Repair or replace: the quick test
Start with one question. Is the faucet failing in one part, or is the whole thing tired? A single worn cartridge, washer or O-ring is a small repair on a faucet that is otherwise sound. Several things failing at once, or the same part failing over and over, tells you the faucet has reached the end of its useful life.
Faucets are mechanical parts with seals that wear, and the metal body wears too. Most last many years, though the range is wide and depends on the build, the use and the water. The framework below weighs the main signals.
| Sign | What it usually means | Lean toward |
|---|---|---|
| Drip from the spout, faucet under about ten years old | A worn cartridge, seat or washer | Repair |
| Same cartridge failing within a short time | Internal wear, grit or corrosion | Replace |
| Pitted, peeling or worn finish | Cosmetic and often a surface plating failure | Replace, since finish does not repair well |
| Parts no longer made or hard to find | Discontinued model | Replace |
| Crust or corrosion at the base | Water getting into the body or deck seal | Replace, and check the surface below |
| Low flow even after cleaning the aerator | Internal corrosion or mineral buildup | Replace |
| You want a different style or function | A taller spout, pull-down or touchless feature | Replace |
Age and the cost of keeping a faucet alive
There is no single age at which a faucet must go, but there is a pattern. A faucet that has run for a decade or more has had its seals flexed a great many times. Cartridges are cheap compared with a new faucet, yet each repair costs time. If you have already replaced the cartridge twice, a third repair is likely to be a short-term fix.
Think in terms of time and parts, not just price. A cartridge swap needs a part that fits your exact model, a way to shut off the water, and about the time it takes to take the faucet apart and put it back together. If the model is discontinued, the part search alone can take longer than buying a new faucet. Our faucet repair page explains what is usually fixable.
Finish damage and corrosion
A scratched or flaking finish does not get better. Plated finishes on cheaper faucets can peel and expose the base metal. Refinishing is rarely practical for a household faucet, so a worn finish tends to push the decision toward replacement.
Corrosion deserves more attention than looks. White or green crust around the base, a damp cabinet floor, or a handle that is hard to turn suggests water is working its way into places it should not be. If the crust is only on the surface, cleaning may help. If it goes deep, or the base rocks, the body is compromised.
Low flow is another corrosion clue. If the aerator is clean and flow is still weak, mineral buildup or corrosion inside the faucet passages is likely, and cleaning them rarely lasts. Replacement is usually the better route.
Kitchen, bathroom and laundry sinks differ
A kitchen faucet works hardest. It runs many times a day, often with a pull-down hose and a spray head that adds more parts to wear out. Hose connections under the sink are a common leak point, and they are worth checking before blaming the faucet.
Bathroom faucets see lighter use, but they are often paired with a pop-up drain assembly and tight cabinet space. Small, widespread and centerset faucets differ in how they mount, and that affects what you can swap in.
Laundry and utility sinks often have simple two-handle faucets with a threaded spout, and a more basic build. They tolerate rough use, and replacement is usually straightforward as long as the deck and hole spacing match. In many cases a laundry faucet that leaks is cheaper to replace than to rebuild.
Replacing a faucet yourself: the basics
A faucet swap is a manageable DIY job for many people, if the shutoffs work and the sink is easy to reach.
Shut off the water
Close the two angle stops under the sink. If they will not turn or leak when turned, stop and consider replacing them first, or shut the main valve.
Check the sink
Count the mounting holes and measure the deck thickness. A single-hole faucet can fit a three-hole sink with a cover plate, but a three-hole faucet will not fit a single hole.
Disconnect and remove
Open the tap to relieve pressure, disconnect the supply lines and loosen the mounting nuts with a basin wrench, which reaches up behind the sink.
Mount and connect
Set the new faucet, tighten the nuts, connect new supply lines, run the water and check every connection for drips.
New supply lines are cheap and worth fitting. Old braided lines and rubber washers can fail silently inside a cabinet. Hand-tighten, then give a small turn with a wrench. Overtightening cracks washers and damages fittings.
When to replace the angle stops
The small shutoff valves under the sink, called angle stops, are easy to overlook. They are the reason you can work on a faucet without turning off the whole house. Old ones seize, drip from the stem, or fail to close all the way.
If a stop will not turn, do not force it. A frozen stem can snap and flood the cabinet. If it drips around the handle or does not fully shut off flow, replace it when you replace the faucet, since you will already have the water off. Fitting new stops takes a plumber a little extra time, and it prevents a bigger problem later.
Not sure whether to repair or replace?
Call the 24/7 line. A licensed plumber can look at the faucet and the shutoffs, and you hear the price before work starts.
When to call a plumber
Call a licensed plumber if the stops will not close, the supply lines are corroded or crimped, or you find water damage under the sink. Call too if the faucet is part of a unit you cannot reach, such as a wall-mounted or commercial-style fixture. A leak you cannot stop is an urgent call, and shutting the main valve buys time.
Be careful near electrical items. If water is near outlets, the garbage disposal power or a dishwasher, turn off the breaker for that area before reaching into the cabinet. If a pipe under the sink is damaged, or a fitting breaks, a new fixture is not the whole job, and the plumber may suggest replacing the fixtures and shutoffs together.
Faucet decisions in Cibolo: what to know locally
The City of Cibolo enforces the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC), according to the City. For a like-for-like faucet swap you rarely need more than care, but permit rules vary, so ask the City of Cibolo building department if the work changes supply or drain piping.
Water quality affects how long a faucet lasts, because mineral buildup clogs aerators and cartridges. No hardness number appears in the reports we have, so we cannot say how heavy buildup will be at your tap. Test your tap, and ask your water utility for its annual water quality report.
Which provider serves you is printed on your bill. Both the City of Cibolo and Green Valley SUD serve addresses in town, so check before you call anyone about water quality. We also dispatch for faucet work in Schertz and Universal City.
Questions about faucet repair or replacement in Cibolo
There is no fixed number. Many last well over ten years, though use, build quality and water conditions change that. Repeated repairs are the better guide than age alone.
Often yes, with a cover plate. The reverse does not work. Count your holes and measure the deck before you shop.
Yes. They are inexpensive compared with the damage a failed line can cause, and you have the water off anyway.
Mineral buildup can clog aerators and cartridges, but no hardness figure is published in the reports we have. Test your tap and ask your utility for its water quality report.
Check your water bill. The City of Cibolo and Green Valley SUD both serve addresses in Cibolo, and the name on the bill tells you who to ask.