We’ve all had a dripping bathroom tap before, be that from a leak or simply not turning it off properly. As well as being very common, and notoriously annoying, dripping bathroom tap faucets can also cost you money on your bills in the long run – both in heating and water.
In this article we’ll talk through the various reasons for a leaky faucet and how to stop a dripping tap without calling an expensive plumber.
Why is my bathroom tap leaking?
If you’ve tried tightening your bathroom tap and had no joy, a faucet can still leak for a number of reasons. The most common is simply that the rubber washer is worn, allowing water to pass through. A rubber washer is used to stop water flow between the pipe and the valve in some taps.
The alternative is that you have a bathroom tap with a ceramic disc which needs replacing – don’t worry, we’ll come on to how to tell which kind of tap you have a bit later. Ceramic discs in bathroom taps are more durable so you’ll be searching ‘how to stop a dripping tap’ far less often. But even so, we’ll show you how to sort it out.
It’s good to note that if you take your bathroom tap apart and notice that your valve is worn, rough or scored, changing the washer or disc won’t solve the problem. Replacing a valve is slightly more fiddly to fix, but still worth having a go at yourself if you don’t want to call out a plumber. That being said, always call a professional if you’re not confident.
