How to Fix a Tap
We’ve all heard the annoying drip, drip, drip from a bathroom or kitchen tap. We also know that eventually, this drip can turn into to a trickle or a stream and in some worst-case scenarios, a leak. The amount of water wasted from a dripping tap left for too long can be expensive and unnecessary. Luckily, fixing a bathroom or kitchen sink tap can be an easy DIY job with parts available online or at your local hardware store. Here, we’ll give you a basic step-by-step tutorial of what you might need and how you can fix a leaking tap in your home.
What you’ll need
Firstly, let’s look at what you might need for the job. Make sure you’ve got all your tools ready and accessible so that you don’t have to keep stopping and starting a job.
- A spanner that you can easily adjust
- Screwdrivers with different heads
- Scissors
- Assorted tap washers
Make sure you always turn off your water supply before starting any plumbing work. It could be dangerous and extremely messy if this is forgotten. Once you’re sure the water flow is off, run the taps to empty the water and release the pressure. Cover any chrome hardware with tape or cloths to ensure that nothing gets scratched when you’re removing parts and put the plug in the plug hole so that you don’t lose any screws or smaller items. 
If your tap is a compression valve tap
A traditional tap is also known as a compression valve tap. Generally, if your separate hot and cold tap handles turn more than a quarter full – you’ve probably got these. Below are some simple tips to guide you through fixing one of these types of taps.
5 steps to fixing your dripping tap
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Make sure you isolate the hot and cold water before you start any tap repair job
Using your screwdriver, check under the sink or close to it and turn off your isolation valve for the cold and hot water supply. If you can’t locate it, then just turn the water off at the stopcock and run the tap until all the water is out.
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Remove the tap cover
There are a variety of tap covers, and therefore the grub screw can sometimes be tricky to find. Sometimes it will be under the decorative hot and cold caps, or under the H and C on single taps. Modern taps could use an allen bolt instead of a screw. You can unscrew these by hand or prise them off with a flathead screwdriver.
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Dismantle the valve with an adjustable spanner
Once you have sight of the screw, you will need to unscrew the hexagonal nut to access the valve. To dismantle the tap head, you need to unscrew the top with a crosshead screwdriver and then use the spanner to access inside the valve. Take off the nut and remove the screw that holds the washer. If you can make sure you keep track of the bits you’re removing and have access to them – it’ll be much easier to put it all back together at the end!
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Run your finger inside the tap to check the seating
Check where the leak is coming from. Sometimes when the tap is leaking the issue is the tap seat. When it’s working efficiently a seal will close the tap and stop the water from escaping, however normal wear can create holes and rust the metal allowing for gaps. To fix this you can grind down the seat to create an even surface or purchase a seat insert that creates a new seal. If you’ve carried out one of these and it seems to have worked – then have a go at putting all the bits back in the order you’ve removed them.
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Replace the washer
If it’s not the tap valve, it might be the rubber washer which has eroded. Remove and replace the O-ring with a new one that fits. Again, once the replacement O-ring is fitted you can put all the tap bits back in the order you’ve removed them. Normally, it is fairly simple to fix a dripping, leaky tap. However, if you’re still having issues or you’re not confident enough to tackle these issues, we’d always recommend getting the advice of a professional plumber to insure an efficient job. You can find a local plumber with our handy Find an Installer tool. If you’re looking for new taps, remember that Mr Central Heating has a large range available both online and instore.
