When a bathroom or kitchen tap starts dripping, what starts off as a minor annoyance can quickly turn into a costly and property-damaging problem if left too long.
However, fixing a leaking tap is an easy, basic skills every homeowner should be keen to learn—just like bleeding a radiator. We’re here to show you how to fix a leaking tap in a simple, step-by-step fashion, whether that’s a traditional tap, a mixer tap or a tap with ceramic discs.
Once you’ve learnt how easy it is to fix a dripping tap, for more of our step-by-step guides check out our article on other common water leaks in the home and how to fix them.
What tools do I need to fix a dripping tap?
Gather and keep all of your tap repair tools in one place for ease of access if a leak should occur. You will need the following:
- Adjustable spanner
- Flathead and cross-head screwdrivers
- Scissors
- Replacement cartridge or assorted washers and O-rings
- Allen key (in some cases)
Top tips before you start:
- Always turn off your water supply before you start any plumbing work. Once the water is off, run the taps to drain the water and release pressure in your pipes
- Before you start disassembling your tap, put the plug in the plughole to prevent the loss of any small parts
- Spanners and screwdrivers have been known to easily scratch chrome taps. Where you can, use a soft cloth or some masking tape to cover and protect the finish of your gleaming hardware
- Don’t over-tighten a washer or valve when reassembling. This may damage or cause excess stress on the joint
How to fix a traditional tap
If you have separate hot and cold taps that each need turning more than a quarter turn to achieve a full flow of water, you’ve got traditional taps—also known as compression valve taps.
Follow these simple steps to fix a dripping compression valve tap:
1. Isolate the water supply with a screwdriver
Locate the isolation valve often found on the pipes underneath or close to your sink. Use your screwdriver to turn this off. If your sink doesn’t have an isolation valve, or you can’t find it, turn your water off at the stopcock. This can usually be found under your kitchen sink.
2. Check that no water comes out of the taps
Run the tap until there’s no more water left. Your taps must be completely drained before you can take apart the dripping tap. Remember to plug your sink afterwards, to prevent losing any small parts.
3. Remove the tap cover
Different taps may have different types of cap or cover. You are looking for the screw underneath. If you have decorative hot and cold caps, you may find the screw beneath those. On a single lever tap, check below the hot and cold indicator.
You can usually unscrew these caps by hand, or with a flathead screwdriver. In some cases you may need to use an Allen key.
4. Remove the tap handle and dismantle the valve
You should now be able to see the screw at the top of the tap head. This holds the tap together. You’ll need to loosen it completely to get inside the valve and make repairs.
You may find that you have one of two compression tap valve cover types. The traditional version has a spindle at the top and valve cover underneath. The other has grips on the valve cover for you to turn. The process for dismantling the tap head, however, is the same for both types:
- Unscrew the top screw with a crosshead screwdriver
- Use an adjustable spanner to loosen the valve inside, then remove it
- Remove the nut that holds the washer in place
- Hold the valve steady with the adjustable spanner, and use a screwdriver to remove the screw that holds the washer in place
Top tip: Lay all of the items removed on the side of the sink or on a towel, in the order that you took them off. This will make it easier to reassemble your tap once you’ve fixed it.
5. Run your finger inside the tap to check the seating
A dripping tap is often caused by a worn out tap seat. When in good health, this is what the washer sits on when the tap is closed, creating a seal to stop the water running.
You can identify a damaged or worn out tap seat by small canals eroded into the metal of the seat. You can fix this with the following instructions:
- Use a seat grinder tool to grind the rest of the seat down to the level of these canals. This will produce a flat, smooth seat for the washer to sit on, and a better seal to stop the flow of water
- Buy a seat insert kit. This adds a new piece to your tap seating to form a new seal
If the tap seat was in fact eroded, and you’ve carried out one of those two fixes, try putting your tap back together. Turn your water back on and test the drip—you may find it was the seat and not the washer that was the issue.
6. Check and replace your tap washer
If you found that your tap seat was in good working condition, the next element to check is your tap washer. Examine this for wear and tear, and replace if necessary.
7. Re-assemble your tap, turn on your water and check for drips
With the seat and the washer checked and/or fixed, you should be home and dry.
How to fix a ceramic disc tap
Some modern taps turn only a quarter of the way. These can often be identified as a ceramic disc tap. Follow the steps below to fix ceramic disc taps like a pro.
Top tip: It’s best to remove the ceramic disc valve and take them to a plumbing merchant or DIY store to ensure you can purchase a like-for-like replacement – there are many different types! Now follow the steps below and you’ll be fixing ceramic disc taps like a pro.
1. Isolate the water with a screwdriver
Locate the isolation valve often found on the pipes underneath or close to your sink. Use your screwdriver to turn this off. If your sink doesn’t have an isolation valve, or you can’t find it, turn your water off at the stopcock. This can usually be found under your kitchen sink.
2. Check that no water comes out of the taps
Run the tap until there’s no more water left. Your taps must be completely drained before you can take apart the dripping tap. Remember to plug your sink afterwards, to prevent losing any small parts.
3. Remove the tap head
There are thousands of different styles of ceramic disc taps, but all will have removable tops, or ‘headgear’, as plumbers call it. Check around the headgear for ways in. In our example video, we had to unscrew the handle to get to a small opening for an Allen key, which you must unscrew to take off the top. In other taps, the top of it unscrews or lifts off, or you can pop it off gently with a flathead screwdriver.
- Unscrew the inside screw: Either with a crosshead screwdriver or an Allen key
- Lift off the headgear, or unscrew the valve cover: Once that’s done you can lift off the entire headgear or unscrew the valve cover—depending on the style of your tap. If it’s stiff, wrap some masking tape or a soft cloth around it to minimise damage, and use an adjustable spanner to help unscrew it.
- Unscrew the hexagonal nut at the neck of the valve: You can do this using an adjustable spanner. This might also be stiff, so grab the body of the tap or spout with your other hand for leverage, and to make sure it doesn’t turn—otherwise, you could damage the pipework underneath.
- Remove the entire ceramic disc valve: This is sometimes known as a cartridge. If it looks cracked or worn, you’ll need to replace it. These come left or right-handed, so bear this in mind when you get the replacement.
- Secure the valve and put the tap back together in reverse order
How to stop a leaking spout
Mixer taps have moveable spouts that may drip or leak from the bottom. If this happens, it’s likely to be your O-ring that needs replacing at the bottom of the spout, rather than a mixer tap washer replacement. This can be done in 6 simple steps:
- Use a box spanner to loosen the nut that holds the tap to the sink from below
- Twist the tap around to give you better access, then use a screwdriver to remove the grub screw
- Lift the spout out to give you access to the O-ring—the rubber ring at the base of the spout
- Use a flathead screwdriver to loosen the O-ring and slide it off, or just snip it off with a pair of scissors
- Roll the replacement O-ring into position
- To replace the spout, line up the marker on the spout with the groove in the tap body and slot the spout back into position. Secure the tap in place by re-tightening the grub screw and the nut underneath the sink
When to call the professionals to fix your leaking tap
If you’ve followed our step by step guides and are still experiencing a problem with leaking taps or pipes, our professional plumbing engineers are here to help. Get in touch with HomeServe today to see how we can assist.
FAQs
Q. Is it normal for a tap to drip?
A leaking or dripping tap is a fairly common problem, potentially caused by a worn-out washer. You can often fix this yourself by replacing the washer, for example. Follow our guide for step-by-step instructions tailored to each type of tap to avoid listening to that constant dripping!
Q. Is a dripping tap dangerous?
Although not immediately dangerous, if left unfixed a dripping tap can cause water to pool leading to the growth of harmful mould. There is also the potential for water damage to the surrounding floorboards and cabinets making them weaken and rot alongside stress on the plumbing system.
Q. Will a dripping tap get worse?
A dripping tap can get worse over time. The longer it is left, the more issues it can cause, especially if you’re continuing to use the tap. This can lead to a more costly repair. It’s best to fix your leaking tap as soon as you can.
Q. Is a dripping tap an emergency?
If the water is only dripping, and is contained to flow down your sink and not cause any immediate danger it is not classed as a plumbing emergency. If you’re unable to fix the leaking tap yourself, you can always call on a professional plumber to repair it for you.
Q. How much water does a dripping tap waste?
If you tap drips every second, you could be wasting approximately four litres of water a day. That’s almost enough to fill a bath! It’s easy to see how a dripping tap could be costly over time if left unchecked.
