Most Centreville homes were built in the 1980s and 1990s, so many original builder faucets have reached the age where cartridges and O-rings wear out. Fairfax Water's moderately hard water speeds that along by leaving scale on moving parts. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Centreville.
Warning signs
- The spout drips for minutes or hours after you close the handle
- The lever on a single-handle faucet feels gritty or loose
- Water spreads across the deck plate when the faucet runs
- The spray head on a kitchen pull-down leaks at the hose connection
- Flow from one tap has dropped while other fixtures are normal
Local conditions in Centreville
Centreville is on Fairfax Water, which treats Potomac River water at its Corbalis plant and Occoquan Reservoir water at its Griffith plant. Fairfax Water's analyses of its Potomac supply show total hardness from about 70 to 185 mg/L, averaging near 128 mg/L, or roughly 7.5 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard. The minerals settle in aerator screens and around cartridge seals, so a single-handle faucet that has run for twenty or thirty years often needs a fresh cartridge.
The median home here dates to around 1991, which means mostly copper or plastic supply piping and cartridge-style faucets rather than old compression valves. Parts for the big brands are usually easy to get. Fairfax Water uses chloramines most of the year and free chlorine from about April through June, so a filter faucet should be rated for chloramine.
Fairfax County says a like-for-like fixture replacement in the same location does not need a permit, but moving or adding plumbing does. Fairfax Water owns the meter; the pipes on your side of it are yours to maintain.
What affects the cost
- Whether the faucet can be rebuilt or needs replacing
- The brand and model, and whether the cartridge is in stock
- Mineral buildup that locks the cartridge or retaining clip in place
- Condition of the angle stops and supply lines under the sink
- Extras on kitchen faucets, such as pull-down hoses, sprayers or filter taps
When you call
You reach a referral line that connects you with an independent plumber serving Centreville. Have the brand name ready if you can find it on the faucet or the box under the sink. Note whether the leak is at the spout, the handle or below the counter, and whether the shutoff valves under the sink still turn. If water will not stop, close the main shutoff where the line enters the house.
Faucet Repair questions in Centreville
Do I need a permit to replace a faucet?
Can a pull-down kitchen faucet be repaired instead of replaced?
How hard is the water here, and does it matter for faucets?
Where is the main shutoff if the valves under the sink fail?
More plumbing services in Centreville
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