What Causes Faucet to Drip

What can you do to stop a traditional style tap dripping?

There are two types of tap that are generally present in homes. One of these is a lever style tap that has just one handle. The other is a traditional style tap. If you are experiencing problems with a lever style tap it could be that the cartridge needs to be replaced. It’s more common for a traditional style tap to leak and it’s often a fairly easy task to resolve the problem. The usual cause is wear and tear to an internal rubber seal or washer.

We are going to give you some advice on how to stop a traditional style tap dripping. If you follow this advice you should be able to solve the problem relatively easily.

Making sure you switch off the water

You would be surprised at how many people forget to turn off the water supply before they attempt to fix a dripping tap. You can either turn off the supply at the main stop valve for the house or you can isolate the tap by switching off the valve on the pipe which supplies it with water. Once you have switched the water off you should turn on the tap to get rid of any residual water in the pipe.

Locating the screw in the tap

There is a screw in the tap which holds the whole thing together. You will usually find it underneath the cap which covers the top of the tap. You just need to remove the cap to get access to the screw. Once you have done this you need to make sure that the plug is in the sink.

Removing the spindle to replace the washers

It’s important to use the plug so that nothing gets lost down the sink. At this point, you should keep tight hold of the spout of the tap so that twisting is not possible. Once you have hold you need to use a spanner to unscrew the nut and release the spindle. You will find two washers on the spindle; an O-ring washer and a separate washer. You need to decide which one needs replacing and source a replacement from a local store. It may be that you need to replace both washers.

Turning the water back on

Once you have taken the necessary action to replace the washers you simply need to put the tap back together and turn the water supply back on. Hopefully, when you turn the tap on there will be no drip.

Worn washers are the most common cause of a dripping tap, but there are some other potential causes. If your tap continues to drip it may be wise to ask for help from a plumber in Mosman. They have the knowledge and experience to put to use diagnosing the problem. Once they have done this they can return the tap to its previous condition, with no annoying drip.