A dripping tap one that still leaks water after the tap has been turned off is caused by a faulty washer so you need to replace the washer.
Ceramic washer tap dripping.
The majority of modern taps now use ceramic disc cartridges as opposed to rubber washers to prevent dripping.
If these components break you will need to replace the entire cartridge.
Isolate the water you don t want to get soaking wet.
Ceramic disc taps feature a cartridge within the tap that contain a pair of ceramic discs.
You can usually identify if your dripping tap uses rubber washers or ceramic discs by simply turning the tap handle.
A leaky tap can make a frustrating companion.
Ceramic tap inner components.
No leaks no drips just a fully working ceramic disc ta.
Here are 5 common reasons for a leaky tap.
Make sure you buy the correct cartridge for your tap or it won t fit.
With washer taps both the tap seat and the washer suffer wear the tap seat by the flow of water and the washer by the actual activity of forcing the washer onto the seat.
In photo 2 we can see the parts we are concerned with.
Tap washers are cheaper to install and can be stored easily at home but they may need to be replaced more often than ceramic discs.
First of all to mend a leaking tap you will need to follow one of two sets of instructions depending on the type of tap fitting which you have.
Ceramic discs do wear out and the tap will eventually drip however replacements are available and good news manufacturers seem to be using relatively few sizes as standard.
How to fix a dripping tap.
Most people hate its constant drip drip drip.
One of these discs remains in a constant fixed.
But using good quality washers and reseating will promote longevity.
If the tap uses ceramic discs then the handle will only rotate a quarter or half a turn.
Why is my tap leaking.
With modern mixer taps there is a cartridge which holds two ceramic discs instead of washers.
Before starting to repair your dripping tap it s essential to switch off the water supply to that tap.
Washers cost around 5p to 10p.
A disc retaining washer b ceramic discs c o ring which stops any water seepage up to the head of the tap d valve retaining nut e spindle on which the handle sits.