A tap that will not shut off is the one faucet problem that cannot wait. If you cannot stop the flow at the handle, find the valve under the sink and close it, or shut the main. For emergency faucet repair in Plainsboro, NJ, the 24/7 line is open at any hour, and a licensed plumber can come for a stuck valve, a split supply line or a shower that will not stop.
Everything else is usually a worn part. A drip comes from a tired cartridge, ball or disc. A leak under the sink is a loose nut, a cracked supply line or a bad drain gasket. A weak spray is a clogged aerator. Naming the part is half the repair.
The valve that will not shut off
There are two shutoffs for a sink faucet: the handles, and the angle stops under the sink. If the handle won't close and the stops are stuck or leaking, the next step is the main shutoff where water enters the house. Closing a stuck angle stop with force can snap the stem, so turn it gently.
Old stops that have never been turned often seize or drip around the stem. A plumber replaces the stop with a quarter-turn valve, which is easier to close in a hurry. If water is coming from a supply line or a failed shutoff and you cannot close any valve, close the main and call at once.
Faucet and sink symptoms, causes and fixes
Match what you see to the likely part.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Drip from the spout when off. | Worn cartridge, ball, disc or seat. | Replace the cartridge or the seats and springs. |
| Leak at the handle base. | Worn O-ring or loose packing nut. | Replace O-rings, tighten or replace the stem. |
| Water pools under the sink. | Loose supply nut, cracked line or bad drain slip nut. | Tighten, replace the line or the drain gasket. |
| Weak or uneven spray. | Clogged aerator or debris in the cartridge. | Clean or replace the aerator, flush the lines. |
| Hot or cold only. | Worn mixing cartridge or blocked supply. | Replace the cartridge or clear the stop. |
| Shower keeps dripping. | Worn shower cartridge or diverter. | Replace the cartridge, check the tub spout diverter. |
| Handle spins loose. | Stripped screw or broken stem. | Replace the handle and stem. |
Parts differ by brand, so the plumber needs the make and a photo of the faucet if you can supply them.
Cartridge, ball, disc and compression: plain terms
A compression faucet has separate hot and cold handles that squeeze a rubber washer onto a seat. It drips when the washer wears. A cartridge faucet uses a slim plug inside the body, and a worn cartridge is swapped out whole. A ball faucet has a single handle on a metal ball, and a disc faucet uses ceramic plates.
Cartridge and disc types are usually the quickest to repair because the whole core is replaced. Compression and ball types need several small parts. When a faucet is old, discontinued or corroded, replacing the whole fixture often costs less than hunting for parts.
Showers, tubs and utility sinks
Shower valves are usually behind the wall, and the plumber replaces the cartridge through the handle opening. A showerhead that drips after the valve closes is usually a worn cartridge. A tub spout that sends water to the shower when the valve is off is a bad diverter. Reaching a failed valve body may need an access panel on the other side of the wall.
A utility sink or laundry tub leaks at the faucet, the drain basket or the trap. Tub and shower drains that drain slowly or smell are usually hair and soap, and drain cleaning clears them. A leak in the wall behind the valve may be a split pipe, covered under burst pipe repair. A leak that shows on the ceiling below needs leak detection to confirm its source.
Before you call: what to check and note
These checks sort out a handle problem from a supply problem.
- Whether the leak stops when you close the angle stops under the sink.
- Whether the drip is from the spout, the handle base or under the cabinet.
- Whether the problem is hot side, cold side or both.
- The brand and finish of the faucet, and a photo of the base.
- Whether other fixtures lost pressure at the same time.
- For shower leaks, whether the ceiling or wall on the other side is damp.
When a faucet is spraying or leaking right now
Do this in order while you wait for the plumber.
Close the angle stops
Turn the oval-handled valves under the sink clockwise, gently.
Use the main if they fail
Close the main shutoff and open a lower tap to drain the line.
Protect the cabinet
Move chemicals and stored items, put a bucket under the leak and towel up the floor.
Photograph the damage
Pictures help with an insurance claim.
Call
Tell the dispatcher what is broken and where the shutoff is.
Plainsboro: village apartments, condos and shared shutoffs
Plainsboro Village Center, on Schalks Crossing Road, includes townhouses and eight rental apartments above retail, per the township. In a unit above a shop, a sink leak can reach the business below. Tell the landlord at once, and ask whether the unit has its own shutoff.
The township's Land Use Plan describes Princeton Meadows as condominiums, apartments and single-family homes. In a condo, the question is whether you can shut off water to your unit or only to the building. Locate the unit valve before you need it, and ask the association who handles repairs behind the wall. Plainsboro's water comes from New Jersey American Water, whose customer line is on the township Contact Us page.
Call the utility if pressure drops across the whole building rather than at one fixture. The same unit-versus-building question applies to condos in East Windsor. Whatever the repair, the work is expected to meet New Jersey's plumbing subcode, the National Standard Plumbing Code, so ask the plumber to confirm that a replaced faucet and its supply lines do.
What affects the price of faucet and sink repair
A small cartridge swap and a wall-opening valve replacement are very different jobs.
Repair or replacement
A cartridge is a modest part. A new fixture adds the faucet itself.
Shower valve access
Valves behind tile or plaster take longer to reach and patch.
Shutoff condition
A seized stop that must be replaced adds work.
Parts availability
Older or specialty faucets can need special-order parts.
Hour of the call
After-hours dispatch can price differently from a same-day appointment when available.
Insurance usually pays for resulting water damage from a sudden failure, not for a worn faucet. Ask your insurer, and photograph the area before cleanup.
Call the 24/7 line for a clear price before work starts.
Call (609) 547-1417Faucet and Sink Repair questions from Plainsboro homeowners
Yes. The 24/7 line is open at any hour for faucets that will not shut off, burst supply lines and active leaks.
Repair is usually cheaper if parts are available. Replace when the faucet is corroded, discontinued, or repairs keep recurring.
Do not force it. Close the main shutoff and call. The plumber can replace the stop with a quarter-turn valve.
The usual causes are loose supply nuts, a cracked line, or the drain slip nut. Dry the area, then watch which pipe drips.
Often there is a valve for the unit, but the building shutoff belongs to the association. Find the unit valve and ask your manager.
It wastes water and can mean a worn cartridge. It becomes urgent if the valve will not close or water is leaking inside the wall.
Often, yes. Hair clogs in tub and shower drains are common, and a drain cleaning visit can be combined with a faucet repair.
Name the leaking part
Call the 24/7 line and describe the drip, the spray or the stuck valve.
Where we dispatch from
We send faucet repair crews across Plainsboro and the neighboring towns. Our base is 777 Scudders Mill Rd, Plainsboro, NJ 08536, and the map shows the surrounding towns we serve.