How to Deal With a Leaky Tap at Home
Posted on: 20 May 2019
If you've been dealing with a leaky tap in your kitchen for some time now, you may have become increasingly concerned as you worry about the risk of a flood and a potentially irate neighbour. Consequently, you may be tempted to take matters into your own hands to try and deal with the issue, even though manual dexterity is not your strongest point. How can you best tackle this issue before things go from bad to worse?
Preparation
To begin with, you need to ensure that you have the right tools, or you won't be going very far with this project. At the very least you will need an adjustable wrench, a flat head or Phillips screwdriver, replacement O-rings and washers of the right size and some penetrating oil to get things moving.
Before you do anything else, you will need to turn off the water at the mains and then open up the taps in the sink to drain out any that may be left in the pipes.
Disassembly
You have to remove the top of the handle; sometimes this will be connected with a Phillips or flathead screw. Once the decorative part has been removed, you will be able to see the main screw that mounts the handle onto the stem. This will need to be unscrewed carefully, although you may need to use penetrating oil to loosen it first.
Underneath, you will see the packing nut and will need to loosen this with your wrench. The stem underneath will need to be popped off as well, and you will need to look at the parts carefully to check for any signs of damage.
Within the valve seat will be the O-ring and washer, and these are usually responsible for the leak in the first place. You might have to pry these out with the tip of a screwdriver, but you will need to ensure that the replacement ones are the proper fit. Put the new and the old side-by-side before you go too much further, as you don't want to reassemble everything only to find out that your work was in vain.
Reassembly
At this stage, you should carefully reassemble everything before turning the water back on and assessing the result. If you're fortunate, this will have done the job, but don't be surprised if the tap is still dripping. Often, this can be caused by corrosion within the valve seat or other complications.
Better Approach?
If you're not sure whether you want to tackle the change in the first place or may have encountered further issues during your work, then you'd better call in a plumber who handles tap repairs for assistance.
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