Easy Tips to Repair a Leaky DELTA Bathroom or Kitchen Faucet

The dripping sound of your faucet is a constant reminder of the water waste in your house. Fixing a leaking faucet is a beginner’s level DIY task, and it can be done easily with the right tools, a step-by-step guide. The most common cause of a leaks in your bathroom and kitchen faucet is damaged or worn-out faucet parts.

This DIY step by step guide focuses on Delta kitchen, bathroom faucets and tub/shower faucets with ball valve assembly. It does not include faucets with DIAMOND SEAL Technology faucets.

Tools Required to Repair the Faucet:

1/8-inch Allen wrench

Needle-nose pliers

Tongue-and-groove pliers

Screwdriver

New rubber seat and spring (one set for each handle)

Plumber's grease

Replacement stem

Steps to Repair the Leaky Delta Faucet:

  1. Locate the shut-off valves underneath the sink for hot and cold-water supply. Turn both the valves clockwise completely to shut off the water supply. To double-check, turn on the faucet to see if the water is off. Let the water trickle out to completely drain the water lines.

 

  1. Remove the decorative handle from the top and loosen the screw on the top of the faucet handle with a screwdriver. Use an Allen wrench to take off the set screw on the side of the handle. Lift the handle and keep it aside.

 

  1. Check for the adjusting ring in your faucet. If you have a new faucet, there won’t be any adjusting ring. You will find one in the older faucets. If your faucet is leaking from the adjusting ring, tighten it with needle-nose pliers. If the leak continues, then you have to move ahead with your repair work by replacing the seats and springs.

 

  1. Unscrew and take off the adjusting ring. Then, remove the dome-shaped cap by gripping it with a cloth and unscrewing it with tongue-and-groove pliers. Make sure you remove the cap gently to prevent any bend in it.

 

  1. Remove the round metal stem straight up from its housing. You can use pliers to grip the spindle at the top of the stem, if necessary. When you remove the stem, you remove the ball and a piece called “cam and packing.” Take a good look to see if your faucet is leaking from here. If it does, replace the cam and packing to fix the leak.

 

  1. Look inside the valve to locate the seats and springs. The seat is a small, black, rubber cap with a hole on the top. The spring rests beneath the seat. Pull up both the parts using the Allen wrench into the hole of the seat. Do this process for both cold and hot water.

 

  1. Remove the aerator and turn on the hot and cold-water supply to clear the water lines. Let the water run for one minute. If you are repairing a kitchen faucet, don’t forget to put a bucket upside down to avoid spills of water everywhere around. Turn off the water supply again to proceed with the next steps.

 

  1. Install the new seat and spring by fitting them onto the end of a screwdriver or Allen wrench. Place the flat side of the seat and receding end of the spring on the screwdriver or Allen wrench. Use the screwdriver or wrench to tip the spring and seat into the hole in the stem housing. They must rest properly into the hole. Repeat the process on the other side of the faucet.

 

  1. Grease the O-ring at the base of the valve stem with the plumber’s grease and fit the stem into its housing. Make sure the stem tabs properly align with the slots in the housing. Push it down till it stops.

 

  1. Replace the cam and packing by aligning the tab on the cab with the slot on the valve.

 

  1. Screw the cap on the valve gently with your hand and reinstall the adjusting ring and tighten it carefully with the help of pliers.

 

  1. Turn on the shut-off valves on both sides by rotating them counterclockwise until they stop. Check if the leak is fixed. In case the faucet is still leaking, try to gently tighten the adjusting ring. Then reinstall the handle onto the stem.