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Reassemble the Faucet

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How to Fix a Leaky Single-Handle Kitchen Faucet (Ball-Valve Type) · Step 6 of 7

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In this video

Reassemble the faucet by following the disassembly steps in reverse. First, screw the dome cap back on. Next, place the handle back on the stem while it's in the 'on' position, then push it down to the 'off' position. Align the handle and tighten the set screw with the 3/32' Allen wrench until it is snug. Do not overtighten.

Goal: Restore the faucet to its original state

  • Make sure the handle is properly seated before tightening the set screw.

Used in this video

  • Allen wrench/hex key (brand: Husky, Tool Type: Allen wrench/hex key, Handle Type: Hex, Material: Steel, Tool Size/Specification: 3/32 inch) — Tightening the set screw to secure the faucet handle.
300.9K views1.7K5-8 minutes
Danco, Inc.

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FAQs

How difficult is this repair for a beginner, and how long should it take?

This repair is rated beginner-friendly, but requires patience and attention to detail. For a first-timer, expect to spend 1-2 hours from start to finish, including gathering tools and testing. The cost is usually just the repair kit, which is significantly cheaper than replacing the entire faucet.

How can I tell if my leaky faucet is a 'ball-valve type' and ensure I buy the correct repair kit?

Ball-valve faucets typically have a single handle that rotates and tilts to control both temperature and flow. To confirm, carefully remove the handle; if you see a cap underneath that unscrews to reveal a metal or plastic ball, seats, and springs, it's a ball-valve type. Always check your faucet's brand and model (often Delta) to find the exact replacement kit, like the 'DANCO Repair Kit for Delta W/212SS Ball 86971'.

What should I do if I can't find the water shut-off valves under my sink, or if they're stuck?

If you can't locate the hot and cold shut-off valves under the sink, you'll need to turn off the main water supply to your entire house, usually located in the basement or near the water meter. If the under-sink valves are stuck, try gently using an adjustable wrench to turn them, but avoid excessive force to prevent damage. If they still won't budge, it's safer to use the main shut-off or call a professional.

I replaced the parts, but my faucet is still leaking. What could be the issue?

First, double-check that all components, especially the new springs, seats, and the ball, are installed correctly and oriented properly according to the repair kit instructions. Ensure the new O-rings are lubricated with plumber's grease and seated perfectly without any twists or pinches. Sometimes, either over-tightening or under-tightening the cap can cause leaks, so adjust carefully.

Transcript
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So I'm going to turn the water back off now and I'll show you why that's important. When we go to reassemble this, you need to put this piece on first so that gap's down below and I just kind of, like I said, the first time, it's been around a little bit. Before we do that, I'm going to take this back off, put this like this. The other thing that tripped me up was this has to be in the on position. So if I take this and I'm, I make sure that screw is as close as it could be without turn to the on position so then we can fit this back on and I'll show you right here. Okay, sorry about that little video difficulties. Now that I was showing that we have this on the on position with the water off, I'm going to go ahead and put this back back on and the same thing where it just kind of snugs down and then turn that so it's down in the bottom hidden and now that it's down there, I'm going to search around like there and I can see that it's snugly fit in right there. Now the fun part that we are going to screw this back in and once again, like I said at the beginning, it's a 3 30 second Allen wrench and I'm only going to show you a couple of turns here just to give you an idea of where it's at and I'm going to turn this back to the off position so I have more clearance and then I'm going to find the hole like this and then you can see right about there, that's about how far it goes in and I'm going to spin it release it and continue to do this if it goes all the way up there, you're not in the right spot so right about there and you'll feel you'll feel the on wrench seat in there. So we're going to pause this and then I'll show you here in a minute of efforts done. All right, we're back. That took me about seven or eight minutes before I finally took this Allen wrench off that, was able to get there, I can snug it up and now if I take this out and I try wiggling it, there's no movement. Size like this, size like this nice. Now we're going to turn the water back on, give it one last test and

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