Reston's housing is mostly from the 1970s through the 1990s, and many of those faucets have seen decades of moderately hard Fairfax Water. A dripping spout or a leaking handle usually comes down to a worn cartridge, washer or seal. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Reston.
Reston homes and their faucets
Reston's planned villages went up over several decades, and the median home dates to about 1983. Townhouse clusters near Lake Anne and Hunters Woods may still have early single-handle faucets, while newer homes near Reston Town Center have modern ceramic cartridges. Fairfax Water supplies the area with treated Potomac River and Occoquan Reservoir water, moderately hard at roughly 70 to 185 mg/L on its Potomac supply. That mineral content is the main reason cartridges stiffen and aerators clog.
What to do right now
- Close the stops. Turn the valves under the sink clockwise. If they will not turn or keep leaking, close the main shutoff for the house.
- Open the faucet. Let the remaining pressure out so the drip slows down.
- Dry the cabinet. Wipe out standing water and place a towel or tray so you can see where new drops come from.
- Find the brand. Look on the faucet body, the handle cap or the paperwork for a name or model number.
- Take two photos. One of the faucet from above, one of the plumbing underneath.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Drip from the spout | Worn cartridge, washer or seat |
| Water at the base of the spout | Failed O-rings on the spout body |
| Leak under the handle | Loose bonnet nut or worn stem seal |
| Low flow at one faucet | Scale in the aerator or cartridge inlet |
| Water dripping inside the cabinet | Supply hose, stop valve or sprayer hose |
| Hot side runs cold or mixes poorly | Cartridge failing or installed backward |
What drives the cost
A cartridge or seal kit on a known brand is a short job. Costs rise when scale has fused parts together, when the faucet is an uncommon or discontinued model, or when the stops and supply lines need replacing too. Kitchen faucets with pull-down sprayers, soap dispensers or filter taps add parts, and so do tight townhouse vanities where access is limited. A full replacement costs more than a rebuild, but on an original 1980s fixture it is often the better value. Fairfax County treats a like-for-like faucet swap in the same spot as exempt from a permit; relocating a sink is not.
Faucet Repair questions in Reston
Why does my tap water smell more like chlorine in the spring?
Will a water softener help my faucets last longer?
Why does my faucet keep dripping after I shut it off?
Can I buy the faucet myself and have a plumber install it?
More plumbing services in Reston
Faucet Repair nearby
Helpful guides
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