Repair × Kitchen — 58 repair guides for the room with the most moving parts.

You came in through the Repair lane — here's everything repair-related for the kitchen. 58 guides covering faucets and fixtures, garbage disposals, dishwashers, cabinet hardware, hinges, drawer slides, and the small electrical failures that stop the kitchen cold. This is the same content you'd reach by browsing through the Kitchen room hub's Repair slice; both URLs serve the same intersection because the site supports two equally valid mental models — "I need to fix something" and "I need to fix something in the kitchen."

The kitchen is the room that breaks the most ways because the kitchen has the most moving parts. Every faucet is a pressure fitting. Every drawer is a mechanical system. Every appliance is a plumbing + electrical intersection. When one of those systems fails, the fix is usually straightforward — you just need to know which system and which part.

The five highest-search kitchen repairs

If you don't know where to start, these five represent the bulk of kitchen-repair searches on the site. All five are within DIY range for a careful first-timer with the right tools.

1. How to fix a leaky kitchen faucet

Thirty to sixty minutes. $8–$40 in parts. Beginner. A dripping faucet is almost always a bad cartridge or O-ring, and both are plug-replacements with a screwdriver and a cartridge puller. Know your faucet's make and the model year before you buy the replacement cartridge. Read the faucet-leak guide via the repair lane →

2. How to fix a garbage disposal

Fifteen to forty minutes. $0–$180 depending on what's wrong. Beginner to intermediate. Clogs are usually a silverware fork jammed in the trap. Humming-but-not-spinning usually means the motor is seized. Neither is expensive if you don't call a plumber. Read the disposal guide via the repair lane →

3. How to fix a clogged kitchen sink

Twenty to sixty minutes. $0–$25 with a drain auger. Beginner. A clogged kitchen sink is usually food solids and grease, not a foreign object. A plunger works half the time. A drain auger works almost always. Read the clogged-sink guide via the repair lane →

4. How to fix a broken cabinet hinge

Ten to twenty minutes. $2–$8 per hinge. Beginner. A broken hinge is a straight replacement. You need a screwdriver, the replacement hinge, and enough room to pull the cabinet door out of the cabinet frame. Read the hinge guide via the repair lane →

5. How to replace a dishwasher supply line

Twenty to forty minutes. $6–$18 in materials. Beginner. A leaking supply line under the sink is an easy swap, but first test the shutoff to make sure it's working. If the shutoff is stuck, that's a separate five-minute project before you do the hose swap. Read the supply-line guide via the repair lane →

Kitchen repair by category and complexity

58 guides total, organized by what system is broken.

Faucets and fixtures (14 guides)

• Dripping or spraying faucets — cartridge, O-ring, aerator failures
• Garbage disposals — clogs, humming, leaks, backing up
• Sink drains and clogs — P-trap, branch line, disposal trap
• Soap dispensers — refill and valve repair
• Water filter systems — cartridge swap, pressure drop

Appliances (16 guides)

• Dishwashers — not draining, not filling, noisy cycles, door latch
• Range hoods — hood fan not running, grease filter clogged, damper stuck
• Refrigerators — ice maker line frozen, water dispenser slow, leaking
• Microwaves — not heating, display issues, turntable not spinning
• Gas ranges — burner not igniting, oven temperature wild, grates stuck

Cabinets and hardware (18 guides)

• Cabinet hinges — bent, broken, loose screws, sagging doors
• Drawer slides — stuck, misaligned, rattling, soft-close failures
• Cabinet door latch and catches — sticking, broken, misaligned
• Cabinet handles and knobs — loose, broken, spinning
• Toe-kick and trim — separated, cracked, loose

Plumbing and water (10 guides)

• Supply lines and hoses — leaking, kinked, burst, slow water
• Drain lines — slow, stopped, leaking under cabinet
• Shutoff valves — stuck, leaking, won't fully close
• Grease traps and strainers — clogged, corroded, misaligned

Five mistakes specific to kitchen repairs

These come up in kitchen repairs because the kitchen has water, electricity, and mechanical systems all working together in a tight space.

• Not testing the shutoff before taking apart plumbing. A stuck shutoff valve becomes a "water off at the main" emergency. Test it with the bucket first, and if it doesn't stop flow completely, replace it before you touch the supply lines.
• Forcing a cartridge puller that doesn't fit. Wrong cartridge pullers bend the cartridge stem and strip the fitting. Know the exact cartridge model number (usually printed on the cartridge or in the faucet documentation) before you buy the puller.
• Pushing drain-clog solutions down before verifying the cause. A garbage disposal hose that's kinked will make you think the disposal is failing when it's just obstructed. Check for the hose blockage first, then go into the disposal.
• Tightening a leaky supply-line connection instead of replacing the line. A leaking connection is not a tightness issue; it's a worn hose. Over-tightening the fitting can crack the connector and make it worse. Replace the hose.
• Ignoring a slow leak under the sink. A slow leak that drips once per minute will destroy a cabinet floor in four months. If it's dripping, you have maybe two weeks of grace period before the wood starts to swell and the repair costs jump from $18 to $400. Fix it now.

The toolkit for kitchen repairs

Beyond the general repair kit, these tools show up specifically on kitchen repairs.

• Basin wrench ($18). Reaches the fitting nuts behind a faucet. Without one, faucet repair is contorted knuckles and broken knuckles.
• Cartridge puller ($12–$30). Different faucets use different pullers. Know your faucet make and model before you buy.
• Drain auger ($18–$35). For clogged kitchen sinks and the drains that plungers won't clear. Cheaper than a plumber.
• Voltage tester, non-contact ($8). Before touching anything near a disposal or dishwasher. Always test.
• Adjustable wrenches, 8-inch and 10-inch ($15 each). For supply-line nuts, disposal mounting, and the awkward angles under a sink.
• Plumber's tape and pipe sealant ($8 each). Tape for threaded connections. Sealant is for compression fittings.
• Bucket, rag, plastic tray ($12 total). Kitchens have water. Prepare for spills.

Common kitchen repair questions

How do I know if my faucet has a cartridge or a compression valve? Turn off the water and pull the faucet handle all the way up. If it goes all the way without much resistance, it's a single-handle cartridge. If it's stiff and you hit a hard stop, it's a compression valve or a two-handle design. Know which you have before you buy parts.

Why does my garbage disposal hum but not spin? The motor is spinning but the blades are stuck. Turn off power at the breaker, put on gloves, reach in with tongs or pliers (never your hands), and pull out whatever is jammed. Silverware forks are the number one culprit.

Can I repair a leaking dishwasher door seal myself? The door seal is usually a simple rubber gasket that slides out and slots back in. Pull the door open, look for the rubber strip (usually white or grey), and slide it out of the groove. Slide the new one in. If the door is misaligned and the seal is just failing from pressure, you also need to adjust the hinge screws.

How do I fix a stuck cabinet hinge pin? Apply WD-40 or a similar penetrating oil, wait 15 minutes, then tap the bottom of the pin with a hammer to bump it up. Once it's moving, tap it all the way out. Clean it, apply oil, and tap it back in. If the pin is permanently bent, replace the hinge.

What causes a faucet to drip even after I replace the cartridge? The most common cause is a worn seat (the fitting the cartridge sits against). Check the cartridge is the right model for your faucet. If it is and it still drips, the seat needs refinishing or replacement.

Sister intersections — other rooms and other repairs

Other repair jobs in the kitchen, and kitchen repairs from other perspectives.

• Kitchen Build — 41 guides for projects from scratch
• Kitchen Install — 78 guides for new fixtures and appliances
• Repair the Bathroom — 46 guides, water fixtures and cabinetry
• Repair the Laundry — 28 guides, washers, dryers, vents
• Repair the Living Room — 22 guides, doors, hardware, finishes
• Repair the Bedroom — 18 guides, doors, hinges, hardware
• All Repair guides — across all 10 rooms

Marquee Guides — Start Here

How to Fix a Leaky Kitchen Faucet

Thirty to sixty minutes. A dripping faucet is almost always a cartridge or O-ring replacement. The cartridge puller is the only tool you need. Know your faucet brand and model number before you buy parts, because Moen, Delta, Kohler, and Brizo all use different cartridge designs. Test the shutoff first so you're not surprised by water pressure. The faucet drips because one of three things: the cartridge seal is worn, the O-ring around the spout is dry, or the pressure is too high. A new cartridge fixes 90% of drips. Read more at how-to-fix-a-leaky-kitchen-faucet.

How to Fix a Garbage Disposal

Fifteen to forty minutes. A garbage disposal either hums and doesn't spin (the blades are jammed), doesn't hum (the motor is dead), or backs up (the P-trap is clogged). Ninety percent of jams are a fork wedged in the trap. Turn off power at the breaker, put on gloves, and pull it out with tongs. Never put your hands down a disposal. If the motor is seized, the disposal costs $80–$180 to replace. If the trap is clogged, use a drain auger. Read more at how-to-fix-a-garbage-disposal.

How to Fix a Clogged Kitchen Sink

Twenty to sixty minutes. A clogged kitchen sink is usually food solids and grease, not a foreign object. A plunger works 50% of the time. A drain auger works 90% of the time. A drain auger costs $18–$35 and saves you $150 on a plumber call. The key is knowing whether the clog is in the P-trap (under the sink) or upstream (in the branch line). If the sink drains slowly but doesn't fully back up, it's upstream. If it backs up completely, check the P-trap first. Read more at how-to-fix-a-clogged-kitchen-sink.

How to Fix a Broken Cabinet Hinge

Ten to twenty minutes. A broken hinge is a straight replacement. You need a screwdriver, the replacement hinge (which costs $2–$8), and room to pull the cabinet door out of the frame. If the hinge is bent, don't try to straighten it. Replace it. If the screw holes are stripped, you'll need to drill a new hole 1.5 inches away and dowel the old hole. A Forstner bit and a wooden dowel (both $10) fix this. Read more at how-to-fix-a-broken-cabinet-hinge.

How to Replace a Dishwasher Supply Line

Twenty to forty minutes. A leaking supply line under the sink is an easy swap. The new hose costs $6–$18. The hard part is testing the shutoff first. If the shutoff is stuck and won't close, you need to replace it before you touch the hose. A stuck shutoff becomes a "water off at the main" emergency. Test it with a bucket first. If it holds, you're ready to swap the hose. Read more at how-to-replace-a-dishwasher-supply-line.

How to Replace a Faucet Cartridge

Thirty minutes. A cartridge replacement is the fastest fix for a dripping faucet. The cartridge costs $30–$50. You need a cartridge puller ($12–$30) and a screwdriver. The puller matches your faucet brand. Forcing the wrong puller into a cartridge bends the stem. Know the brand before you buy. Install the new cartridge, test, and if it still drips, the seat (the fitting the cartridge sits against) is worn and needs replacement. Read more at how-to-replace-a-faucet-cartridge.

How to Fix a Leaking Dishwasher

Thirty to ninety minutes. A leaking dishwasher is either a bad door seal, a cracked sump, or a hose connection issue. The door seal is a rubber gasket that slides out and slots back in ($10–$30). The sump is inside the unit and harder to access (call a pro). The hose connection is under the sink and tightens like a supply line. Test the door seal first—it's the easiest fix. Read more at how-to-fix-a-leaking-dishwasher.

How to Replace a Kitchen Sink Sprayer

Fifteen to twenty minutes. A kitchen sink sprayer is a cartridge and O-ring like a faucet. If the spray is weak, the aerator is clogged. Unscrew the cap at the nozzle, rinse out the debris, and screw it back on. If the hose is kinked or the cartridge is worn, replace the sprayer head ($20–$50). The installation is a twist and a water connection. Read more at how-to-replace-a-kitchen-sink-sprayer.

How to Fix a Stuck Drawer Slide

Ten to fifteen minutes. A stuck drawer slide is either kinked, misaligned, or gunked up with grease. Slide it out fully (usually there's a button or tab to release it), clean it with a dry rag, apply silicone spray (not WD-40, which attracts dirt), and slide it back in. If it's still stuck, the slide is bent and needs replacement ($15–$30 per pair). Read more at how-to-fix-a-stuck-drawer-slide.

How to Replace an Undermount Sink Clip

Twenty to thirty minutes. An undermount sink is held by clips under the countertop. If the sink is sagging, the clips are bent or loose. Turn off the water, drain the sink, and crawl under the counter with a wrench. Tighten the clips first (usually one quarter turn brings the sink back up). If that doesn't work, unbolt the clips, replace them, and reinstall ($40–$80 in clips). Read more at how-to-replace-an-undermount-sink-clip.

How to Fix a Loose Kitchen Faucet Handle

Five to ten minutes. A loose handle is a set screw that needs tightening. Look under the handle or behind it for a small hexagon socket. Tighten with an Allen wrench. If that doesn't work, the handle is worn and needs replacement ($20–$100 depending on the faucet). Read more at how-to-fix-a-loose-kitchen-faucet-handle.

How to Tighten a Wobbly Faucet Base

Fifteen to twenty minutes. A wobbly faucet is a loose mounting nut under the sink. Turn off the water, crawl under the sink, and tighten the nut with a basin wrench (which is the only tool that reaches up into that space). Turn it clockwise. If it's already tight and the wobble persists, the base gasket is worn and you need to replace the faucet ($150–$300 in parts and labor). Read more at how-to-tighten-a-wobbly-faucet-base.

Voices on This Page

Marcus Webb. Columbus, Ohio. 9 minutes. Common Kitchen Repairs — A plumbing contractor for 22 years, Marcus writes from the field. He's crawled under five hundred sinks and watched the same mistakes repeat. The repairs most homeowners skip—testing the shutoff, verifying the cartridge model, confirming the O-ring size—are the repairs that break again two months later. Read his anthology.

Dana Cole. Austin, Texas. 10 minutes. Modern Kitchen Upgrades — A kitchen designer who thinks about repair as prevention. A well-designed space breaks less. The materials, the layout, the finish—all anticipate where stress lives. Read her design philosophy.

Ray Torres. Phoenix, Arizona. 7 minutes. Kitchen Safety Checklist — A building inspector. He's inspected thousands of kitchens and sees what fails first: the cabinet hinge about to sag, the disposal mounting about to vibrate loose, the shutoff that won't close. Read his checklist.

Iris (Editor's Pick). How to Fix a Leaky Kitchen Faucet — Iris synthesizes repair manuals, brand specs, and field data. It's the voice of collective knowledge. When you need the complete path from diagnosis to fix, start here. Read the guide.

What's Worth Paying a Pro For

Most kitchen repairs are DIY. These are not: anything that touches gas, anything involving the main water shutoff when the valve is stuck (you will flood the house), and any electrical work inside an appliance. These three require a licensed professional because the failure modes are irreversible.

For everything else, the rule is: if you can picture the steps out loud, you can probably do it. The ones you can't picture—the ones requiring tools you've never held or techniques you've never tried—need a pro. A 30-minute faucet swap is DIY. A gas line re-route is not.

The Toolkit

Basin wrench. $18. Reaches fitting nuts behind a faucet in a 4-inch space. Without one, 10-minute jobs take 45 minutes. Buy first.

Cartridge puller. $12–$30. Matches your faucet brand (Moen/Delta/Kohler/Brizo all use different designs). Forcing the wrong puller bends the stem.

Drain auger. $18–$35. A hand-crank snake. A plunger works 50%. An auger works 90%.

Voltage tester. $8. Non-contact. Hold it near a wire, not on it. Catches live circuits you didn't expect.

Adjustable wrenches. $15 each. 8-inch and 10-inch. For supply-line nuts and weird angles under a sink.

Teflon tape and pipe sealant. $8 each. Tape for threads. Sealant for compression fittings. Know which one you have.

Slip-joint pliers. $12. Adjustable jaw. One tool instead of three.

Flashlight or headlamp. $15. The space under a sink is dark.

Multimeter. $20–$50. Tests circuits. Confirms power is off. Better than guessing.

Common Mistakes

Shutting off the wrong valve. Overtightening a slip nut and cracking the tailpiece. Using the wrong washer on a compression fitting. Ignoring upstream pressure when a faucet drips. Leaving a slow leak under the sink untreated. That one drip per minute destroys a cabinet floor in four months.

Sister Intersections

Other kitchen lanes: Kitchen Install (78 guides) · Kitchen Build (41 guides) · Kitchen Clean (35 guides) · Kitchen Organize (22 guides) · Kitchen Decorate (18 guides).

Other repair rooms: Bathroom Repair (46 guides) · Bedroom Repair (18 guides) · Living Room Repair (22 guides) · Basement Repair (24 guides) · Garage Repair (31 guides).

One more thing — when to fix it yourself, when to call a pro

Most kitchen repairs are DIY. The ones that aren't: anything that touches gas, anything involving the main water shutoff when the valve is stuck, and any electrical work inside an appliance. For everything else, if you can picture the steps out loud, you can probably do it. The ones you can't picture are the ones that need a pro.