Faucet Repair in Washington, DC

What a plumber checks

1. Type of faucet: compression (two handles with washers), cartridge, ball or ceramic disc. Each fails in its own way.
2. Where the water escapes: from the spout means a worn seal or cartridge, from the base or handle points to O-rings, and under the sink usually means supply lines or a loose nut.
3. Shutoff valves: old multi-turn stops under sinks often weep or will not close fully once disturbed, so they are often replaced during the repair.
4. Flow: whether a weak stream is the aerator, the cartridge or the pipes feeding the fixture.

Deposits and parts

DC Water describes the District's tap water as moderately hard, typically about 70 to 120 ppm and varying with location and season. That is enough to leave a crust on aerators and slowly stiffen cartridges over years, but not so harsh that it dominates faucet care. Soaking the aerator in vinegar clears most of it.

When weak flow is not the faucet

Many homes in neighborhoods like Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill still have galvanized steel supply pipe. As it corrodes inside, the opening narrows and flow drops at every fixture. DC Water also warns that galvanized household pipes can collect lead from past lead service lines and recommends fully replacing galvanized plumbing. If more than one fixture is weak and the aerators are clean, ask a plumber to look at the pipes, and check DC Water's guidance on lead and galvanized lines.

Repair or replace

A cartridge or washer swap restores most faucets, and quality brands keep parts available for years. Replacing makes sense when the body is cracked or corroded, parts are no longer sold, or you are updating the sink anyway. Cost depends on the faucet style, whether shutoff valves and supply lines need replacing, and how hard it is to reach the mounting nuts.

Outdoor faucets

Hose bibs on exterior walls are a frequent winter casualty here. Freezing nights can split the pipe just inside the wall, and the leak often appears only when the hose is turned on in spring. Disconnecting hoses and shutting the inside valve in fall prevents most of it, and a frost-free sillcock is a common upgrade.