Updated
Dripping Tap
A tap keeps dripping after it is turned off, or drips faster the tighter you turn it.
What would yours cost?
We'll tell you the price for this, then find a local handyman to do it.
What's happening?
A tap seals in one of two ways, and which one you have decides the repair. A traditional pillar tap turns several times and seals with a rubber washer pressed onto a brass seat; when the washer hardens or the seat corrodes, water gets past and the tap drips. A quarter-turn lever tap seals with a ceramic disc cartridge, and when that wears or grit gets between the discs it drips instead. Both are cheap parts and neither involves altering pipework. The waste is not trivial: WaterSafe, the UK body for approved plumbers, puts a dripping tap at up to 5,500 litres of water a year. Turning a dripping tap harder makes it worse — it crushes the washer and damages the seat underneath.
What usually causes it?
- A perished, hardened or split rubber washer in a traditional pillar tap
- A worn or gritty ceramic disc cartridge in a quarter-turn lever tap
- The brass seat under the washer pitted or scaled, so a new washer cannot seal on it
- Limescale on the working parts, common in hard-water areas
- The tap turned off hard every time, crushing the washer and scoring the seat
- Debris carried into the tap after work on the mains or a period with the supply off
- An O-ring worn where the spout swivels, which drips from the base rather than the spout
Is it dangerous?
No, but it is not harmless either. A constant drip wastes a meaningful amount of water and, on a hot tap, heated water with it. Water running over an enamel or stainless surface for months also leaves permanent marks, and a drip from the base of a tap rather than the spout is often wetting the cupboard below out of sight.
Can I fix it myself?
Often, yes. Isolate the water first — most modern taps have a small isolating valve on the tail pipe under the basin, otherwise turn off at the stop tap and open the tap to drain it. Then it is a matter of getting the head off, taking the old washer or cartridge to a merchant to match it, and reassembling. If you find corroded or seized fittings, a leak that starts as soon as the water is back on, or you cannot isolate the supply, stop there.
When should you call a handyman?
A handyman is the right call for the washer or cartridge itself and for a tap that needs swapping like for like. Where a stop tap will not close, where the pipework needs altering or a new supply run, or where anything is leaking inside a wall or under a floor, that is plumbing work and needs a plumber — the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations govern what may be done to the installation.
What will the handyman actually do?
- Isolate the tap at its service valve or the stop tap and drain the tail before opening anything
- Identify whether the tap is a washer or a ceramic cartridge type and match the correct part
- Inspect the seat for pitting and re-cut or advise replacement where a new washer will not seal on it
- Clean limescale off the working parts and reassemble with the head set correctly
- Test under pressure, check the isolating valve works and dry out the cupboard below
Frequently asked questions
We’re happy to answer all your questions.
Sources & References
Before you book, read how to check a tradesman is legit.
Want the price for your home?
Tell us what's wrong and we'll tell you the price, then find a local handyman to do the job.