Why taps drip
On a traditional tap, the drip is almost always a worn washer, the small rubber disc that seals the water off when you turn the tap closed. Over years of use the rubber hardens and wears, so it no longer seats properly and water weeps through.
On a modern quarter-turn or lever tap, there is usually no washer; instead a ceramic disc cartridge does the sealing, and when it wears the fix is to replace the cartridge rather than a washer. Knowing which type you have decides the job.
Before you start: turn the water off
Always isolate the water before taking a tap apart. Look under the sink for a small isolation valve on the pipe feeding that tap and turn it a quarter turn so the slot sits across the pipe. If there is no isolation valve, turn off your main stopcock, usually under the kitchen sink or where the water enters the house. Then open the tap to drain the remaining water and relieve the pressure.
Fixing a washer tap
With the water off, remove the tap head (often a screw hidden under the hot or cold cap on top), then unscrew the valve body underneath with a spanner. At the bottom you will find the washer, held by a small nut or push-fitted. Replace it with a matching new washer, which costs pennies from any DIY shop, and reassemble in reverse. Turn the water back on slowly and check.
While it is apart, it is worth checking the seat the washer presses against is not scored, as a damaged seat will chew through a new washer quickly.
When to just call a plumber
If you have a ceramic cartridge tap, a tap that is seized or corroded solid, no isolation valve and a stopcock that will not turn, or a drip that continues after a new washer, that is the point where a plumber saves you time and a flooded kitchen. It is a quick, cheap job for LMB, who cover taps, leaks and general plumbing across Bridgend, the Vale and South Wales. Message Lloyd rather than fight a stubborn tap.
