Faucet Repair in Portsmouth, NH

Leaky faucet repair in Portsmouth starts at the cartridge

Most single-lever faucets hide a cartridge: a thumb-sized cylinder of brass or plastic carrying rubber seals that glide against the body whenever you move the handle. Those seals score and harden with age. Once water slips past them you notice a bead forming at the spout or a damp ring where the handle meets the base.

Two-handle sets work on another principle. Older compression styles squeeze a rubber washer onto a brass seat, and either piece can wear flat. Ceramic-disc versions rarely drip, though their seals can still stiffen. We match each repair to the mechanism in front of us instead of opening the same kit every visit.

Each cartridge fits one design, so a quick picture of the faucet, or of the brand stamped beneath the sink, speeds things up. Some manufacturers still stock parts for fixtures decades old; others have retired them, and that is when replacement stops being optional.

What Portsmouth water does to your fixtures

The city's 2024 water quality report puts average hardness at 48 parts per million, which counts as soft, with readings between 8 and 220 depending on the source blend. Soft water leaves less crusty scale than hard water does, so mineral buildup plays a smaller part here. Aging seals, drifting sediment and plain use cause most of the damage.

The same report says water leaves city treatment without lead, while older service lines and household plumbing can add it. A faucet installed decades ago may carry lead in its brass or solder. If yours predates modern standards and you drink from it daily, replacing it is worth a conversation.

Water pressure is the other variable. Constant high pressure hammers seals, so a drip that appears suddenly on several fixtures at once makes us look at the pressure at the meter before blaming any single faucet.

Fitting a new fixture into an old house

Kitchen faucet replacement in Portsmouth often means working in cramped quarters. Cabinets built into narrow brick rowhouses leave little elbow room, and sinks drilled for one, two or three holes limit what will actually fit. We measure the deck and the clearance behind it before you buy, so the new fixture installs on the first try. A plumber Portsmouth NH opens the right kit per fixture, not one stock swap for all.

Valves below the sink count as much as the faucet above it. A seized or weeping stop can turn a short swap into a long afternoon. If yours is original to the house, we may suggest renewing it in the same visit while the line is dry.

The aerator, a small fix people skip

The aerator is a tiny mesh disc that screws onto the spout's end. Rust flakes from old galvanized lines, sand and bits of pipe sealant collect there after plumbing work or a hydrant flush on your street. Unscrew it, soak the screen in vinegar and see whether flow returns before blaming the faucet.

If the stream is still weak with a clean aerator, check whether the problem appears at one sink only or at every tap in the house. One sink points to that faucet or its supply; every tap points toward the main, a pressure valve or a partly closed shutoff valve near the meter.

Outdoor spigots and seasonal cottages

Outdoor taps absorb the worst of a New Hampshire winter. A hose left on through November keeps water inside the spigot, and the ice can split the pipe within the wall, a failure that stays hidden until spring. If a spigot weeps at the handle or sprays behind the siding after the first thaw, shut the interior valve and call.

Shoreline cottages in Rye and other seasonal houses face a similar pattern. Fixtures sit idle for months, seals dry out, and the first spring turn-on exposes every weak spot at once. Opening faucets slowly and checking beneath each sink saves a flooded cabinet.