It’s time to do some serious adulting and get to the bottom of that incessant dripping sound coming from your bathroom.
There is nothing worse than desperately trying to drift off to sleep or having a delightful dinner with friends and family, only to be punctuated with a very relentless drip, drip, drip. Annoying? Yes. Hard to fix? No way.
It’s super simple to tweak your taps and put an end to the dripping. A lot of tap leaks are caused by simple wear and tear, so you’ll only need to swap out a washer or O-ring to resolve the problem. With the right tools and a free afternoon, you can fix the problem without needing to call the pros.
Things You’ll Need
● Adjustable Spanner: To loosen and tighten everything.
● Screwdriver: Both flathead and Phillips, so you’ve covered all bases.
● Replacement Washers or O-rings: Hopefully, this is all you’ll need to replace.
● Tap Grease or Plumber’s Grease: It’s more effective than elbow grease.
● Allen Keys: You might need these to remove tap handles, but some do not need them.
● Cloth or Towel: To catch any drips.
● Basin Wrench or Grips: For more stubborn fittings.
● New Tap Cartridge or Ceramic Disc: Again, you might not need to replace these.
Step 1: Turn Off the Water
Please do not forget this step. For most of us, you can find the isolation valve right under your sink, but in some cases, you might need to head to the stopcock. Once you’ve done that, you must turn on the tap to drain any water left in the pipes. If you miss this step, you might need more than a towel to catch the drips.
Step 2: Plug the Sink
We’re not sure if there’s any science behind it, but small parts seem to do their best to make a break for it down the plug hole. It’s always best to block it up just to be safe. If you drop something down there, it’ll just be a frustrating setback you wish you could’ve avoided.
Step 3: Take the Tap Apart
Start by removing the tap handle. You should be able to pop off a cap on top, unscrew a tiny bolt, or simply pull it off. This is where you may need screwdrivers or Allen keys, depending on the fitting.
Next, unscrew the main body of the tap using a spanner or grips. Be really gentle here to avoid damaging either the tap or your pipework.
Step 4: Inspect the Washer or Cartridge
Now we’re onto diagnostics. Take a look at either:
● Rubber Washer/O-Ring: Is it worn? Cracked? Swap it for new ones
● Ceramic Disc Cartridge: Looks in bad shape? Replace the cartridge. Use one of our adaptors and kits if you’ve got an awkward tap.
You can always do a bit of Googling to find out the exact part you need, but don’t be fooled, there is no such thing as a universal tap cartridge.
Step 5: Putting Everything Back
Add a bit of plumber’s grease to your parts and assemble your tap in the reverse order of the previous steps. Take plenty of time here. It can feel super fiddly and overwhelming, but it’s almost over now.
Step 6: Turn the Water On and Test
Turn your isolation valve or stopcock back on very slowly. Then you can test your hard work. If there are no more drips, then you can relax; your handiwork is complete. If it’s still dripping, double-check the seal or find a YouTube video for your specific tap and do a bit of troubleshooting.
Fixing leaky taps is definitely one of those jobs we either put off or call in the professionals for. In reality, it’s not too difficult, and it’s a great small job to help build your confidence with home maintenance and DIY. Now you’ve done this, it’s time to start the next project.