Faucet & Sink Repair In Melbourne
Mineral scale from Melbourne's hard water accumulates on a faucet's internal cartridge or valve seals, which is the most common reason a faucet starts dripping or a shutoff valve gets increasingly difficult to turn. This buildup happens gradually, so most homeowners notice the drip long before they'd think to check the actual cartridge.
Homes near downtown and Eau Gallie built before the 1990s sometimes still have original supply line valves under the sink, which corrode with age and are more likely to seize or leak than the quarter-turn valves used in newer construction. A seized valve is often discovered only when it's needed in an emergency, which is why we check and replace them proactively during any sink repair visit.
Common Warning Signs
Persistent Dripping
A faucet that continues dripping after being fully shut off, usually a worn cartridge or washer.
Valve Won't Shut Off Fully
A shutoff valve under the sink that no longer fully stops water flow when closed.
Leak At The Base
Water pooling at the base of the faucet, often a failed O-ring rather than the cartridge itself.
Low Flow At One Fixture
Reduced water flow from a single faucet while others in the house are normal, often mineral buildup inside the aerator or valve.
Stiff Or Squeaky Handle
A handle that's become hard to turn or squeaks during use, a sign of internal corrosion or dried-out lubrication.
Dealing With This Right Now?
Call and we'll walk you through what to check while help is on the way.
Finding The Real Cause
Most faucet repairs are diagnosed by disassembling the handle to inspect the cartridge, valve seat, and O-rings directly. For a leak under the sink, we check the supply line connections and shutoff valve first, since a loose compression fitting is a more common cause than the faucet itself.
Equipment We Use
- Cartridge and valve seat inspection.
- Supply line and shutoff valve pressure check.
What Fixing It Actually Involves
Cartridge Or Washer Replacement
Resolves most dripping-faucet complaints without replacing the fixture.
Shutoff Valve Replacement
An old or seized valve under the sink is replaced with a modern quarter-turn valve.
Full Faucet Replacement
For an older or discontinued fixture where parts aren't available, we install a new faucet matched to your sink's existing hole configuration.
You approve the price after diagnosis, before any repair begins.
Common Questions
A drip that returns quickly after a DIY fix often means the valve seat itself is worn, not just the washer, which needs professional resurfacing or a cartridge replacement rather than a washer swap alone. We check the seat directly rather than assuming a second washer will hold.
Yes. A slow drip wastes real water over a year and often accelerates once the internal seal wears further, so a small drip now is usually cheaper to fix than the same issue after it worsens. Left long enough, a persistent drip can also stain the sink basin or fixture finish.
Yes, we check your sink's existing hole configuration and spacing before recommending a replacement faucet so it fits without modification. If your sink has fewer holes than most new faucets need, we'll walk you through the compatible options rather than assuming one will fit.
Yes, the same diagnosis and repair process applies to kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and utility sink faucets, as well as outdoor hose bibs where the failure is at the faucet valve itself.
Often Booked Together
A dripping faucet or a stiff shutoff valve in Melbourne is almost always hard water wearing down an internal seal, not a sign the fixture itself has failed. Diagnosing the specific worn part first means most repairs are a same-day fix rather than a full faucet replacement, and the same diagnosis applies to a worn outdoor hose bib showing the same symptoms.