How to fix a dripping tap

A tap that drips once a second wastes a surprising amount of water over a year, but the better reason to fix it quickly is the staining. Constant water on enamel or stone leaves a mark that no amount of cleaning removes later.

Work out which type of tap you have

Turn the handle. If it takes a couple of full turns to go from off to fully on, it is a traditional tap with a rubber washer. If it stops after a quarter turn, it has a ceramic cartridge inside. The repair is similar in shape but the part is different, so this is worth establishing before you buy anything.

Isolate the water first

Look under the basin or bath for a small isolation valve on the pipe feeding the tap. A slot in the valve turned across the pipe means closed. If there is no valve, turn off the mains stopcock instead, which is usually under the kitchen sink or near the front of the house.

Open the tap afterwards and let it run dry. If it keeps running, the water is still on somewhere and you have isolated the wrong pipe.

Getting the tap apart

Put the plug in before you start. The small screws involved are exactly the size that disappears down a waste pipe.

The handle usually hides a screw under a cap on the top, which either unscrews or prises off with a small flat screwdriver. With the handle off, the valve body underneath undoes with a spanner. Hold the body of the tap steady while you turn, because the whole fitting can twist against the basin and crack it.

Replacing the part

On a traditional tap, the washer sits on the bottom of the valve, held by a small nut. Take the old one with you when you buy a replacement rather than guessing the size. On a quarter-turn tap, the whole cartridge comes out and is replaced as a unit.

While it is apart, look at the seat the washer presses against. If it feels rough under a fingertip, a new washer will seal badly and start dripping again within weeks.

When to stop