A faucet or supply valve is spraying right now
A broken supply line or a snapped stop valve can put several gallons a minute onto a cabinet floor. These steps cost nothing and limit the damage until a plumber is there.
Close the stop valve
Turn the oval handle on the pipe under the sink clockwise until it stops. Do it for hot and cold.
Use the main if it breaks
If the stop valve spins loose or leaks from its stem, close the main shutoff where the line enters the house.
Move what is stored below
Pull out cleaners, paper goods and the trash can. Lay towels to slow the spread to flooring.
Keep power away
If water reaches an outlet or a disposal plug, leave that circuit off at the panel until it is dry.
Then call (855) 575-2890. Evening and weekend calls reach the same dispatch as daytime calls, and a same-day visit is offered when a plumber is open.
Repair the faucet or replace it?
Most faucets do not need to be thrown away. The table shows how a plumber usually decides.
| Problem | Usual fix | Replace instead when |
|---|---|---|
| Drip from the spout | New cartridge, washer or O-ring | Parts are discontinued or the body is pitted |
| Leak at the base of the handle | Replace O-rings and seals | The metal is corroded through |
| Low flow from one faucet | Clean or replace the aerator | The supply lines inside are crumbling |
| Loose or wobbling faucet | Tighten the mounting nut from below | The deck is cracked or the threads are stripped |
| Snapped or seeping stop valve | Replace the valve and braided line | Never skip this, a weeping valve will fail |
A faucet over 15 years old that needs its second repair is usually cheaper to replace than to keep patching.
Why Mauldin faucets rarely die from scale
Greenville Water's monthly report for March through May 2026 shows total hardness averaging 5.7 mg/L. That is very soft water. Mineral crust inside aerators and cartridges builds slowly here, so a faucet that sticks or sputters usually has a worn seal or a failed part instead of a clogged one.
That changes the first guess. A plumber in Mauldin is more likely to reach for a cartridge kit than for a descaling soak. If a neighbor's faucet clogs often, the cause may be debris from pipe work, not minerals in the supply.
How a plumber finds the failed part
Diagnosis takes minutes when it follows an order.
- 1
Isolate the fixture
Close the stop valves and open the faucet to confirm the leak stops. If it keeps running, the stop valves are the problem.
- 2
Check where the water shows
Spout, handle base, mounting deck and supply line each point to a different part.
- 3
Pull the cartridge or stem
Wear, scoring and brittle rubber are visible once it is out.
- 4
Test the stop valve
A valve that will not fully close, or weeps when turned, gets replaced at the same visit.
- 5
Run it under pressure
Water is turned back on slowly and the connections are dried and watched for slow drips.
Signs the problem is the valve, not the faucet
Many faucet calls turn out to be about the shutoff valve underneath.
- The stop handle turns freely and nothing changes.
- You see green or white crust on the valve body.
- Water beads on the braided line near the nut.
- The handle has not been turned in years and refuses to move.
- A wet ring appears on the cabinet floor with the faucet off.
Stop valves, especially older multi-turn types, can break when forced. If one will not turn, leave it and call.
What changes faucet repair cost
Typical U.S. faucet repairs run about $150 to $400, while a stop valve swap often lands near $150 to $350. Replacing a faucet costs labor plus the fixture. The real number depends on the job and comes from a call.
Insurance coverage for water damage varies by policy, so ask your carrier. To start, call (855) 575-2890.
A Mauldin leak test before you blame the faucet
Greenville Water maintains the line up to the meter, and the line leaving the meter is the customer's to maintain. If water runs after you fix a faucet, the leak may sit between meter and house. Read the meter, use no water for at least 15 minutes, and read it again.
If the dial moved with every fixture off, you need leak detection on the line more than a new faucet. Greenville Water customer service is at (864) 241-6000 for meter questions.
Source type: Greenville Water customer service page.
Where faucet repair ends and bigger plumbing starts
A leak under the sink that traces to a cracked pipe, not a fitting, is a burst pipe repair. A running toilet fill valve is a different job, covered by toilet repair. Tell the dispatcher what you see and the right plumber arrives with the right parts.
Homeowners in Simpsonville and nearby towns call the same line, so the number to remember stays the same.
Faucet questions from Mauldin homeowners
Yes. The line is staffed 24/7, and a same-day or after-hours visit is offered when a plumber is available. We do not promise an arrival time. We tell you the next step when you call, usually how to stop the water in the meantime.
Close the stop valves under the sink. If they do not hold, close the main shutoff. Then call, because a faucet that cannot be shut off usually has a failed cartridge or seat.
Not usually. Replacing a stop valve means the supply to that line must be off, so the main gets closed for a short time. The rest of the house has water again once the new valve is in.
Rarely. Water this soft does not leave much mineral buildup. Leaks here come from worn seals, old cartridges and tired supply lines.
Do the meter check. With everything off for at least 15 minutes, a moving dial means water is escaping somewhere. A still dial points back to the fixture.
Yes. A steady drip can add up to thousands of gallons over a year. Greenville Water bills what the meter reads, and the meter does not know the water was wasted.
Often yes. Lines over about eight years old can bulge or crack at the crimp. Replacing them while the faucet is apart adds little time.