How To Repair A Peerless Two-Handled Kitchen Faucet

A Peerless kitchen faucet repair is fairly straightforward when the faucet has two handles, because diagnosing valve problems is easier when there is one valve dedicated to hot water and the other one to cold. You'll usually encounter one of three scenarios: the faucet is leaking from the spout, it's leaking from the handle or your Peerless faucet is leaking from the base. You can fix all three problems by servicing the valves.

Many Peerless faucets use ceramic disk or cartridge valves, and when you have problems with either one, you might have to replace it. Less expensive models have compression valves, which you usually repair by replacing a washer or the valve seat, but you'll still need specific parts. You can buy Peerless faucet parts online or at home improvement or hardware stores.

​Read more:​ How to Troubleshoot and Repair a Faucet

The process for removing the valves from a two-handled Peerless faucet is pretty much the same one you would use for any type of faucet. Start by turning off the water shut-off valves and opening the faucet to relieve pressure, then unscrew and take off the handles with a screwdriver. Once the handles are off, loosen the valve retaining nut by turning it counterclockwise with locking pliers or a wrench, remove the nut and lift out the valve.

Older valves can be bound in place by mineral deposits and may require extra effort to pull out. In some cases, you may need to use a valve puller, which is a corkscrew-like device available at hardware and plumbing supply stores. If you can't find one at the store, PlumbingSupply.com should have what you need.

If you get stuck and can't figure out how to proceed, you'll probably find a Peerless faucet repair video online that is relevant to your problem. You can also find instructions for specific situations on the Peerless website.

The actual repair procedure depends on the type of faucet and where you saw the water leaking. If the faucet was leaking from the spout, and the faucet has compression valves, replace the washer on the base of each valve. If that doesn't work, remove the valve seat with a seat wrench and replace it. If the faucet has ceramic disk or cartridge valves, try replacing the gaskets in the water inlet holes or replacing the entire valve, if it appears damaged.

When you notice a leak from the handle, that usually indicates a worn O-ring, which occurs only with ceramic disk and cartridge valves. Try replacing all the O-rings on the valve. If that doesn't solve the problem, replace the valve.

When water seeps onto the sink deck from under the faucet, that usually indicates a worn O-ring at the base of the spout, and it usually happens only with swivel-spout models. With the faucet turned off, loosen the collar around the base of the spout with pliers, then pull the spout off the faucet assembly. Replace the O-ring on the pipe that gets exposed when you remove the spout.

Sometimes, a blocked faucet aerator will prevent water from flowing through the spout, causing it to back up and leak from the base. If you notice a leak accompanied by low flow, unscrew the aerator, flush it out under the faucet and soak it overnight in vinegar to dissolve mineral deposits. If the flow is low even with the aerator off, the valves may also need to be removed and soaked in vinegar to clean them.