Tap Leaking From the Handle or Base

What's happening?

A tap has several seals besides the one that stops water at the spout. On a two-handle tap, a packing gland or O-ring seals the spindle where the handle turns; when it wears, water rises up the spindle and runs out from under the handle. On a mixer, O-rings seal the swivel spout and the cartridge; a worn one leaks at the swivel or around the body. At the base, a washer or gasket between tap and sink can seep. The place the water appears tells you the seal. This is separate from a drip at the spout, on the dripping tap page, because a different part has failed and water is escaping while the tap is in use.

What usually causes it?

• A worn gland packing or O-ring on the spindle of a two-handle tap
• A perished O-ring where the swivel spout meets the body
• A cartridge seal that has hardened, letting water past the cartridge
• A loose gland nut that has not compressed the packing
• A cracked tap body or spout from frost or impact
• A washer or gasket at the base that no longer seals against the sink
• Limescale around the seals that stops them seating

Is it dangerous?

Not dangerous, but it is a steady leak that wets the cupboard or worktop underneath. If the tap leaks from the body or the handle in a way you cannot stop, shut the isolating valve and use another tap until it is repaired.

Can I fix it myself?

Watch where the water starts, with the tap open and then shut. Water at the spindle on a two-handle tap often stops with a quarter turn of the gland nut; if not, close the isolating valve, remove the handle, lift the gland nut and repack it with PTFE tape or a new O-ring. For a mixer, remove the spout, lift off the O-rings and replace them with the maker's set, greased with silicone. A leak at the base needs the tap lifted and the base washer replaced. Do not use plumber's putty on moving seals. Test with the supply back on slowly and watch for several minutes.

When should you call a plumber?

Call a plumber when the leak comes from the body or the cartridge housing, when the O-ring size is not available to you, when the tap is an unusual make, when the leak is inside a cupboard you cannot reach, or when the worktop beneath is already swollen.

What will the plumber actually do?

• Find which seal is leaking by running the tap and watching each joint
• Replace the gland packing, spindle O-rings, swivel O-rings or cartridge as needed
• Match and fit the maker's seal kit
• Replace a cracked body or the whole tap where the seal cannot be mended
• Check the base gasket, the tails and the isolating valves, then test under pressure

Who fixes this

• Tap and shower repair
• Leak repair

What it usually costs

Leaking Pipe Repair Cost

£100–£500 for an emergency burst pipe

Questions people ask

Sources & References

1. WaterSafe: how to stop a dripping tap
2. WaterSafe: how to tighten a loose tap
3. The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, Schedule 2 (watertight fittings)