Dripping tap repairs and tap replacement

Why a tap drips

A drip almost always comes down to one part that no longer seals. On older taps with rubber washers, the washer hardens and wears until water creeps past it. On modern quarter-turn and mixer taps, a ceramic cartridge does the same job and fails in the same way, usually showing as a drip from the spout or a stiff handle. A leak from the base of the spout or around the handle points to worn O-rings rather than the main seal.

Identifying which part has failed matters, because the right repair might be a washer costing pennies or a cartridge that has to be matched to the tap. We check the tap type before quoting so the repair is specified properly.

Repair or replace

A sound tap that drips is usually worth repairing: the fix is quick and the tap carries on. Replacement makes more sense when the tap is corroded, the body is worn, the finish has failed, or parts are no longer made for it. If you are already planning a new basin, bath or kitchen sink, changing the taps at the same time keeps everything to one visit.

Our plumbing service covers the repair side, and if the tap change is part of a wider bathroom update, our bathroom fitting page explains how the room comes together.

Fitting new taps

Swapping like for like on the same holes is the straightforward version: isolate the water, disconnect, clean the sealing surface, fit and test the new tap. Things that add work include changing from two separate taps to a mixer, taps with flexible tails where the old pipework is rigid, and basins or baths where access underneath is tight. We check all of that before quoting.

You are welcome to choose and buy the taps yourself. Tell us the make and model before the visit so we can confirm they suit the water pressure and the existing holes.

Outside and utility taps

Garden and utility taps take weather and frost that indoor taps never see, and a split outside tap often shows itself as a damp wall inside. Replacing an outdoor tap is a good moment to add an internal isolation valve so it can be drained down before winter.

What a dripping tap really costs

A steady drip is easy to ignore, but on a metered supply it sends water you are paying for straight down the drain, day and night. Beyond the waste, a tap that drips onto the basin or worktop can mark the surface and feed limescale, and a leak from the base can quietly soak the unit or floor below. Booking the repair early is almost always the cheaper option.

Quotes are free and in writing, and the work carries our 1-year workmanship warranty. Call 01268 206409 or send a photograph of the tap through the quote form.