Why your tap drips — and what actually fixes it

May 5, 2023 · Plumbing

Washers, cartridges and the ten-minute test that tells you which one failed.

A tap dripping once a second wastes over 10,000 litres a year — and the fix is usually a part costing less than a coffee. The trick is knowing whether your tap uses a washer or a cartridge before you touch a spanner.

Washer taps versus cartridge taps

Older taps that turn several times use rubber washers that flatten and crack with age — the classic drip source. Modern quarter-turn taps use ceramic cartridges instead; when these fail the tap drips constantly or becomes stiff to move.

The ten-minute test: turn the tap off firmly. If it still drips, isolate the water, remove the head and look. A perished washer is obvious at a glance; a scored cartridge needs replacing as a unit — bring the old one to match it exactly.

When to call a plumber instead

Call us when the isolation valve is seized, the tap body is corroded, water appears under the sink, or the drip returns within weeks — that signals pressure or seating problems no washer will solve. Our faucet kits in the shop cover the common fixes if you want to try it yourself first.

• Always isolate the water before opening any tap.
• Photograph the parts as you remove them, in order.
• Bring the old washer or cartridge to match the replacement.
• A drip that returns fast means pressure issues — call us.

One visit, one fixed price, silence restored. Book a plumbing visit and stop counting drips.