Introduction

When the capstan is turned, the shaft rises and allows water to enter the fawcet via the base. The shaft contains a washer or ceramic disc at it's base, which prevents water entering the fawcet when the tap is closed, and a gland or O-ring at the top, which prevents water leaking from the cover when the tap is open. The combined gland/shaft/washer assembly is known as the headgear.

Before commencing work on your taps, make sure you have all the tools you need to successfully complete the job. Use the following link for a list of basic plumbing tools:

• Basic plumbing tools & materials

Causes of a leaking tap

A leaking tap may be caused by a number of different reasons, all of which are fairly easy to repair for the confident DIYer. The most common causes and effects are:

• A faulty washer - usually causes a tap to leak at the spout or fawcet
• Damaged or worn gland packaging or O-ring - causes a tap to leak water beneath the head when the tap is open

If you do notice a tap leaking it is best to fix the problem as soon as possible. If left to get worse, the action of the leaking water can cause more damage to your tap, not to mention the huge wastage of water that occurs.

• When repairing a tap, its a good idea to insert the plug and place a towel into the bowl of the sink, to ensure any small objects do not manage to escape.
• To avoid damaging a tap, when using a wrench either wrap the jaws of the wrench with plastic tape, or place a rag around the tap and use the wrench over the top.

Draining the supply pipe to the tap

The process of isolating the problem tap varies depending on if it is hot or cold, and whether you have a direct or indirect plumbing system in your property.

• Turn off and/or extinguish your water heater/boiler
• Turn off the mains water supply
• If applicable isolate the partiuclar washbasin, sink or bath you are working on by closing the isolating valve on the water inlet pipe to the fixture, or...
• If dealing with a hot or cold tap in a direct fed system, simply turning off the mains will suffice to stop the flow of water
• If dealing with a hot or cold tap in an indirect fed system, close the gate valve from the cold water storage tank to stop the flow of water
• Open the tap to drain the water from the immediate pipework

• Draining & isolating the plumbing system

Replacing a worn washer

If you have a tap which is leaking at the fawcet, or spout, when in the fully off position, then it highly likely that the washer is either worn or damaged in some way. Replacing the washer is a straightforward task, new ones can easily be purchased from any plumbing supplies store.

To replace the washer:

• Turn off the water supply as directed above
• With a traditional pillar tap, unscrew the metal cover, either by hand or using a wrench, to expose the headgear underneath
• On modern style taps the cover can be removed by unscrewing a retaining nut, usually found under the hot/cold disc on the top of the tap
• Using a spanner, unscrew the headgear until you can remove the complete assembly
• The washer is either located at the base of the headgear assembly, attached to a 'jumper', or is lying inside of the tap base
• To replace either prise the washer loose with a screwdriver or if applicable remove the jumper retaining nut holding it in place
• If the washer will not prise free then it may be necessary to replace the entire jumper unit
• Reassemble the tap unit and reconnect the water supply
• Check carefully for leaks

Ceramic disc taps

In theory, taps with ceramic discs should be maintenance free, however problems can still arise. Most frequently found in the kitchen, where the taps handes water direct from the mains, if the taps leaks from the fawcet, then...

• Turn off the water supply as directed above
• Unscrew the metal cover, either by hand or using a wrench, to expose the headgear underneath
• On modern style taps the cover can be removed by unscrewing a retaining nut, usually found under the hot/cold disc on the top of the tap
• Using a spanner, unscrew the headgear until you can remove the complete assembly
• Remove the ceramic cartridge from the headgear and check for uneven wearing or damage
• If the cartridge is damaged then you will need to replace it with a new one
• If ordering a new cartridge make you sure you order the right one. Hot is left handed, cold is right handed
• If cartridge is undamaged then clean any debris or scale from the disc - especially relevant in a hard water area
• Also have a look at the rubber seal on the underside of the cartridge, if this looks worn then take the opportunity to replace it
• Reassemble the tap unit and reconnect the water supply

Repairing a leaking tap cover

If water leaks from around the cover when the tap is open then chances are, depending on the type of tap, either the gland packaging is worn, and thus will need replacing, or the rubber O-ring is damaged or worn.

Older taps were assembled with a gland which is packed with a watertight material to prevent leaking, over time this material can wear away and leaks form.

To repack or replace the gland:

• You do not necessarily need to turn off the water supply to replace the gland as the main headgear assembly will remain in place
• With a traditional pillar tap, unscrew the metal cover, either by hand or using a wrench, to expose the headgear underneath
• On modern style taps the cover can be removed by unscrewing a retaining nut, usually found under the hot/cold disc on the top of the tap
• If the capstan is not part of the cover, then lift it off by taping it gently with a hammer and rocking it from side to side
• If it refuses to budge then open the tap fully, lift up the cover and place to pieces of wood (or similar) underneath to hold the cover up. Close the tap to pop the capstan off
• The gland is held in place with a nut, as a first resort try tightening this to stop any leaking
• The gland can also be repacked by wrapping a packing material (or PTFE tape) around the shaft and forcing into the gland seat using a small screwdriver
• Reassemble the tap unit and check carefully for leaks

Modern mixer taps contain a rubber O-ring, rather than a watertight gland, to prevent leaking. As with rubber washers, over time this ruber seal can perish, which will promote leaks.

To replace the O-ring, follow the same process as above for replacing the gland, instead though using a small screwdriver ease the rubber O-ring from the spindle and replace with a new one.

• To promote the life of a new O-ring, smear it with grease before inserting and reassembling the tap.

The base of a mixer tap's swivel fawcet also contains an O-ring. To replace this,

• First ensure both valves (taps) are fully closed
• Then release the swivel fawcet by unscrewing the retaining screw (often located at the rear of the tap)
• The O-ring is located at the base of the swivel fawcet, pop off the old one using a small screwdriver and replace with a matching one.
• Reassemble the tap unit and check carefully for leaks

Problems associated with stopcocks and valves

The washers in stopcocks and gate valves rarely has any problems associated with them due to the infrequency of the use of the tap, however the packaging around the gland can over time perish, causing leaks to form. Repair and replace the gland in the same way as for a tap (see above).

• A healthy squirt of penetrating oil (WD-40), say once or twice a year, can works wonders preventing a stopcock or valve from failing on you at the exact moment that you need it.

Further information and useful links

• Mains water systems
• Choosing & fitting new bathroom taps
• Choosing & fitting kitchen taps
• Water softeners vs. water conditioners
• More plumbing & heating topics

• Find a Plumbing Merchants near you
• Find a Plumber near you
• Find a Bathroom Taps & Shower supplier near you
• Find a Kitchen Sinks & Taps supplier near you

• British Water