Compression, Cartridge, or Ceramic Disc: What Kind of Faucet Do You Actually Have?

Lead-free requirements under federal and Colorado plumbing code apply to any new faucet installation, which is worth knowing if you're considering an older, secondhand, or antique-style fixture for a renovation, since not every product on the market, particularly imported or vintage items, necessarily meets current lead-free standards for potable water fixtures.

Why this matters more than most homeowners realize

"My faucet is dripping" sounds like one problem, but the actual repair depends entirely on which of three common valve types is inside it. Fixing a compression faucet the way you'd fix a cartridge faucet simply doesn't work, and vice versa, which is why a repair that seems straightforward from a video online sometimes goes nowhere.

Compression faucets: the oldest style, still common in pre-1990s homes

A compression faucet has separate hot and cold handles that you turn to tighten a rubber washer against a valve seat, physically stopping the flow. These are common in older Old Town homes and other pre-1990s construction, and a drip almost always means the rubber washer has worn out and needs replacing, along with sometimes the valve seat itself if it's become pitted or rough.

This is the style people mean when they talk about "just replacing the washer," and it genuinely is often that simple, provided the valve seat underneath is still in decent shape.

Cartridge and ceramic disc faucets: the modern standard

Cartridge faucets, standard in most homes built or renovated in the last 20 to 25 years, use a replaceable cartridge rather than a washer, and a drip means the cartridge has worn out, not that a washer needs changing. Trying to fix a cartridge faucet's drip with a washer replacement simply won't work, since there's no washer in the mechanism to replace.

Ceramic disc faucets, a further refinement, use two ceramic discs that slide against each other and are known for being exceptionally durable and drip-resistant, though when they do fail, the fix is again a specific replacement part matched to that faucet's design.

How to figure out which one you have

A single-handle faucet that controls both temperature and flow with one lever is almost certainly a cartridge or ceramic disc design. Separate hot and cold handles that you turn to shut off water, rather than lift or lever, point toward an older compression-style faucet. When in doubt, we can identify it in a couple of minutes during a standard repair visit, and you'll know exactly what's being replaced and why.

What we check before installing a faucet you've purchased elsewhere

Beyond confirming the mounting holes match your sink or countertop, we check that the fixture is certified lead-free and rated for potable water use, since this matters for your household's actual water quality, not just code compliance on paper. We'll flag it honestly if a fixture you've purchased doesn't meet current standards, rather than installing it without mentioning the concern.

This is particularly relevant for vintage-style fixtures that are popular in period-appropriate renovations of Old Town homes, where the aesthetic may be authentic to the era but the actual manufacturing standards need to meet today's requirements.

If you're unsure whether a fixture you're considering for purchase meets current standards, bringing the product listing or model number to us before you buy is a quick way to confirm compatibility and code compliance, saving you the hassle of returning a fixture that turns out not to work for your situation.