and magnesium scale deposits form on faucet seats — the metal surface that the washer or cartridge presses against to stop water flow. A scaled seat has a rough, uneven surface that prevents the washer from sealing properly even when the handle is fully closed. In these cases, simply replacing the washer doesn't solve the problem; the seat also needs to be resurfaced or replaced.

Scale also infiltrates cartridge mechanisms, causing them to stick, require more force to turn, and wear unevenly. The physical force required to fully close a stiff faucet handle stresses the cartridge and accelerates failure. Keeping aerators and faucet components clean of scale and replacing cartridges proactively rather than waiting for full failure extends faucet life significantly.

Different Faucet Types, Different Fixes

The repair approach depends entirely on the faucet type:

Ball faucets (common in kitchen single-handle faucets): have multiple small parts including a ball, springs, seats, and O-rings. When they leak, it's often multiple worn parts at once. Replacement kits are available and reasonably DIY-friendly.

Cartridge faucets (very common in modern bathrooms): the cartridge is a single self-contained valve component. Replacement is usually a matter of removing the old cartridge and inserting a replacement. The challenge is finding the correct replacement cartridge for your brand and model.

Ceramic disc faucets (found in higher-end modern fixtures): generally very durable. When they fail, it's typically the ceramic disc cracking or the O-rings deteriorating. Professional repair is often warranted.

Compression faucets (older two-handle faucets): the washer at the end of the stem needs periodic replacement. These are the classic older fixtures found in pre-1980s Redlands homes. They're durable but the seats eventually need resurfacing or replacement.

DIY Repair Options

Many faucet drip repairs are within reach of a homeowner who's comfortable turning off the water supply and doing some basic disassembly. The key steps for most faucet types:

• Turn off the shut-off valves under the sink or at the fixture
• Open the faucet to relieve pressure and drain remaining water
• Remove the handle (usually a screw under a decorative cap)
• Access and remove the cartridge or stem assembly
• Identify the worn component and replace with the correct replacement part

The most important factor is getting the right replacement part. Take the old cartridge or washer to the hardware store, or note the faucet brand and model number to order the manufacturer's recommended part. Using wrong-sized washers or generic parts leads to repeated failures.

If the faucet is old and parts are unavailable, if the body or seat is corroded, or if you're not comfortable with the disassembly, it's faster and cleaner to have it done professionally.

When to Call a Plumber

Call us for faucet repair when the DIY path isn't clear, the part isn't available, or you've replaced the obvious components and the drip persists. The latter is often a sign of a corroded or damaged valve seat — a condition that requires professional resurfacing or replacement.

Also call when the leak isn't from the spout but from around the base of the faucet or under the handle. These can indicate O-ring or packing failures in different parts of the valve body, and the repair approach differs.

In older Redlands homes where original 1950s or 1960s fixtures are still in place, replacement of the entire faucet with a new modern unit may be more cost-effective than sourcing obsolete parts for a repair. New fixtures also offer better water efficiency and pressure performance. Call (207) 419-2600 for faucet repair or replacement in Redlands — we stock common replacement parts and can often complete a repair in a single visit.