Faucet Spraying or Won't Shut Off? Do This
A faucet that cannot be closed wastes water by the minute, and a failed supply line can soak the cabinet and floor.
- Close the shutoff valves under the sink by turning them clockwise.
- If the shutoffs are stuck or missing, close the main water valve for the house.
- For a tub or shower valve that will not stop, shut the main and open a lower faucet to relieve pressure.
- Keep power cords and outlets away from the water. Shut off the breaker only if it is dry and easy to reach.
- Call the 24/7 line and describe where the water is coming from.
Do not force a seized handle with pliers. Breaking the stem can turn a drip into a flood.
Why Faucets Wear Out Faster Here
Most faucet problems start inside the faucet, not in the pipe. Washers, O-rings, seats and cartridges wear with every use, and when they fail the faucet drips, sprays sideways or runs weak. Replacing the worn part is often enough.
The borough's water quality report lists hardness of roughly 236 to 278 ppm at several plants. That is hard water, and minerals build up on aerators, in cartridges and around seats. Our rough conversion is about 14 to 16 grains per gallon, which explains why a faucet with a clean look can feel stiff or run slowly.
If handles feel gritty or the flow has dropped, scale is a likely cause. Soaking the aerator in vinegar sometimes helps, but a worn cartridge needs replacing.
Faucets and Valves We Repair
The part that fails depends on the style of faucet. We carry out these repairs in homes and small businesses.
Kitchen faucets
Pull-down sprayers, side sprays and single-handle faucets leak at the base, the spout or the hose. We replace cartridges, hoses and seals, or the whole faucet if it is past saving.
Bathroom sink faucets
Two-handle and single-handle faucets drip from worn washers or cartridges. We repair them and check the pop-up drain while we are there.
Tub and shower valves
A dripping shower head usually means a worn cartridge or seat. We replace the cartridge, and when the valve body is damaged we open the wall access.
Outdoor spigots
A spigot that drips inside the wall can rot the framing. We replace the washers or the whole sillcock.
Laundry and utility faucets
Basement sinks and laundry boxes see little use and fail with scale and old washers.
How We Repair a Leaking Faucet
Shut off and diagnose
We close the supply, disassemble the faucet and identify the failed part.
Replace the worn parts
We replace the cartridge, seat, O-rings or washer, and clean scale from the aerator and body.
Test and check the supply
We reassemble, run hot and cold, and check the shutoffs and supply lines for leaks.
Faucet Repair or Replacement
Repair is usually the better value on a faucet in good shape. Replacement helps when the finish is gone or parts are unavailable.
Repair when
- The faucet body is sound and the finish is good.
- The leak is at the handle or spout.
- Parts are available for the model.
- You like the style and the flow.
Replace when
- The body is corroded or cracked.
- Parts are discontinued.
- The faucet has been repaired several times.
- You want a different style or a pull-down spray.
What Faucet Repair Costs
We look at the faucet and tell you whether a cartridge, a full replacement or work behind the wall is needed. You get a clear price before work starts.
If a sudden failure caused water damage, ask your insurer what documentation they need. We can describe the work in writing, and coverage decisions stay with your insurer.
Permits for Faucet and Valve Work
Most faucet work is simple, but a few jobs change the piping. The Borough Building Department at 445 Lafayette Avenue handles plumbing permits, and its permit list says no permit is needed for faucet or valve replacement when the piping is not rearranged.
| Job | Piping changed | Permit |
|---|---|---|
| Replace a kitchen or bath faucet. | No | No permit if piping stays in place. |
| Replace a shower or tub valve in the same spot. | No | No permit if piping stays in place. |
| Move a faucet or valve to a new location. | Yes | Check with the building office. |
| Add a new fixture. | Yes | Check with the building office. |
The office is open weekdays from 8:30 to 4:30 and does not issue permits after 3 PM. Plumbing work in New Jersey must be done by a licensed master plumber or authorized contractor.
Hard Water, Old Valves and Your Faucets
Hawthorne draws its water from groundwater wells, and the 2026 water quality report lists hardness of 236 ppm at South Station, 278 at Goffle Hill and 238 at Utter Avenue. If your faucets clog or stiffen, the cause is likely scale, not poor water pressure from the borough. If pressure feels low throughout the house, call the Borough Water Department to rule out a street issue first.
With a median home year of 1953, many Hawthorne houses have original shutoff valves that no longer close. We replace them as part of faucet work so the next repair does not mean shutting the whole house.
When a Faucet Problem Is Bigger
Low pressure throughout the house, rusty water or repeated leaks can point to older pipe. In that case a repiping conversation may be worth having. For a hidden leak behind a wall, we also offer leak detection.
We serve neighbors in Wyckoff as well, and the 24/7 line is the fastest way to reach us.
Common Questions
Yes. Our 24/7 line takes calls on evenings, weekends and holidays. A faucet that will not shut off or a burst supply line is an emergency at any hour.
A worn washer, O-ring, seat or cartridge is letting water past. Hard water scale makes it worse. Replacing the worn part usually stops the drip.
Yes. Many shower valves use a cartridge that can be replaced through the trim. When the valve body is damaged, we open the wall and replace the valve.
Not when you replace a faucet or valve and do not rearrange the piping, according to the borough's permit list. Moving a faucet or adding a fixture is different, so ask the Borough Building Department.
Scale in the aerator is the most common cause, and hot water scale in older pipes is next. If every faucet is weak, call the Borough Water Department about street pressure, then call us to check inside the house.
If the body is sound and parts are available, repair is usually enough. If the finish is worn, parts are discontinued or the faucet has leaked more than once, replacement is the better value.
Local figures on this page come from the Hawthorne Water Department's 2026 Water Quality Report and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates. Check current numbers with those sources before you rely on one.