Faucet leaks above ball assembly when using cold water

First do some problem isolation to make sure the water is not coming from the supply lines dripping along the pipes, or from a leak at the sink/counter interface and just dripping down on the disposal and drain from up above because caulk is bad. Also check your sprayer hose to eliminate that. Best way is to dry it all completely with paper towels and a hair dryer and then watch what happens when you run hot and cold water. If it is a double sink, make sure it is not drain water coming from the other sink and migrating over to the disposal side. The reason for all this checking is that the drain connections are notorious for leaking when they are bumped like if you store pots and pans under the sink. Once you have pinpointed it to the disposal as you first believed, then you need to dismantle it and check the gaskets. G

Could be drain, trap or connections at faucet underneath sink. Best get in cupboard with light, turn on 1 faucet at a time & check very closely. Time and patience

if you have the ring removed, screw the handle back on and pull up on it,, your leak is probably due to a worn , torn , "O" ring,, and Moen parts are found at most hardware stores ,, ( including Home depot , and Lowes) On Moen faucets , Look for the dent in the flange that squares off,, where that square is on the ring, is where the retainer ring is that holds the faucet in place ..its a "C" clip with a head on it, remove this ring and the assembly should come out , be sure and use plumbers grease when replacing the O rings,, they last much longer that way

Replace the drain and plug with a new one while using silicone to seal the upper and lower half of the drain.........It is also a good practice to lubricate the rubber washer as well...........Wait 24 hours and it should be good to ge........Hope this helps.

Find out exactly where leak is coming from.
You say water is coming from the side... is that where the pipe connects? Then take apart pipe and reassemble pipe using instructions below, and use rectorseal on joints as described below..
Is water coming from where dishwasher connects to disposal? Then tighten the clamp.
Is water coming from top where disposal connects to sink? Run paper towel around top to check for moisture, and then use steps below to dissemble disposal and re-install same disposal.
Is water coming from a rusted hole in disposal. Then replace disposal using steps below:

Here are the disposal steps:
When I worked apartment maintenance, we replaced disposal with same brand disposal.
That way we didn't have to change out sink basket or change pipes.
How to: Disconnect p-trap and tailpiece going into disposal.
Rotate connector disk clockwise that holds disposal to sink basket.
Before installing new disposal.
Attach electric wire to new disposal.
Attach dishwasher tube to new disposal. Knock out plug inside dishwasher opening.
Push new disposal up into place, and attach to old sink basket with new connector disk.
Use new connector washer.
Re-assemble tubular pipe.



If this is your home, you want new sink basket that comes with new disposal because it looks shiny and new.
Buy a tub of plumbers putty also.
Remove old sink basket and clean opening.
Put finger-size roll of plumbers putty around sink opening, and then push new strainer basket into plumbers putty.
Tighten basket from below, wipe away excess putty around sink opening.
Install new disposal as described above.



Tips for tubular pipes:
When taking apart tubular pipes, start at p-trap and take apart as few pieces as needed to do job.
On image below, loosen both upper and lower nuts, trap falls loose, and then work on disposal.
Any tubular drain pipe that gets moved while working under sink needs to be disassembled, cleaned and re-assembled.
Metal pipes have rubber washer >> always use new rubber washers.
Plastic pipes have plastic washers > plastic washers can be cleaned and re-used.
Plastic washers have flat side that goes toward nut, tapered side away from nut.



When reassembling tubular pipe, we use rectorseal on washers and joints.
Apply good amount on washer just before pushing washer in place and attaching nut.
Rectorseal will ensure tubular drain pipes won't leak.

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It sounds like two problems.
Problem 1) Clog inside faucet or clog inside pipes at faucet
Remove supply tubes leading to faucet and see if problem is inside pipes or inside faucet.
My bet is clog inside faucet.

If you have galvanized pipe that meets copper pipe, this can be trouble spot.
Article on clogged water pipes at Inspectapedia:
http://www.inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Pipe_Clog_Repair_Guide.htm

Article on clogged pipes:
http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pages/WHRpages/English/Troubleshooting/Tanklets/backflushing.html

Problem 2) Water heater leak ... you say tank valve is leaking? Is that cold-water shut-off valve? Or tank drain valve? Or TP valve?

If cold water shut-off is leaking, then replace shut off.

If tank drain valve is leaking, then check if plastic valve is cracked. If drain valve is cracked, then replace with a brass valve from Home Depot. If plastic valve breaks off, then use hammer and screwdriver to gently chip out the broken plastic valve. New valve threads need teflon tape to seal pipe. If valve is just dripping, then put garden-hose cap over end of valve and screw down tight.

If TP valve is leaking, then replace with same temperature and pressure rating. New TP valve threads need teflon tape to seal pipe.

Problem 3) If pressure is low all over house:
Buy pressure gauge at hardware store that screws onto hose connection.

Test pressure on outdoor spigot.
Open faucet and check if pressure drops. This says if problem is inside pipes that enter house.

Test pressure on water heater drain valve.
This says if pressure problem is before -or- after water heater.

If problem is before the water heater, then shut-off valve located on cold water line is suspect.
If problem is after water heater, it could be in hot water outflow pipe on top of water heater, or a nearby elbow.
Remove hot water line leading from water heater and check pressure. This says if problem is where hot water leaves tank.
Read articles above about clogs inside water lines.

Sorry to hear you are having problems with your drain Dave. It might be as simple as tightening the nut another 1/8th of a turn. You've got to be careful here as the plastic parts for the drain can easily break if too much force is applied. Hand tighten only.

If tightening it up doesn't work then disassemble the pop up and look at the rubber washer. See if there are any signs on the washer that might tell you where it isn't sealing against the underside of the sink. Check the sink to ensure it is not cracked or chipped around the bottom of the drain. If everything looks fine then reassemble the drain and look again for leaks. It's possible something could have become trapped between the washer and sink allowing a capillary action to let water escape at this point. If the problem persists try using a little bit of plumbers putty with the washer as there could possible be a defect in the porcelin or steel of the sink drain allowing water to escape. Let me know if the problem persists and we'll have another go at it.

They make a replcement over flow kit.