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Replace the Old O-Rings — Replace the Seat Washer and O-Ring

Beginner

Part of project

How to Stop a Dripping Two-Handle Faucet · Step 4 of 7

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In this video

Inspect the base of the removed spout. You will see two black O-rings. Carefully remove the old, worn O-rings. If they are brittle or stuck, you can use a small flathead screwdriver or a pick to gently pry them off. After removing them, clean the spout base with a rag or tissue. Take the new O-rings, apply a small amount of plumber's grease to them, and slide them into the grooves on the spout base.

Goal: Replace O-Rings

Used in this video

  • Flathead Screwdriver (Tool Type: Screwdriver, Screwdriver_Type: Flathead) · optional — To gently pry off old or stuck O-rings.
  • Dental Pick (Tool Type: Hand Tools) · optional — To help remove old O-rings from their grooves.
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FAQs

Do I need the specific brand-name tools listed, or can I use generic alternatives for this faucet repair?

No, specific brands are not strictly necessary. A basic set of screwdrivers (Phillips and flathead), an adjustable wrench, and a pair of pliers are usually sufficient for this project. The listed tools are recommendations for quality and ease of use, but common household tools will often suffice.

What is the absolute most important safety precaution I should take before starting this repair?

The most critical step is to completely shut off the water supply to the faucet before any disassembly. This usually involves turning the shut-off valves under the sink clockwise until tight, then confirming the water is off by turning on the faucet.

As a beginner, how much time should I set aside for this project, and what's the typical cost involved?

For a beginner, expect to spend about 30 to 60 minutes on this repair. The cost is typically very low, usually under $10-$20 for replacement washers, O-rings, and plumber's grease, as the main components are inexpensive.

I replaced the washer and O-ring, but my faucet is still dripping. What could be the problem?

If the drip persists, carefully inspect the valve seat for corrosion, nicks, or debris after removing the stem again. A damaged valve seat often needs to be cleaned or replaced, or the new washer/O-ring might not be seated properly or is the wrong size.

Transcript
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water, but no mains. But you pull it out. Okay. Then you're going to slide this piece up that you unscrewed and you're going to have two O-rings, one here and one down here. On this particular faucet, I had two. This is what you call a retainer. Excuse me, my lost grip on my phone. This is what you call a retainer ring. And this wheel just slip off. But you're going to take your O-rings, slip off and replace them. And what they did, I called Delta, told them what my problem was. And they sent me three O-rings, which are right here. And there are RP20049. Actually, they sent me three of them, but I only have to use two. And so what I did is I just, I slipped these off. And they'll just, mine were so worn, they were so loose that you didn't even have to pry them off. They just, they just slipped off. Normally, you would need a flathead screwdriver, something to kind of kind of pick that up and pull it off, but not in, not in this case, men were so loose, they just slid right off. So what I did is I took me a clean ax, I wiped up my, after I got the O-rings off, I wiped this up, cleaned it up. I put my new O-rings on, I slid them on, put this one on first. And then the other one just slides over it and goes right on up to the top, and it's spot. And then I took a little bit of just a little tiny, little tiny bit of plumbers grease, faucet grease, little bit, and just smeared it around my O-ring on both places. Just smeared that plumbers grease around there. Then I took my faucet back over to my sink.

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