Person Turning on Bathroom Tap

How to fix a leaky tap #BlueMonday

We've come up with 6 simple ways to help you fix a leaky tap at home, until you're able to get a plumber to come out and complete the job.

It's that time of year again, #BlueMonday, where the accumulation of cold and rainy weather as well as mounting pressure to keep those New Year's Eve resolutions are all taking their toll. Here at Rightio, we want to help lessen the load and know that the last thing you need on this #BlueMonday is a leaking tap to add to your worries, so here's a quick guide to help you fix a leaky tap.

Turn off the water supply

Firstly, you will need to turn off the water supply to stop any damage being caused by the leak. This can be done by locating the stopcock* or the isolation valve* and turning them off and running the remaining water in the system until drained.

Tip 1 *Both are commonly found underneath the kitchen sink*

Find the screw for the tap

Then, you will need to find the screw for the tap in order to locate the cause of the leak. The screw is normally found under the hot and cold indicators on the taps, which can be unscrewed by hand or by a slot-headed screwdriver if required.

Take the tap apart

Next, you will need to take the tap apart. To take the tap apart you will need to unscrew all of the sections of the tap, including the main turning mechanism, whilst it is a good idea to keep the sections of the tap laid out in the order in which they were dismantled as this will make reassembly easier.

Tip 2 *Penetrating oil can assist in loosening screws*

Now, your next step will depend on what is wrong with your tap so use the following to navigate to your required step, if the issue is the ceramic disc then skip to step 4, if the issue is the washer then skip to step 5 and if the issue is with the O-Ring then skip to step 6!

Ceramic Disc

Once you have taken off the head of the tap you will be able to see the valve. Use a spanner to grip the valve and turn sufficiently in order to remove. Once removed, insert your replacement ceramic disc in before tightening and reassembling the rest of the tap!

If it's a washer you need to replace then look no further

The washer will be located at the bottom of the tap's stem and will be a circular rubber band that surrounds the stem and is usually black. After removing the washer, it is best practice to clean the taps stem before replacing the washer with a new one and then reassembling the rest of the tap.

If you are here to replace an O-ring then you are in the right place.

The O-Ring will be located at the bottom of the grub sprout. Pull the sprout out and remove the faulty O-Ring with pliers and fit new O-Rings using lubricant if necessary.  It is essential that the correct size of O-Ring is fitted to the tap so either purchase a multi-pack of O-Rings or bring in the old O-Ring to the merchants before reassembling the rest of the tap.

Now, if you have followed our quick guide then hopefully your tap is back in perfect working order and it's time to turn the water supply back on and fill the kettle for a well-deserved cuppa!

If not, then it may be time to call a professional plumber to fix the issue for you. A Rightio Plumbing & Internal Drainage Care-Plan may just what you need. For just £9.50 a month, Rightio will quickly fix that leaky tap and take any Monday blues away with no call out fees and no labour charges. Brilliant right? Click here to take a look at the Care plans we offer.

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