I installed the DripStop® Valve and now I get noise when I turn my water on.
If you experience any kind of noise (rattling or water hammer), please let us know about it by clicking here. The noise won’t hurt your pipes, but we don’t want you to have to put up with it. And, of course, we have a solution that we can send to you free of charge!
I replaced the washer in my faucet with the DripStop® Valve and it still leaks!
Now what?
There are just four reasons why your faucet might still be leaking after installing
the DripStop® Valve:
- It doesn’t fit
- Improper installation
- Broken stem
- Broken seat
Troubleshooting:
The easiest way to find out which one of these four is the issue is to determine where the leak is coming from. Water will usually be leaking from just one of a few places:
- From the handle
- From underneath the sink
- From the spout
Water is leaking from the handle.
Does your faucet use packing string?
Does your faucet use a washer in the stem-retaining nut?
Does your faucet use one or more O-rings?
Water is leaking from underneath the sink.
Water is leaking from the faucet spout.
The Seat Is Broken.
Improper Installation.
The DripStop® Valve Doesn’t Fit
You still haven’t answered my question.
Water is leaking from the handle.
If water is leaking from the handle, the problem may be as minor as a loose stem. Check this first. If the stem feels loose to the touch, tighten it as much as you can by hand. Then carefully tighten it further with a wrench or pair of pliers, making sure not to over tighten it.
If the handle still leaks, or the stem was not loose when you checked it, then the cause may be a broken stem or stem seal. To determine if this is the case, remove the stem just as you did when you originally replaced the old washer with the DripStop® Valve. Now, take a look at the threads in the middle of the stem.If the stem’s threads are worn down, stripped, or frayed, then you will have to replace the stem. Take it to your local hardware store to confirm that this is the cause of your leak.
(NOTE: The stem’s threads are not the same thing as the faucet’s seat. The DripStop® Valve will work even if the faucet’s seat is chipped or worn, but it will not work if the stem is broken).
If the threads look okay, then look at the material used to seal the stem. This seal will come from either:
- A string attached to the top of the stem (only found in very old faucets)
- A washer inside the retaining nut (the retaining holds the top of the stem down onto your sink or to the base of the faucet)
- An O-ring in a groove somewhere in the middle part of the stem. This O-ring will be just above where you installed the DripStop® Valve (Note: in some cases, there may be more than one O-ring
Now, take a close look.How you repair the stem seal depends on what type of material is actually used.
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Does your faucet use packing string?
If the packing string is frayed, remove the old string and tightly wrap new packing string around the stem. Make sure any excess is cut away. If you need help, visit your local hardware store or call a licensed plumber.
Does your faucet use a washer in the stem-retaining nut?
If the washer inside the stem-retaining nut is cracked, broken or worn down, remove the old washer from the nut . Clean out any debris that might be in there. Then, simply replace the old washer with a new one. If you need help, visit your local hardware store or call a licensed plumber.
You Still Haven't Answered My Question
If an O-ring is worn out, remove it from the stem. Clean out any debris that might be in the there. Slide a new O-ring into the groove. This is easier if you use a non-toxic lubricant (like petroleum jelly) to help you slide the O-ring into place. If you need help, visit your local hardware store or call a licensed plumber.
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Water is leaking from underneath the sink.
If water is leaking from underneath your sink, check to see if the water supply lines are loose. If they are, tighten them as far as you can by hand. Then carefully tighten them further with a wrench, making sure not to over tighten them.
If the lines still leak, or were not loose when you checked them, then they may be the cause of the leak. Replacements can be found at your local hardware store or are available through a licensed plumber.
Water is leaking from the faucet spout.
If water is leaking from the spout of your faucet, it could mean that the seat is broken, that the DripStop® Valve was improperly installed, or that the DripStop® Valve doesn’t fit (either because it isn’t the right model for your faucet, or because you have one of the few faucets in which one of our four designs does not fit). Here’s how to check to see which one of these is the problem.
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The Seat Is Broken.
The DripStop® Valve should work properly even if the top of your faucet’s seat is worn, chipped, or cracked. However, if the body of the seat is cracked or broken so that water leaks from its side wall (where the threads actually connect it to the base of your faucet), then you will have to replace the old seat.
To determine if this is the case, remove the stem just as you did when you originally replaced the old washer with the DripStop® Valve. Now, take a careful look at the seat (that’s the cup into which the DripStop® Valve rests). A flashlight will help. If the top of the seat is chipped or worn, the DripStop® Valve will still work, but any more severe damage than that could be a problem. If you can see a crack down the side wall (where the threads actually connect the seat to the base of your faucet), then you will have to replace the old seat. Replacements can be found at your local hardware store or are available through a licensed plumber.
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Improper Installation.
The DripStop® Valve should work even if it has been improperly installed. But just to make sure, confirm that the DripStop® Valve is screwed into the bottom end of your faucet’s stem (where the old washer used to be). Confirm that the resilient sealing material (looks like a tiny black doughnut) is attached to the shoulder of the screw. Also make sure that the DripStop® Valve has been screwed into the stem straight and that it has been tightened down as hard as it can be by hand with a screwdriver. The DripStop® Valve cannot be over tightened this way.
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The DripStop® Valve Doesn’t Fit.
The DripStop® Valve comes in four models, to fit the specific designs of the most popular faucet manufacturers. One reason that it may not be working in your faucet is that the wrong model was installed.
If you know what brand of faucet you have, click here to view the DripStop® Faucet Guide to help you find the right DripStop® Valve for your faucet.
If you found your faucet on the Faucet Guide, make sure that you purchased and installed the correct model DripStop® Valve.If you have, and the DripStop® Valve still doesn’t work, return it to the original place of purchase for a full refund.
Before you head back to the store, please use the Contact Us form here to let us know what type of faucet you have. This will help us to make sure we continue to introduce new models for consumers like you!
If you can’t find your faucet on the Faucet Guide (or don’t know what brand of faucet you have), make sure you purchased the DripStop® Valve Combo-Pack. The Combo-Pack is a variety pack that contains four DripStop® Valves (one of every model we make).
If you didn’t buy the Combo-Pack, please do. In it you should be able to find the DripStop® Valve that fits your faucet.
The DripStop® Valve’s patent-pending technology will work in the vast majority of faucets. However, there are a few exceptions where it won’t.We’re working on new designs for those exceptions.In the meantime, if you bought the DripStop® Valve and it doesn’t work, return it to the original place of purchase for a full refund.
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You Still Haven't Answered My Question
If you find that none of the answers provided here satisfactorily resolves the issue you are having, call Customer Service at (775) 747-3340.
If you have already called Customer Service, then contact us as follows:
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ConservCo Water Conservation Products, LLC
550 West Plumb Lane
Suite B-147
Reno, Nevada 89509
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