Faucet Repair in Silver Spring, MD

Silver Spring sits on the District's northern border, with a dense downtown surrounded by older residential neighborhoods inside the Beltway. WSSC Water provides water and sewer service, disinfects with free chlorine and adds orthophosphate at both of its treatment plants to coat pipe interiors. Many homes here have had their fixtures replaced in pieces over the decades, so a single house can have faucets from four or five different eras.

What to do now

1. Close the sink stops. Turn the small valves under the sink clockwise. If one won't budge or keeps dripping, don't force it; old stops can snap.
2. Know your main shutoff. In most Silver Spring houses it's in the basement where the service line comes through the foundation. Use it if a faucet won't stop running and the stops fail.
3. Look at the faucet type. Two separate handles usually means washers and seats or two-handle cartridges; one lever means a single cartridge or ball. Note the brand if it's printed anywhere.
4. Dry and watch. Wipe the cabinet and the faucet base, run the water, and see where drops reappear first. That tells the plumber whether it's the faucet, a supply hose or the drain.
5. Check the outside faucets. Old hose bibbs on older houses often aren't frost-free. Note any that dripped after last winter.

Symptoms and likely causes

What affects the cost

• Whether parts are still made for an older faucet or a replacement is the better buy
• Stuck stops, corroded supply lines or galvanized nipples that need replacing
• Plaster walls and tile around tub and wall-mounted faucets
• Exterior wall access for a hose bibb
• How many fixtures you want handled in one visit