Faucet repair and new faucet installation across Salem

Every faucet, from a builder-grade bathroom faucet to a pull-down kitchen faucet, does the same job: it mixes hot and cold and opens or closes a passage for water. The part that does that work wears slowly, and a drip is the first thing you notice. Knowing which kind of valve your faucet uses tells us what the repair will be.

We bring common cartridges, washers and seats, and we can identify most faucets on sight. When a faucet is old enough that parts are hard to find, or the body itself is cracked or corroded, installing a new faucet is often the better use of your money. We explain the trade-off before we take anything apart.

Cartridge, ceramic disc and compression faucets

Older two-handle faucets are often compression valves: a rubber washer presses down on a brass seat to stop the water. When the washer hardens or the seat gets pitted, the faucet drips no matter how hard you turn it. We replace the washer and dress or replace the seat.

Most single-handle faucets use a cartridge, a plastic or brass cylinder with O-rings that slides and turns to mix the water. Many newer faucets use ceramic discs, two polished plates that rotate against each other. The discs rarely wear out, but the rubber seals under them do, and debris can scratch the plates.

• Compression faucets drip when washers harden or brass seats wear
• Cartridge faucets leak when O-rings dry out or the cartridge cracks
• Ceramic disc faucets usually need new seals, not new discs
• A stiff handle often means a cartridge that needs grease or replacement

Leaks under the sink and at the faucet base

Water in the cabinet does not always come from the faucet. We check the supply line connections, the shutoff valves, the pull-down hose and its quick connector, and the sink drain before blaming the faucet body. A pull-down hose that rubs on the cabinet can wear through and spray only when the faucet is on.

Water around the base on top of the sink usually comes from a worn O-ring under the spout or a loose mounting nut that lets the faucet twist. In kitchens we also look at the counter edge and cabinet floor for swelling, since particleboard soaks up water fast and does not dry back flat.

Choosing a new faucet that fits your sink

Before you shop, count the holes in your sink or counter and measure between the outer ones. A centerset bathroom faucet covers holes 4 inches apart, a widespread faucet needs 8 inches, and a single-hole faucet can cover extra holes with a deck plate. Kitchen sinks often have a fourth hole for a sprayer or soap pump.

Spout reach matters too. A tall gooseneck on a shallow bathroom basin splashes, and a short spout on a deep kitchen sink leaves water hitting the back. If your old faucet worked well, we measure it and help you find a replacement with a similar reach and height.

• Count the mounting holes and measure the outer spacing
• Check that the spout reaches past the center of the drain
• Leave room behind the faucet for the handle to swing fully

Galvanized pipe debris and clogged aerators

In older Salem homes that still have some galvanized steel supply pipe, rust flakes break loose inside the pipe and travel to the faucet. They clog the aerator screen, scratch cartridges and ceramic discs, and lodge in the small inlet screens of newer faucets. Flow drops slowly until the faucet barely runs.

Cleaning the aerator brings the flow back for a while, but the flakes keep coming as long as the galvanized pipe stays in the wall. When we see that pattern we tell you, and we may suggest a supply line replacement for that fixture or a look at repiping before you spend money on more faucets.