Had the same issue a while back. Thought I'd just swap out washers and call it a day, but nope... turned out the faucet had cracked inside from freezing. If you're handy enough, it's definitely doable yourself—just take your time. Here's roughly what I did:
- Shut off the main water valve first (trust me, you don't want a surprise shower).
- Opened up the faucet to drain any leftover water.
- Removed the old faucet carefully; mine was rusted on pretty good, so some WD-40 and patience helped.
- Cleaned up the pipe threads with a wire brush before installing the new faucet.
- Wrapped plumber's tape around the threads (clockwise!) to avoid leaks.
- Installed the new faucet snugly—hand-tight first, then gently tightened with a wrench.
Turned water back on slowly and checked for leaks. Worked like a charm. Honestly, it's not rocket science, just go slow and have towels handy in case things get messy. Good luck!
That's a solid walkthrough and covers most bases. One thing I'd add from experience is to check the pipe itself closely once you've removed the old faucet. Sometimes, especially after a freeze, the pipe behind the faucet can develop hairline cracks or damage that's easy to miss at first glance. Happened to me last winter—thought I'd nailed it after replacing the faucet, only to find a slow drip coming from behind the wall a few days later. Ended up having to open things back up and solder in a new section of pipe.
"Cleaned up the pipe threads with a wire brush before installing the new faucet."
Definitely agree here—clean threads make all the difference in preventing leaks down the line. Did you have copper pipes or galvanized steel? If galvanized, did you run into any issues with corrosion or rust buildup inside the pipe itself? I've found that sometimes older galvanized pipes can be tricky, and it's worth inspecting them carefully before calling it done.
