When a faucet problem cannot wait
A dripping faucet is an annoyance. A faucet that will not shut off, or a supply line that bursts under a sink, is an emergency. Look under the sink for the two angle stop valves, one for hot and one for cold, and turn each clockwise. If the water stops, you have bought time. If the valves are stuck or leaking, close the main shutoff and call us.
Most faucet calls come down to worn parts inside the faucet body, a failed seal or a corroded supply line. Fixes range from a ten-minute cartridge swap to replacing the faucet and the valves behind it.
The handle will not shut the water off
A worn cartridge or valve seat lets water pass even when the handle is closed. Shut the angle stops under the sink and call.
Spray or drip from the supply line
Braided supply lines can fail at the crimp. Closing the stop valve stops it, and a new line is a quick repair.
Leak at the base of the faucet
Worn O-rings or loose mounting hardware let water seep under the sink deck and into the cabinet.
Reduced flow or sputtering
Scale clogs aerators and valves. Cleaning or replacing the parts restores flow.
Fixing the faucet or replacing it
| Type | Common failure | Usual repair |
|---|---|---|
| Single-handle cartridge | Drip or hard to turn | Replace the cartridge. |
| Two-handle compression | Drip from the spout | Replace washers and seats. |
| Ball or disc style | Leak at the handle base | Replace seals and springs. |
| Pull-down kitchen faucet | Weak spray, hose leak | Replace hose or diverter, clean the aerator. |
| Wall-mount or tub faucet | Drip at the spout or behind the wall | Replace the cartridge. See leak detection if water is behind the wall. |
| Any faucet, old valve | Stop valve will not close | Replace the angle stop. |
Why replacement sometimes beats repair
A faucet more than fifteen years old, one with a pitted finish, or one for which parts are no longer made is often cheaper to replace than to fix a second time. New faucets also save water. Modern fixtures meet current California flow limits, so replacing an older model can lower both your bill and your noise level.
When we replace a faucet, we also check the angle stop valves and supply lines under the sink. Replacing them at the same time takes little extra labor and avoids a second visit when an old valve fails the first time you try to use it.
Hard water and faucets in Saratoga
San Jose Water Company serves most Saratoga homes, and its groundwater source runs roughly three times harder than Valley Water imported supply. Hard water leaves scale in aerators and cartridges. Unscrew the aerator at the tip of your faucet every few months and rinse it. A white crust is scale, and it is a sign of why the flow has dropped.
Sink-related problems we handle
Besides faucets, we repair leaking drain traps, loose sink baskets, failed sprayers and sink strainers. A sink that drains slowly is a drain issue, handled on our drain cleaning page. A kitchen sink with a disposal falls under garbage disposal repair.
Older homes near the Village often have galvanized supply lines or shutoff valves that have not been turned in decades. Those valves sometimes break when we first try to close them. If we see that risk, we tell you before we touch the valve and explain what the repair involves.
Isolate the water
We close the angle stops or, if they fail, the main. This protects the cabinet.
Diagnose
We find whether the fault is in the faucet, the supply lines or the valves.
Repair or replace
We fix what is worth fixing and replace what is not, and explain the cost difference.
Test
We check for leaks at every connection and run the faucet through hot and cold.
California sets the flow limit on new faucets
CALGreen, California's green building standards code, limits new bathroom faucets to 1.2 gallons per minute and sets separate limits for kitchen faucets. A replacement that meets the code is the legal choice for new installations, and it uses less water than a faucet from the 1980s.
A sudden pipe burst under a sink may be covered by homeowners insurance for resulting damage. A slow drip usually is not.
Faucet will not shut off?
Close the angle stops under the sink, then call. If the stops fail, close the main.
Where we repair faucets
We serve Saratoga 95070 and the nearby towns of Los Gatos (95030, 95032), Monte Sereno and Campbell. For fixtures like toilets, see toilet repair. Our Los Gatos page covers the neighboring area.
Common Questions
Yes. The line is answered 24/7. Close the angle stops under the sink first and call.
Close the two angle stop valves under the sink by turning them clockwise. If they do not close, shut the main water valve.
If the faucet is more than fifteen years old, pitted or has parts that are hard to find, replacing it often makes more sense. We give you both prices.
A clogged aerator, scale in the cartridge or a partly closed stop valve are the usual causes.
Yes. Send us the model number first so we can check the fit and bring the right fittings.
We recommend it. Old braided lines can fail, and replacing them costs little during the visit.
Scale can clog aerators and wear cartridges. Cleaning the aerator often and replacing worn parts helps.
We can replace it. Do not force it, because old valves can break and flood the cabinet.