The bathroom faucet has been dripping for a week. Not the showerhead—the bath spout. You turn the handles as tight as they will go, and the drip slows to a rhythm that keeps you awake at night. A bath faucet that drips once per second wastes over 3,000 gallons of water per year. The repair is almost always a worn washer, a failing cartridge, or a degraded O-ring. The parts cost under ten dollars.
Bath faucets are different from shower valves and different from sink faucets. A bath faucet handles higher water volume, and the components are larger and more durable than those in a bathroom sink. The repair procedure depends on whether you have a two-handle faucet with separate hot and cold controls, a single-handle cartridge faucet, or a specialty fixture like a Roman tub filler or a freestanding tub faucet.
Identify What Type of Bath Faucet You Have
A two-handle bath faucet has separate controls for hot and cold water. Water flows from both valves into a common spout. This is the most common type of older bath faucet. Each handle has its own stem and washer inside the wall or behind the tub surround. When one side drips, hot or cold, the washer on that side has failed.
A single-handle bath faucet uses a cartridge to mix hot and cold water. This is standard on newer tubs and on tub-shower combinations. The cartridge is a large plastic or brass cylinder with internal seals that control flow and temperature. When it leaks, the entire cartridge is replaced.
A Roman tub faucet is mounted on the deck of a large soaking tub, not on the wall. The handles and spout rise from the tub rim. These faucets use either two-handle compression stems or ceramic disc cartridges. The repair is similar to a standard bath faucet, but access is often more difficult because the plumbing is under the tub deck, which may be tiled or solid surface.
A freestanding tub filler rises from the floor next to the tub. The faucet arcs over the tub rim. These are typically single-handle or dual-handle fixtures with ceramic disc cartridges. Access to the valve is through the floor or through an access panel in the base of the fixture.
Fix a Two-Handle Bath Faucet
Turn off the water supply. For a wall-mounted bath faucet, the shutoff is typically in an access panel behind the tub, in the basement below the bathroom, or at the main water shutoff. Bath faucets rarely have individual shutoffs at the fixture, unlike sinks. Open the faucet to drain residual water.
Remove the handle on the side that is leaking. Pry off the decorative cap, which may be marked “H” or “C.” Remove the handle screw and pull the handle off. If the handle is stuck, apply penetrating oil and wait ten minutes. Do not pry against the wall or the tub surround.
Remove the trim sleeve or escutcheon that covers the stem. This is a decorative tube that threads onto the valve body or is held by a setscrew. Remove it to expose the valve stem and the packing nut.
Unscrew the packing nut with an adjustable wrench. Once the nut is loose, the stem unscrews from the valve body. For a wall-mounted faucet, the stem is typically six to eight inches long and reaches through the wall to the valve body. Turn the stem counterclockwise until it comes free. Pull the stem out.
At the end of the stem is a rubber washer held by a brass screw. Remove the screw and the washer. The washer will be flattened, cracked, or partially missing. Take it to the hardware store. Bath faucet washers are larger than sink faucet washers. Do not substitute a smaller washer. It will not seal.
Check the valve seat inside the faucet body. You will not be able to see it easily, but you can feel it. Insert your finger into the opening and run it around the seat. If it feels rough or grooved, the seat needs resurfacing or replacement. A worn seat destroys a new washer within weeks. Use a seat wrench to remove the old seat if replacement is needed. Seats are threaded into the valve body and unscrew with the wrench. Take the old seat to the store for an exact match.
Install the new washer and tighten the brass screw. Apply plumber’s grease to the stem threads. Screw the stem back into the valve body. Tighten the packing nut until snug. Reinstall the trim sleeve and the handle. Turn the water on and test. If water leaks around the stem, tighten the packing nut slightly more.
Fix a Single-Handle Bath Faucet Cartridge
Turn off the water and open the faucet. Remove the handle. On a single-handle faucet, the handle is held by a setscrew, typically on the underside of the lever. Loosen the setscrew with an Allen wrench and pull the handle off.
Remove the trim plate covering the valve. The cartridge is behind the trim plate, held in place by a retaining ring or clip. The retaining mechanism varies by brand. Moen uses a U-shaped clip. Delta uses a threaded ring. Kohler uses a clip or a ring depending on the model.
Remove the retainer and pull the cartridge straight out. Gripping the stem with pliers may be necessary. If the cartridge is stuck, use the brand-specific cartridge puller tool. Do not twist the cartridge to free it. Pull straight. A broken cartridge inside the valve body is extremely difficult to remove.
Take the old cartridge to the store. Bath faucet cartridges are brand-specific and model-specific. A Moen bath cartridge is different from a Moen shower cartridge. Match it exactly. The cartridge costs $15 to $40. The manufacturer may send a free replacement under warranty.
Coat the new cartridge O-rings with silicone plumber’s grease. Slide the cartridge into the valve body. It should seat fully with firm hand pressure. Reinstall the retainer. Turn the water on and test the faucet through the full range of motion before reinstalling the trim plate and handle. The drip should be gone, and the handle should move smoothly.
Fix a Ceramic Disc Faucet (Roman Tub or Freestanding)
Ceramic disc faucets use two polished ceramic discs that slide against each other to control water flow. They are durable and rarely leak. When they do leak, the entire cartridge is replaced. Ceramic disc cartridges are brand-specific and expensive, typically $40 to $80.
Access the cartridge by removing the handle and the trim. The cartridge is held by screws or a retaining nut. Remove the fasteners and lift the cartridge out. Take it to the store for an exact replacement. Clean the valve body thoroughly before installing the new cartridge. Debris between the ceramic discs will cause the new cartridge to leak immediately.
Install the new cartridge. Do not overtighten the retaining screws. Ceramic disc cartridges seal by precision fit, not by compression. Overtightening distorts the cartridge body and causes it to leak. Tighten until the screws are snug and the cartridge does not move.
Dealing With Access Issues
The most challenging part of repairing a bath faucet is often not the repair itself. It is gaining access to the valve. Wall-mounted bath faucets are installed before the wall surround is finished. The only access to the valve body is through the hole where the stem comes through the wall, which is barely large enough for the stem itself. Replacing a valve seat through that opening requires a seat wrench and patience.
Roman tub faucets are installed under the tub deck. If there is no access panel, you may need to work from inside the tub cabinet, lying on your back and reaching up through the narrow opening. This is uncomfortable but doable. If the tub deck is tiled with no access, you may need to cut an access panel in an adjacent room or closet wall to reach the plumbing. Before cutting, check whether the previous owner or builder left an access panel behind a removable panel in the adjacent room.
Freestanding tub fillers typically have a removable base cover that provides access to the valve and plumbing connections. Remove the cover by unscrewing visible fasteners or by lifting it off retaining clips. The valve cartridge is inside the base. Repair is straightforward once you have access.
When to Call a Plumber
If the faucet is old and the brand is unknown, replacement parts may not be available. A plumber can identify the brand by the stem or cartridge configuration, but discontinued parts for obscure brands are impossible to find. Replacing the entire faucet is the only permanent solution.
If the valve body is cracked or the internal threads are stripped, the faucet must be replaced. This requires cutting into the wall or the tub surround to install a new valve body. This is not a DIY repair.
If the faucet is a high-end imported fixture with proprietary cartridges, the parts may need to be ordered from the manufacturer and can take weeks to arrive. A plumber may have access to wholesale parts suppliers that homeowners do not.
The Short Version
A dripping bath spout is a worn washer on a two-handle faucet or a failed cartridge on a single-handle faucet. Turn off the water. Remove the handle. Extract the stem or cartridge. Take it to the hardware store. Buy an exact match. Grease the new part. Reinstall. Turn the water back on.
A washer costs two dollars. A cartridge costs $15 to $40. A ceramic disc cartridge costs $40 to $80. The tools are a screwdriver, pliers, and an adjustable wrench. The time is thirty minutes for a straightforward repair and an hour if you have to contort yourself under a tub deck to reach the valve. The drip has been keeping you awake. Stop tolerating it. Fix the faucet.
Preventing Future Leaks
Most bath faucet leaks are caused by worn rubber washers and O-rings. Hard water accelerates wear by leaving mineral deposits on the sealing surfaces that abrade the rubber every time you turn the handle.
If your home has hard water, consider installing a water softener. It will extend the life of every faucet, valve, and appliance in your house.
Turn the handles gently. Cranking the faucet closed with maximum force compresses the washer far beyond what is needed to stop the water flow.
Over time, the washer develops a permanent groove from the valve seat, and water leaks past the groove even when the handle is tight. Close the faucet until you feel resistance and the water stops. Then stop turning.
Replace washers and O-rings every five years as preventive maintenance, even if the faucet is not leaking. Rubber degrades with age regardless of use.
A five-year-old washer that has not failed yet is about to. Replacing it on your schedule costs two dollars and prevents the leak from starting. Replacing it after the leak starts costs the same two dollars plus the water you wasted while it dripped.
Last modified: June 11, 2026
