First of all, to mend a leaking tap you will need to follow one of two sets of instructions depending on the type of tap fitting which you have.

Decide According to Your Tap Style Whether You Will be Changing a Washer or a Ceramic Disc

A leaky tap can make a frustrating companion. Most people hate its constant drip, drip, drip. But, it is worse than that. Did you ever consider how much water is wasted by a leaking tap?

Trust me. It could be thousands of litres annually you are wasting, sod on’t neglect to mend a dripping tap! That’s costing you money. So how do you cure that annoyingly distracting drip?

To start with you will need to decide which type of tap you have. The most common types discussed here are standard washer type taps, and ceramic disk-type taps.

For standard taps follow the fixing stages in the first article, and for the more modern ceramic type taps follow the second header article, below.

Changing a Washer in a Standard Type of Tap

To curing a leaky/ dripping standard type of tap, follow the instructions which follow, directly below as illustrated below:

The most common leak is from the spout. These instructions will help our readers to take their leaking tap apart, and then replace the appropriate part, or parts found to be worn. 

Leaks are commonly caused by either a worn tap valve, a damaged or worn seat, or even both.

Before you start you will need to isolate the water flow, in most cases this means accessing your water meter and turning it off.

If you are unsure of where to find it you may need to contact a licensed plumber. Now that you have isolated the flow and turned your taps on, you are ready to roll.

You will need to disassemble your taps by removing the handle, flange and then removing the spindle. You will need a tube spanner or adjustable spanner for this depending on which taps you are repairing. Remove the spindle from basin and then remove the tap valve.

Before you replace the tap valve, inspect the tap seat for signs of aging or damage. It should be smooth to touch and free of any blackened build up. If you are going to spend the time dissembling your tap you may as well reseat it too, because if you replace your tap valve and the tap seat is damaged, it will probably damage your brand new tap Fixatap valve. To reseat your tapware screw the tap reseater into your basin and apply a little downward pressure while turning the reseater handle in a clockwise direction.

To achieve success, you’re gonna need a tap washer repair kit, a Phillips head or a crossheaded screwdriver, an adjustable spanner, set of grips, and a small slotted screwdriver there.

Firstly, we find out where we have to isolate the tap from. That means turn it off. Fortunately this one is right near the cold water main, so we just turn that one off and it should all be okay.

Remove this top cap here with our slotted screwdriver. Put that to one side. Then we remove the head, using our Phillips head screwdriver. Now that opens up the valve mechanism body. Okay, this bit here is the bit we have to remove. So this bit we need to grip this part of the tap, the spout part, with our grips.

And then use our adjustables to remove the actual valve mechanism.

Now, to stop any damage to the tap itself, I always try to get a small bit of cloth or something like that just to protect the tap from the grip teeth. Otherwise it’ll damage it, it’ll score it. There we go. As you can see they can sometimes be really difficult to get off. And there we go, there’s the washer head that needs changing. Now we got our small slotted screwdriver. Pop that under the seat here, like that. And then try and prise it out.

And out it comes.

So, looking at the old tap washer, we can actually see the rubber’s quite hard. And that means that’s probably why it was leaking. Now sometimes you’ll find there’ll be a small slit or something like that. Or sometimes the rubber washer will be completely destroyed. Whatever happens, definitely recommend changing this one, that’s what we’re gonna do now. Now is when we need to use our spare tap washers. Make sure that the replacement tap washer you choose is roughly the same size and has roughly the same hole size in it, so it sits on the spindle and doesn’t slip off when you’re using it.

We pop this new one back on. That sits nice and comfortably on the valve mechanism. Now we put that back in the tap and test for operation. Pop this back in here. Get our grips again.

Just nip that up, nice and tight. And then reassemble in reverse order. Now we’re going back under the sink and turn the water back on. And test for operation. (water splashes) So there we have it, fixed. Everything’s working absolutely spiffingly.

No leaks whatsoever, it’s really good. Sometimes you’ll find with the mechanism, they can actually rip themselves to pieces inside and they just won’t work anymore. If that’s the case, pop it out, take it down to your local wholesales or plumbers merchant’s and they’ll be able to find you a replacement. They’re usually very, very common and quite easy to find.

I hope you found today’s video helpful. If you need any more help or you think we’ve missed something out or anything like that, tell us on this video or visit our website, plumberparts.co.uk. And as ever, subscribe. Thanks very much guys. 

As found on Youtube

How to Change a Ceramic Disk Type of Sink Tap

How to check the cartridge in a dripping ceramic disk tap.

The following steps will explain how to inspect, clean, and replace the cartridge which controls the flow of water in a ceramic disk tap.

Step one. You will need, a settable sized or adjustable spanner. A crosshead screwdriver. A wrench. You may also need a wire brush, a soft towel, and a knife with a thin blade. Step two, turn off the water supply. Before you begin make sure you turn off the water supply for the tap you are working on.

This may mean turning off the water at the main tap for your house. This is usually located under or near your kitchen sink. If working on a hot tap, you may need to locate the hot water tank and turn off the supply from there. Now check that the water is off by turning on your tap. Very little water should come out. When you’re sure that the mains are off, turn the tap fully on to drain it of any excess water.

Handy Hint. Put in the plug. This will stop you loosing anything down the plug hole whilst you dismantling the tap.

Step three, remove the cap. Using a knife with a thin blade, gently pry off the cap. The screws should be easily visible. Step four. Remove the headgear. Place the knife and cap to one side. Pick up your cross head screwdriver and start unscrewing the headgear off the cartridge. Once unscrewed, pry the headgear off with your fingers and place to one side.

Step five, inspect the rubber seal.

You will need to inspect the rubber seal on the bottom of the cartridge to check for any damage or wear. If it seems worn or damaged you should replace it as it could be causing the drip.

Step six, remove and inspect the cartridge.

Use a wrench or a suitably sized spanner to remove the cartridge by turning it anticlockwise. Now inspect it for any wear and tear or obvious damage.

If the cartridge is dirty, clean off any debris as this alone could be the cause of the problem.

Step seven, choose the correct cartridge. If the disk is obviously cracked then you will need to replace it with a new cartridge. Make sure that the new cartridge is the same type as the old one.

Step eight, reassemble. Once you have determined and corrected the problem, simply go back over yourself step by step to reassemble your ceramic disk tap and enjoy your new drip free life.

As found on Youtube