Fixed a leaky bathtub faucet with a rubber washer from the hardware store for 79 cents

I had a drip in my guest bathroom that kept me up at night for about 2 weeks. Called a plumber and he quoted me $150 just to come look at it. Figured I'd try replacing the washer first since I saw a video about it. Took me 20 minutes with a socket wrench and the drip stopped completely. Anyone else had good luck fixing old faucets with just a simple washer swap?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant_foster7918d ago

I saw some video from a guy on YouTube who said like 80% of faucet leaks are just a worn out rubber washer. Crazy how something that basic can cause so much headache. I had a similar thing with my kitchen sink last year, felt like a genius when it stopped dripping after I swapped the washer for like a buck fifty. The plumber probably would have charged me for a whole new faucet assembly or something ridiculous.

drew_park18d ago

And the best part is most of those washer kits come with like 10 different sizes for under five bucks. So you fix the leak now and you've got spares for the next faucet that starts acting up down the road. I've had to swap washers in my main bathroom sink twice now in three years, water quality around here just eats through rubber. Saves having to tear out the whole cartridge or replace the faucet when the fix is literally a 50 cent piece of rubber.