A dripping faucet sounds small until you do the math: one drip a second wastes well over 1,500 gallons a year. The cause is rarely mysterious. In a two-handle faucet it’s usually a worn rubber washer or O-ring; in a modern single-lever faucet it’s the cartridge inside, whose seals harden and score over time.
Before ordering parts, identify your faucet type and shut off the water under the sink — then check that it really is off by opening the tap. Most washer and cartridge swaps are realistic DIY with basic tools, and the parts are a few dollars.
Two warnings: if the shut-off valves under the sink haven’t moved in years, they may not close (or may weep when reopened) — don’t force them. And if the faucet body itself is corroded or pitted, new seals only buy you a few months.
Valves, drips, and small plumbing fixes are everyday work for CMG Bridge in Staten Island, Monday to Saturday.