No one likes the sound of a dripping tap night after night as you try to go to sleep, not only does it wastewater, but it can drive you crazy the slow drip, drip, drip. Fixing your leaking tap may not be as difficult as you might think with a little bit of know-how.
Whether you are a seasoned professional DIY or you are new to maintenance and basic house updates, here are some handy tips for fixing a leaking tap in your kitchen.
How to fix a leaking kitchen tap?
Firstly, you will need to get an understanding of what you are working with, and whether you have a cartridge valve on your kitchen tap, or a ceramic disc, compression valve, or a ball-style faucet. No matter which one your tap is, you will be able to find a replacement at your local hardware store or your plumbing supplier.
Once you have determined the type of tap you have, you will need a bunch of tools that are most likely around the home including a wrench, screwdriver, hammer, washers and seal replacements, pliers, valve replacement, and some silicone or grease.
Step 1: Shut off the water at the wall
This is an important step if you don’t want to be covered in water when you start your kitchen tap DIY. You will find the tap usually under the kitchen sink, and you should turn this off first before taking off the tap handle otherwise you will get soaked.
Step 2: Once the water is off, detach the kitchen tap handle
Once you have ensured there is no water flowing, then you can start removing the screws on your kitchen tap handle. Sometimes the screws are underneath the logo in the center of the tap or they could be behind the tap itself, either way, you should be able to find these fairly easily and you will need to use your tools to detach the handle safely.
Step 3: Remove the valve
This part can be tricky and you might need to use a little force or a set of pliers – if the valve is stuck this could be due to mineral build-up and you might need to use some silicone or a little bit of elbow grease to get the valve open and off. At this stage, you can also remove any of the rubber components to be replaced.
Step 4: Replace all the components
Now you have everything in pieces, it is time to replace the rubber elements and also the valve and then work in reverse to put everything back together. You might need to add some silicone as well to ensure everything is lubricated and working well.
Once you have completed all these steps, you should turn on the water again and test the kitchen tap is working well and everything is leak-free. If you do find that there is still an issue, you should call in an expert to get them to inspect the work.
Always call on a licensed and experienced plumber to ensure everything is being carried out to the highest standard and your warranty is not affected for your taps and any plumbing in your house or property.