Water is spraying from a faucet or valve right now
Four moves limit the damage before anyone arrives. None of them needs a tool.
Close the stop valve
Reach under the sink and turn the small valve on each supply line clockwise until it stops. Hot is usually on the left and cold on the right. A quarter-turn handle needs only a 90 degree twist.
Shut the main if the stop will not turn
The main shutoff sits where the water line enters the house, often near a hose bib or in the garage. A gate valve takes several clockwise turns. A ball valve takes a quarter turn. Never force a handle that is frozen with scale.
Relieve the pressure
Open the lowest faucet in the house so the pipes drain down. Move rugs, empty the cabinet under the sink, and set a bucket under any drip.
Photograph the damage
Take pictures of the failed fixture, standing water and wet surfaces before you wipe anything. Your insurer will ask for them. Keep the old cartridge or valve if it comes off in your hand.
Then call (407) 964-8940 and say what is spraying, whether the stop valve closed, and whether the water looks clear. If water has reached an outlet, a light fixture or the electrical panel, stay out of the room and call 911 first.
Reading the drip, the hiss and the weak stream
A faucet has only a few moving parts, so the symptom usually points to one of them. Match what you see to the table before anyone picks up a wrench. The match also tells you whether a repair is realistic or the fixture is past saving.
| What you notice | Likely cause | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Drip from the spout when the handle is off | Worn washer and seat, or a failed cartridge or ceramic disc | Replace the washer and seat, or the cartridge |
| Water at the base of the spout or under the handle | Dry or cracked O-rings | Replace the O-rings and lubricate |
| Hissing or whistling when open | Worn internal part, or a stop valve that is only partly open | Open the stop fully, then reseat or replace the cartridge |
| Weak flow from one faucet only | Clogged aerator or debris in the cartridge | Clean the aerator and flush the cartridge |
What to check before the technician arrives
Five minutes of notes helps the technician bring the right cartridge, O-rings and supply lines on the first trip.
- Which faucet is failing and whether the problem is on the hot side, the cold side or both.
- Where the water shows up: the spout, the handle, the base or underneath the sink.
- The brand stamped on the handle or body, such as Delta, Moen or Kohler, or a photo of the model tag.
- Whether the stop valves under the sink turn and close completely.
- Whether the faucet has a pull-down sprayer or a separate side sprayer.
Kitchen, bathroom and laundry faucets: what gets repaired
A single-handle faucet runs on a cartridge, a brass or plastic cylinder that slides or rotates to mix hot and cold. Two-handle compression faucets press a rubber washer onto a brass seat. A failed ceramic disc cartridge usually costs far less to swap than a new faucet.
Supply lines and stop valves under the sink
The stop valve under the sink is the weak link, and the braided supply lines above it are rated for years, not decades. Older multi-turn stops seep around the stem or refuse to close after sitting open for years. The valve behind your toilet is the same design, and toilet repair often fits into the same visit.
Shower valves, showerheads and tub spouts
Behind the shower trim sits a valve body with a cartridge that mixes hot and cold. In a pressure-balancing valve, it also holds the temperature steady when a toilet flushes elsewhere. A showerhead that drips after the handle is off points to a worn cartridge or seat.
The trim plate comes off with a screwdriver, and the cartridge slides out once a retaining clip or nut is removed. If the valve body is cracked or the wall has no access panel, the opening is often cut from the back side of the wall, so ask where the cut will go before work starts.
Showerheads and tub spouts
Federal rules cap showerheads at 2.5 gallons per minute, so a head that sprays sideways or runs weak is usually plugged with scale. An hour in white vinegar often clears it. A tub spout that leaks from the diverter when the shower runs needs a new spout, which is a short job on most slip-on models.
Shower and tub drains that clog
A slow tub or shower drain is usually hair and soap wrapped around the stopper, not a faucet fault. Pull the strainer, lift out the hair and flush with hot water. If water rises around your feet, the blockage is deeper, and drain cleaning clears the branch line.
When the shutoff will not close
A stop valve that spins freely or a main that will not seat leaves water running with nothing to stop it. Do not wrench a corroded handle past its stop, because the stem can snap. Move to the next valve upstream: the main at the house, then the meter.
The meter and its valve belong to the city. Altamonte Springs Water Distribution, (407) 571-8340, maintains the pipes, valves and meters that deliver water to your property. If you still hear hissing at a wall after the faucet is off, leak detection with acoustic gear finds the pipe without opening drywall at random.
What a faucet repair costs and what moves the price
Most faucet jobs are short, so parts and access decide the bill more than hours do. Here is what changes the number.
| Job | Typical ballpark | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Washer, O-ring or cartridge repair | $150 to $350 | Brand and part availability |
| Replace a faucet you supply | $200 to $450 | Hole count, sprayer and access |
| Replace a stop valve or supply line | $150 to $300 | Valve type and corrosion |
| Shower cartridge replacement | $200 to $450 | Valve brand and trim style |
- The partA washer or O-ring set costs little. A ceramic cartridge for a Delta or Moen body costs more, and a discontinued model may push the job toward a new faucet.
- AccessA pedestal sink, a wall-mounted spout or a shower valve behind tile takes longer than a standard deck-mount faucet.
- Fixture typeA basic chrome faucet and a touchless kitchen faucet with a battery pack are different jobs.
- Valves and linesNew stop valves and supply lines add a small parts charge but remove the likeliest next failure.
Treat those numbers as ballparks that shift with the brand, the wall and the part. Before a wrench turns, you get one clear price to accept or decline.
Mineral scale, aerators and the water that reaches your faucet
The City of Altamonte Springs supplies your water from the Floridan aquifer. It aerates the water to cut hydrogen sulfide and iron, adds chlorine, and doses orthophosphate for corrosion control. We could not confirm a hardness figure for the city, so do not assume one: unscrew an aerator, look for white crust, then use a hardness test strip or ask the utility for the number before you pick a faucet finish.
Over in Winter Springs, the city's drinking water page gives average hardness near 150 mg/L, about 8 grains per gallon, a level that leaves crust on aerators and shower cartridges. Compare what you see on your own fixtures before you decide the numbers match.
After-hours and same-day faucet calls
You can call (407) 964-8940 at any hour. We book same-day visits when the schedule allows, and a fixture that cannot be shut off moves to the front of the queue. A faucet that only drips can usually wait for a daytime slot, and we will say so honestly.
Some problems belong to someone else. A gas smell is a 911 call, then your gas utility, not a plumber call. A leak on the street side of the meter is the city's to fix.
Faucet repair questions
Yes. Nights, weekends and holidays are covered by the same number, (407) 964-8940. A faucet or supply line that is spraying, or a shutoff that will not close, is urgent and gets a technician as soon as one is free. A slow drip can usually wait for a daytime slot.
Repair a newer faucet that leaks from a known part such as a cartridge, washer or O-ring. Replace one with a corroded body, a worn finish or a discontinued cartridge. The technician can tell you which side yours falls on once it is opened up.
The brass seat that the washer presses against can be pitted or scored. A new washer on a rough seat will still leak, so the seat needs to be reground or replaced.
Often yes. Many valves use a cartridge that comes out through the trim opening. If the valve body itself has failed, the wall usually has to be opened, and the technician can say before starting where the opening will be.
Leave the handles alone and call us on (407) 964-8940. The next step is the meter valve, which belongs to the city. Altamonte Springs Water Distribution can be reached at (407) 571-8340, and we can guide you through it while a technician is on the way.