- 1). Turn off the water. Follow the water line until you find a shut-off valve, and turn it off. If you can't find one that controls that line, turn off the main water supply for the house.
- 2). Unscrew the handle from the faucet with a Phillips screwdriver. Lift off the handle and set it aside.
- 3). Unscrew the valve retaining nut by turning it counter-clockwise with a wrench. If the faucet is old, the nut may be stuck. Spray a little lubricant onto the threads from underneath, then try removing the nut after a five-minute wait.
- 4). Unwind the packing from the valve stem. It should come right off, but if you need to pry it off, use a slot screwdriver. Sometimes the packing is located inside the retaining nut. It may be a graphite string, or it may be a washer. Pry either out with a slot screwdriver.
- 5). Install new packing. If it is located inside the nut, put in a new washer or wrap graphite packing around the inside of the nut and push it in with the screwdriver. If it is on the valve stem, wrap new string around the stem until it makes three complete circuits.
- 6). Replace the retaining nut and tighten it on with a wrench. Screw the handle back on and then turn on the water.
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