Constant dripping tap

JustAnotherSaver

I thought my wife kept not turning the tap off properly in the bathroom. While that may have been the case once or twice :rotfl:it's pretty obvious the tap is acting up. To get it to stop dripping i have to turn it off pretty damn tight - like TOO tight to be normal kind of thing.


So the obvious question at this stage is ... cause & repair? Is it something a clueless ham fisted DIYer can do themselves?

jk0

I bet you've got a crack in the seat. However tightly you turn down tap, a crack will still let a little dribble through. Undo the top & look down inside.


You may be able to grind the seat away past the crack, but often the only solution is a new tap.

JustAnotherSaver

jk0 wrote: »

I bet you've got a crack in the seat. However tightly you turn down tap, a crack will still let a little dribble through. Undo the top & look down inside.


You may be able to grind the seat away past the crack, but often the only solution is a new tap.

Easy for a novice (that's actually a little too advanced) to fit or is it really best getting a pro in?

diamond_dave

Just replace the washer - simple job.

cranford

Most taps today have ceramic discs and not washers, even my 20 year old taps have ceramic discs. Whereas it was easy to put on a new washer you have to get the ceramic disc that fits your tap make and model. Sometimes it may be possible to clean the disc.
Just to give you an idea of the different ceramic discs and costs:
https://www.bathroomspareparts.co.uk/tap-ceramic-disk-cartridge-859-c.asp
Here is a sample youtube on how to replace a cartridge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyfL2wLqPbA

societys_child

We don't know what type of taps the op has, but

To get it to stop dripping i have to turn it off pretty damn tight

sounds like a fibre washer to me,
not a ceramic cartridge and definitely not quarter turn.

I have some with fibre washers that are less than 10 yrs old.

If it is fibre:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=changing+a+tap+washer

Jackmydad

Take it apart and have a look at it?
If you do recut the seat, you need the tool to do the job.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/monument-tools-tap-reseating-tool/89487
Don't "go mad" with that type of tool. A couple of turns with light pressure at most should give an even seat.
I had to recut the seat on a new tap that kept leaking. It wasn't square to the body!

JustAnotherSaver

We inherited the taps when we bought the house so i couldn't tell you what they are to be honest.


We need the bathroom totally redoing but I was wanting it all done at the same time - next year or the year after. I wasn't really wanting to do something like buy new taps in and much later get the rest of the bathroom done. If it had to be that way then there's little i can do about it.

cranford

Looks like it needs a washer then.
Bristan youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ4LLObY_go