DIY Advice
Posted Feb 03, 2007
No wonder there’s such a thing as water torture, there’s not another everyday fault more annoying than a leaky tap! Most are caused by taps getting old and needing a new washer. These are easy to fix for regular or traditional taps so grab a screwdriver and/or wrench and a new washer from the local DIY shop and follow this quick guide.
Gather your tools and turn off the water supply. You can do this at your water meter and if you’re working on a hot water tap make sure you turn off the hot water too. Once you’ve turned all the water off, turn on your tap to get all the water left inside out of it.
Undo the tap cover with the screwdriver or wench. The tap cover is the bit that joins the tap handle to the basin. Next find the nut just above the body of the tap and lift the head of the tap out. The washer should pop out as well, if not it will still be in the body of the tap.
Take the washer out and fit the new one. Pop all the parts back the way you took them out. Make sure you do everything up tight! Now you can put your water back on and run the tap.
If the tap still drips, it could be another part of the tap that’s not working and you should call a plumber.
Gather your tools and turn off the water supply. You can do this at your water meter and if you’re working on a hot water tap make sure you turn off the hot water too. Once you’ve turned all the water off, turn on your tap to get all the water left inside out of it.
Undo the tap cover with the screwdriver or wench. The tap cover is the bit that joins the tap handle to the basin. Next find the nut just above the body of the tap and lift the head of the tap out. The washer should pop out as well, if not it will still be in the body of the tap.
Take the washer out and fit the new one. Pop all the parts back the way you took them out. Make sure you do everything up tight! Now you can put your water back on and run the tap.
If the tap still drips, it could be another part of the tap that’s not working and you should call a plumber.
