What To Do If The Tap Is Leaking? Tap Replacement Guide

Almost everyone sooner or later faces the problem of plumbing leaks. Taps can leak in the kitchen, bathroom or any other place. How to fix a leaking tap with your own hands by replacing the gasket, cartridge or performing other repair operations? Our step-by-step guide will help you figure it out on your own and save on plumbers.

Reason behind the tap leaking

When the tap in the kitchen or bathroom suddenly starts to leak or undermine, or water seeps out of the connections, you need to take action. A leak is dangerous in itself, so the sooner you find it and fix the leaking tap, the better. The most common causes of leaks include:

• Manufacturing defects.

If you just installed a tap or mixer and immediately noticed the problem, you probably got a defective one. Go to the store and replace the device.

• Wear of gaskets. 

For a tight connection between the valve parts, rubber gaskets are used. They gradually wear out under the influence of friction and contact with fine grains of sand. As a result, they stop performing their main tasks properly.

• Cracks in the case. 

Sometimes cracks appear on the mixer. This happens mainly with low-quality plumbing equipment, that is, the reason is the low quality of the material of manufacture.

• Blockage of the cartridge in the lever mixer. 

If dripping from the spout, it is likely that the hot / cold water mixer is clogged. In our country, this usually happens due to poor quality water, so it is better to use filters at the inlet.

When detecting valve leaks, it is important to identify their nature. If the water leaks strongly, this is an emergency situation requiring an urgent shutdown of the water with the subsequent replacement of the mixer. If the leaks are not strong, it may be possible to restrict ourselves to replacing the gasket in the tap.

Troubleshooting Methods to Fix A Tap

When the place where the tap is leaking is identified, it remains to proceed with the repair of your leaking tap. Start by shutting off the water supply. The simplest repair option is to replace the entire mixer, but this is not always advisable for economic reasons. In most cases, you can limit yourself to minor routine repairs or maintenance. We will tell you how to put the gasket on the tap, change the cartridge and perform other operations.

• If water is leaking from the valve, the gasket is almost certainly worn out. It is made of rubber and is located at the point where the crane box is attached. You can correct the situation by changing this gasket. If the valve box is ceramic, you need to use a silicone gland for better sealing.
• If water drips from the spout, the valve box is probably damaged. It is replaced with a new one. Usually, inexpensive mixer models suffer from this, and replacing the crane axle box may not solve the problem. In this case, you still have to resort to replacing the entire mixer with a new one.
• If you find a leak at the point where the body meets the spout, assess the condition of the gasket. Most likely, it has worn out. You need to unscrew the spout of the tap and change the rubber band. This malfunction also occurs when the spout is loosely screwed to the body. In this case, you need to tighten the nut, and the problem will disappear.
• Leakage at the point where the tap connects to the water pipe indicates that the gasket is worn out. This defect is most often the result of improper installation. The retaining nut may have been overtightened causing the rubber gasket to be damaged. In this situation, you need to unscrew the hose and change the deformed rubber band. When you pinch, do not overdo it so as not to repeat the mistake.
• Another weak point in the kitchen taps, in which leaks occur, is a poor-quality supply hose. As a rule, the tubes included in the kit are often very weak and short-lived. Note that an unnoticed leak in time can develop into a serious problem when the flexible hose breaks, and you flood the entire apartment and neighbors below. To avoid trouble, simply replace the flexible hoses by unscrewing the old ones and replacing them with new ones – everything is simple and fast.
• The tap may leak at the point of attachment to the sink. This happens after long-term operation of the equipment or as a result of unfair initial installation. There should be a gasket in this place. You can remove the leak simply by replacing the seal.