Repairing a One Handle Ball Faucet

Turn off the water under the sink to ensure you do not flood the kitchen during the repairs. Rotate the supply valve handles clockwise until tight. Lift up the faucet handle to release any water in the faucet lines.

Look on the front or the back of the handle along its base for the setscrew opening. Insert a hex key from a hex key set into the opening and rotate the setscrew counterclockwise to loosen it. Pull the handle off the faucet to expose the faucet cap.

Wrap an old rag around the faucet cap. Fit tongue-and-groove pliers around the rag-wrapped cap and turn it counterclockwise to loosen it. Use your fingers to twist the cap off the faucet to expose the one-handled faucet cam.

Grab the cam with your fingers and lift it from the faucet to expose the packing or cam washer. Use your fingers to pull the packing from the faucet to expose the ball.

Lift the ball from the faucet to expose the rubber seats and springs inside the body of the faucet. Note the orientation of the ball as you remove it from the faucet.

Grab the rubber seats and springs with tweezers. Pull the seats and springs from the faucet. Pay close attention to the orientation of the seats and springs as you pull them from the faucet to ensure you install the replacement parts in the same way.

Grasp the faucet spout with your hand. Wiggle the spout left and right as you pull up on the spout to remove it from the faucet body and expose the rubber O-rings.

Slip a flat-blade screwdriver between the O-rings and the faucet body. Pry the O-rings from the faucet.

Carry the parts you removed from the one-handle ball faucet to a plumbing supply or home improvement center to ensure you obtain the correct replacement parts. Not all parts are universal; attempting to repair your faucet with the wrong parts could result in leaks and water damage.

Install the new O-rings onto the faucet body. Reinstall the faucet spout, wiggling it from side-to-side as you push it onto the faucet.

Thread one of the replacement seats and springs over the end of the hex key. Slide the seat on the hex key first, then add the spring, making sure both are oriented in the correct positions to install inside the faucet body.

Insert the tip of the hex key into the seat and spring opening in the faucet. Slide the spring and seat down the hex hey and into the seat and spring opening. Repeat for the remaining seat and spring.

Insert the faucet ball into the faucet opening. Place the replacement packing over the ball. Install the replacement cam to hold the ball and packing in the faucet.

Replace the faucet cap and hand-tighten it. Wrap the cap in the rag and use the pliers to tighten it.

Reinstall the single handle over the cap. Use the hex key to tighten the handle’s setscrew.

Reach beneath the sink and turn the supply valve handles counterclockwise.