How to Position a Faucet Handle to Stop Drips
Do you have to push the faucet handle further back each time to keep the water from dripping? Replacing the washer with a new one may be one problem solving solution to stop the drip but you may not need a new washer to fix the problem. The handle may just need to be reset.
Faucet handles take a lot of pushing and pulling through their daily use. How often they are used and their age may have something to do with the stress and give that moves them. How hard the handles are pushed and pulled may also weaken them. The threads inside a handle can become worn and disable the handles ability to stay in place. A faucet handle is indeed a moving part and that means that from time to time it can move to an uncomfortable position or to a breaking point. If a faucet handle does move to a breaking point then the water might not turn off until you shut the water off temporarily to fix the problem.
Realigning a handle into position is done by removing the handle at its current location to a location that is comfortable and mimics the position of the other handle. In other words, the handle will be returned to its estimated normal position, which is the estimated point from where it started its journey. The water drip should be turned off at the current position of the handle. If the water is still dripping, you can try moving the handle a little more to stop the drip. When you move the handle the rest of the faucet will stay behind in the position where the drip has cut off. In this way, when the handle is repositioned it will not have to be moved back as far to turn off the water.
Depending on the faucet you may not need to shut the water off to move the handle. On some models, the screw which holds the handle down may be on top of the handle. On other models, the location of the screw may be on the side. Use a screwdriver to remove the screw and lift the handle to pull it off. Position the handle to the front to match the position of the opposite handle. Push the handle down and screw it back on. In some cases, you may have to shut the water off temporarily to remove the handle from its current location before you can move it to a new location.
