Why That Drip Is Costing You More Than You Think
A faucet that drips once per second wastes around 3,000 gallons a year. In Portland, where the water bureau charges for both usage and sewer flow, that one leaky kitchen faucet can quietly add $50–$80 to your annual bill — sometimes more. With next week's forecast showing highs pushing 97°F and zero rain, outdoor water use is already going to spike. The last thing you need is gallons silently disappearing down the drain on top of that. Fix the drip now, before the bill shows up.
What's Actually Causing the Drip (and What to Buy)
In my experience, about 80% of dripping faucets in Portland homes come down to one of two things: a worn cartridge or a deteriorated washer. If you've got an older Craftsman home in Sellwood or St. Johns, you're probably dealing with a two-handle faucet with rubber seat washers. Newer ball-style or cartridge faucets — common in remodels across Beaverton and Hillsboro — have a single cartridge that needs replacing.
The mistake I see all the time is homeowners buying a universal repair kit at the hardware store, spending 45 minutes on the faucet, and ending up with a drip that's somehow worse than before. Don't do that. Pull the cartridge or old washer out first, bring it to a real plumbing supply counter, and match it exactly. For Moen faucets — which are everywhere in this area — the 1225 or 1200 cartridge covers a huge range of their lineup. For Delta, it's usually the RP70 series. Spend the extra few minutes identifying your brand and model. It's worth it.
How to Actually Do the Repair
Turn off the water at the shutoff valves under the sink — not at the main. Crack the faucet handles open to release pressure and drain what's left in the line. Then remove the handle (usually one screw under a decorative cap), pull the cartridge straight out, and take it to the store.
When you reinstall, I always tell homeowners: don't overtighten. Hand-snug plus a quarter turn. Plumber's grease on the new cartridge O-rings — I use Hercules Megatite, it holds up — and you're done. Turn the water back on slowly, test both hot and cold, and run it for a couple minutes before calling it finished.
When to Call Someone Instead
If you pull the cartridge and find corrosion on the valve seat inside the faucet body, or if you've got a two-handle faucet where the seat itself is damaged, that's a different job. Grinding or reseating a valve seat takes a specialty tool most people don't own, and getting it wrong means you've turned a $15 fix into a faucet replacement.
That's where we come in. At EVN Handyman, we handle exactly this kind of job — quick, honest, no upsell on parts you don't need. If you're in Portland, Beaverton, or Vancouver and the drip is still going after you've tried the cartridge swap, give us a call. Some things are worth a second set of experienced hands.