Is This Dripping Mixer Tap Repairable ?

nicenswift

Hi,
Kitchen mixer tap is dripping badly from the spout and I was wondering is it repairable and cost effective to do so, or is it cheaper to replace (It cost around £130 from B&Q around 4 years ago)
I would need someone to call out to either fix or replace as I am not very DIY savvy.
To stop the drip I have found wedging a bit of polystirent in it which pushed the tap a bit to the right.
Many thanks for any advice

I have included some pics

Bigphil1474

Mixer taps normally have a small screw at the back near the base. Unscrew that and remove the spout. You don't need to turn the water off normally. Fish out the washer and replace like for like. See if that helps. If it's the tap handle that's causing the drip, then turn the water off, remove the tap handle, fish out the washer, replace like for like, see if that fixes. Washers are cheap and your time is relatively free. If there is any damage to the tap, you may need to replace.

Jeepers_Creepers

Almost certainly it's due to worn ceramic cartridges.

These wear out over time, and spares are available from numerous sources.

But is it worth repairing? If you can DIY it - and it's quite DIYable - then 'yes'. If you cannot, then you need a quote from someone who can, and then you can make a decision.

4 years old? So spout O rings will be tending towards the ends of their lives = dripping from the base of the spout. What's the finish like - still comes up as 'new'?

Bear in mind you can buy a quality Franke tap for around £70 on t'Bay, even less if you look out for auctions.

Or choose one of these: https://www.screwfix.com/c/bathrooms-kitchens/kitchen-taps/cat820368  Read the reviews - they'll tell you if they are decent. £40 for that Cooke & Lewis which has good reviews? Sounds ok to me.

In a nutshell, unless you can DIY this, with a 4 year old tap you might be best going 'new'.

neilmcl

As @Jeepers_Creepers mentions, the usual suspect will be the cartridge. Pretty straightforward to replace, plenty of videos on YT.

Moss5

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Ceramic-Gland-7mm-Spline-for-3-8-1-2in-Taps/p/425027
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Ceramic-Gland-10mm-Spline-for-3-8-1-2in-Taps/p/425019
This is how cheap it can be, if you are able to replace the gland assembly.

Jeepers_Creepers

If the OP is up for this - and it would be great it they were - then a visit to B&Q itself might be a good first step as they'll hopefully point them towards the exact replacement set, based on the model of tap they sold (they do sell some).

Failing that, remove one cartridge and take it along with you. The basic dimensions need to be the same - overall length, length of splined spindle, length of bottom to 'seating' flange - and the dia and number of splines on the handle spindle.

neilmcl

By the looks of it, it could be a Franke Eiger tap (or a B&Q copy) - https://www.franke.com/gb/en/hs/products/kitchen-taps/eiger/115-0049-990_detail.html

There should be a little Torx grub screw on the underside of the tap handle that you'll need to undo to remove the handle to get to the ceramic valve. Here's a video of a similar fix, but this guy has taken apart the valve and cleaned it rather than replace it with a new one. Personally I'd just go ahead and replace it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmvH9Koc0OI