Faucet or valve will not shut off? Do this right now
- Close the angle stop under the sink by turning it clockwise. If it spins freely or leaks, stop forcing it.
- Shut the main water valve, then open the lowest faucet in the house to drain the lines.
- Put a bucket under any drip and a towel in the cabinet, because water runs along pipes and pools out of sight.
- Leave a handle or stem that has started to spray exactly as it is. Pulling on it can make the leak worse.
- Call us. Urgent leaks come first at any hour, and routine repairs get same-day slots when available.
Faucet, valve and fixture repair: what we fix
This page covers kitchen and bathroom faucets, laundry and utility sinks, pull-down sprayers and the shutoff valves under them. Most calls are a drip, a handle that has gone stiff, low flow from a clogged aerator, or water leaking into the cabinet below. Under-sink problems often involve the garbage disposal too, so we check both.
Many repairs come down to a cartridge, an O-ring or a seat. A discontinued finish or an unusual model may need a part ordered, and that is where replacing is often the better call. Mention the name on the handle or spout when you phone.
Repair or replace: faucet type by faucet type
Most faucets fall into four families, and the symptom usually tells you which one you own.
| Faucet type | Plain symptom | Usually repair | Usually replace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression (separate hot and cold handles) | Drips from the spout, handle needs a hard squeeze | New washers and seats | Seats are badly pitted or parts are hard to find |
| Cartridge (single or double handle) | Drip, loose or stiff handle, temperature drifts | Swap the cartridge and O-rings | Body is corroded or the finish is worn through |
| Ball (single lever, older kitchens) | Leak at the base of the handle plus a spout drip | Replace seals, springs or the ball | Repair kit costs close to a new faucet |
| Ceramic disc (single lever, wide cylinder) | Handle leak or weak flow, drips are rare | Replace the cylinder | Body is cracked or scale has locked the cylinder in |
When a repair costs about as much as a new faucet, we say so and let you choose.
How a faucet visit goes
Shut and look
We close the shutoffs and open the cabinet to see where the water really comes from. Many faucet leaks turn out to be the supply line or the valve.
Name the fix
You hear whether it is a cartridge, a seat or the whole fixture, along with the price, before parts come out.
Repair or swap
We rebuild the faucet or install the new one with fresh supply lines.
Test
Hot, cold, sprayer and aerator get checked, then a dry paper towel goes under the cabinet to catch any weep.
Shower valves, showerheads and tub faucets
A showerhead that drips after shutoff often has a worn cartridge in the valve behind the wall, while a leak at the threads is usually tape or a washer. Water that falls from the tub spout while the shower runs means the diverter has worn out. A handle that turns without changing the temperature is a valve cartridge, and many can be swapped from the front.
Burst or broken supply valves and angle stops
Angle stops are the small shutoffs under sinks. Many were installed once and never turned, so when a stem finally fails, water sprays or keeps coming. A valve that weeps at the stem, drips when touched or looks green with corrosion should be replaced before it breaks.
If one has already let go, shut the main, then we replace the valve and the supply line together. If the main valve itself is stuck, tell us on the call, since that changes how we plan the visit. A split line behind a wall belongs under burst pipe repair, and after-hours calls use the same 24/7 line.
Hose bibs, outdoor faucets and winter shutoff
An outdoor faucet that drips behind the handle needs packing or a washer, and one that leaks inside the wall after winter needs a closer look. Before frost, take hoses off, close the interior shutoff to that line if there is one, and open the outdoor tap to drain it. Frost-free types still hold water in the barrel if a hose stays attached.
The National Weather Service recorded minus 13 F at Allendale on 24 January 2026, and minus 19 F at a station about a mile south southwest of town on 15 January 2024. Grand Rapids, about 16 miles east, averages 133 days a year with a low at or below 32 F. Those are temperature records, not pipe reports, but they are why we shut outdoor lines off in fall.
Allendale, MI: the township's own drip test
The Allendale Charter Township 2025 water quality report offers a way to size up a drip. Hold a glass under it for one hour, then multiply by 24 to see how much water goes down the drain in a day. Do it before you decide a drip can wait.
The same report describes checking for a hidden leak at the meter. With every faucet off, a plus sign on a newer plastic meter, or a spinning triangle on an older brass one, means water is moving. If the meter says yes and every fixture is repaired, that is when leak detection is the next step.
Source: the township's 2025 water quality report.
What drives the cost of faucet and valve work
A washer swap and a new kitchen faucet are priced very differently. You get the price for the work we find before we start, not a guess over the phone.
Common faucets use cheap, standard parts. Older or specialty fixtures can need ordered parts.
A rebuilt faucet costs less than a new fixture plus installation, until the repair kit nears the price of a new one.
Stuck shutoffs and old supply lines are usually replaced in the same visit.
Night and weekend calls are priced for the emergency response, quoted before work begins.
Valve stuck or faucet spraying?
The line is answered 24/7, and we can usually talk you through the shutoff on the phone.
Call (855) 575-2890