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Fix a Dripping Single-Handle Faucet

30 to 60 minutes

A stiff handle or a drip from the spout usually means the cartridge is worn, not the faucet.

The fix

  1. Close the shutoffs under the sink and open the faucet to relieve pressure.
  2. Pop the handle's cap, remove the handle screw, and lift the handle off. Remove the retaining nut or clip.
  3. Pull the cartridge straight up. Moen-style brass-sleeve cartridges often need a puller; ceramic disc cartridges usually lift out.
  4. Match it exactly: ceramic cartridges are sized by body diameter in millimeters (35mm and 40mm are common), and sleeve types go by brand number. Identify yours on stemsandcartridges.com if the number has worn off.
  5. Seat the new cartridge in the same orientation, refit the clip or nut, and test hot and cold aren't reversed before you put the handle back.

The matching FourHome part

Full disclosure: FourHome is our house brand. This site and FourHome have the same owner, so the Amazon links below are links to our own products. Part numbers and cross-references are published on each listing; identify an unknown part first at our stemsandcartridges.com index.

Call a plumber instead when

The cartridge won't budge with a puller, the faucet body is cracked, or the shutoffs are frozen open.

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