How To Change A Tap Washer

Did you know that a leaking tap can waste up to 150 Litres of water per day? That’s a lot of water straight down the drain! Now, more than ever it’s so important to save our water (and some dollars off your next water bill).

A leaking tap is most often caused by the tap washer coming to the end of its life. You’ll be pleased to know that replacing a tap washer is one of the easiest DIY plumbing jobs and we’re here to help explain the process in 5 easy steps

How Do You Know When To Replace Your Tap Washer?

If you’re struggling to get the tap tight enough to stop a leak of water (even a little leak) it’s time to replace the washer. Washers are general wear and tear products, replacing a washer should be done every 1-2 years.

How Long Do Tap Washers Last?

Ceramic tap washers can last years, but other types can last for as little as twelve months depending on how frequently they’re used. Rubber tends to degrade faster than nylon and vulcanised fibre, and hot water tap washers deform more quickly than their cold-water counterparts

What Is The Tap Washer? 

Tap washers are simple disc-shaped devices with a central hole or opening. They function as a type of gasket that helps to seal off mains water flow behind a tap when the tap head is turned to the ‘off’ position.

Leaking Tap Statistics 

• Leaking Tap Which Leaks 10 Drips Of Water A Minute.
• After A Day It Will Add Up To 14,400 Drips,
• Equivalent To About 3 Litres
• After A Week It Will Be 21 Litres
• After A Month Will Be 90 Litres And So On

What Will I Need To Replace The Tap Washer? 

1. Screwdriver
2. Pliers
3. Spanner
4. Towel
5. New washer
6. 10 minutes

Got it? OK time to pull up your sleeves – save some water and replace your tap washer.

Here Are 5 Steps To Replacing A Tap Washer Yourself

Step One: Turn Off The Water Supply

Find you’re main, turn off the water supply, and make sure the pipes are empty (you can do this by turning on the tap and flushing any water that’s sitting in the pipes out). If the washer you’re replacing is a hot water tap washer, turn off any water heater or boiler.

Step Two: Take Apart The Tap

To access the outdated tap washer, you need to get the pipe off. If the tap is round or inset, pop it off gently with a screwdriver. If you found a button on top of the handle – that might be to identify the hot and cold water.

Take the tap handle off by simply sliding or screwing it off to reveal the inner tap that lies beneath. Using a plier remove the metallic skirt or shroud on the tap. Next, use a spanner or shifter to unscrew the actual body of the tap to reveal the plastic or brass jumper valve.

Step Three: Replace The Tap Washer

Get your pliers out and remove the current tap washer. Replace with your new washer. Yes – it’s really that simple!

Step Four: Put The Tap Back Together

Use your spanner and tighten the tap bonnet on. Put the rest of the tap back together following the same steps when you took it apart.

Step Five: Turn The Water Back On 

Once the new tap washer is all in place and the tap is replaced you can turn your water back on. Make sure to turn the tap on and off, checking the water is not leaking from the new washer.

Voila, you’ve done it, you’ve replaced your tap washer and earned yourself a nice pat on the back.

If DIY plumbing is not your cup of tea, then our team at Proximity Plumbing specialise in bathroom, kitchen, and laundry maintenance. We successfully fix and replace leaking taps every day around the eastern suburbs.

So, if you’d like a super-fast fix to any leaky tap, call us today on 0420 102 394 for a free quote. Plus, we guarantee to be on-site within the eastern suburbs in 30 minutes.

Did you know that a leaking tap can waste up to 150 Litres of water per day? That’s a lot of water straight down the drain! Now, more than ever, it’s so important to save our water (and some dollars off your next water bill).

A leaking tap is most often caused by the tap washer coming to the end of its life. You’ll be pleased to know that replacing a tap washer is one of the most straightforward DIY plumbing jobs, and we’re here to help explain the process in 5 easy steps.

Conclusion:

Voila, you’ve done it. You’ve replaced your tap washer and earned yourself a nice pat on the back. If DIY plumbing is not your cup of tea, then our team at Proximity Plumbing specialise in bathroom, kitchen, and laundry maintenance.

We successfully fix and replace leaking taps every day around the eastern suburbs. So, if you’d like a super-fast fix to any leaky tap, call us today on 0420 102 394 for a free quote. Plus, we guarantee to be on-site within the eastern suburbs in 30 minutes.

Read More:

The following list will give you some more information on these different types of taps, as well as the problems they can have:

Wall-Mounted Taps

Taps which come through the wall, such as bath taps and shower taps, are more complex than the standard tap setup to fix. Since the breaching piece (the T shaped pipe that supplies the tap with water) is concealed behind the wall, tiles and wall sheets need to be removed to access the tap.

This is a job for a fully qualified tap expert from Proximity Plumbing. We have experience with all types and brands of wall-mounted taps and can do any job needed to get them working perfectly again. You will need to contact a tiler or other tradesperson to repair the wall.

Mixer Taps

Unlike the traditional system of two taps and a separate spout, the modern mixer tap setup uses only a single lever that’s most often connected to the spout. This lever can be turned to hot and cold and can also mix the two to create any temperature you want. Mixer taps don’t have washers but instead, have a far more complex cartridge insert that controls the flow of water.

Our plumbers can fix your problematic mixer taps for you, regardless of what type or brand they are. If a replacement cartridge can be sourced, we’ll be able to repair your existing tapware. If it can’t, or the tap is too far gone, we’ll be able to replace it with a brand new one.

Basin And Sink Taps

When you have a leaking or difficult to turn off basin tap or kitchen sink tap, you need to contact Proximity Plumbing straight away. Not only is a leaking tap annoying, but it can also cause damage to your surrounding cupboards or vanity unit.

Depending on whether it is the washer, the T piece inside the sink or basin or the spindle or the valve seating, we will be able to repair or replace your basin tap or kitchen sink tap in no time. Either way, you can rest assured you’re getting the best service around from our extensively trained taps professionals.

Laundry Taps

Regardless of whether you have a mixer tap, a wall-mounted tap or a standard hob tap, Proximity Plumbing will be able to carry out any work you need to get your laundry taps working perfectly again. If your laundry taps aren’t too damaged, we will be able to repair them by replacing washers, cleaning the spindles, replacing the cartridge in mixer taps, and completing a full service.

However, any too old, rusted, or damaged taps will need to be replaced, which we can also do. Our tap experts have easy access to a full range of popular laundry taps in all types and brands, so we can install whatever you want.

Shower Taps

Like many other tapware types, shower taps can be either mixer taps or the traditional two tap setup. However, it doesn’t matter what kind of shower taps you have because all of our Proximity Plumbing taps professionals are fully trained and experienced in working with them both.

We will be able to quickly and easily repair or replace your problematic shower taps, depending on what is wrong with them and how old they are. Contact us now, and we will be able to have one of our tap’s experts around to you in no time to fix that leaking or difficult to turn shower tap.

Garden Taps

If your garden tap is leaking or difficult to turn, you need a fully qualified, licensed tap expert from Proximity Plumbing to help you out. Garden taps generally fail because they aren’t used often, so the washer, spindle and other parts have time to rust and decay.

If this is the case, we may need to replace your garden tap rather than repair it, but we can most certainly repair if the situation calls. All our tap specialists have a huge range of spare parts in their vans at all times and can access all of the most popular brands of full tapware.

Spouts And Shower Roses

In addition to the taps themselves, our professionals can repair or replace your shower roses, as well as spouts for all areas in the home and business. As part of their permanent van stock, our extensively trained taps experts carry a standard type of basin, sink, shower and bath spouts, and a common type of showerhead so that any replacement can be done quickly. However, we can also source any spout or shower rose you’d prefer, so you don’t need to do anything except contact us.

Quarter And Half Turn Taps

Designed for easy and efficient use, quarter turn taps, and half turn taps are a little more challenging to repair than standard tapware. A quarter or half turn tap doesn’t have a washer instead of functioning with its cartridge like a mixer tap. To repair a quarter turn or half turn tap, the cartridge will usually need to be replaced in addition to going through the standard service, but these cartridges can sometimes be challenging to get.

Fear not! Our Proximity Plumbing taps experts have you covered – as always! If we can source a new cartridge for your tap, we’ll be able to repair it for you. Otherwise, we can quickly and easily replace your quarter or half turn tap for the best results.

Water Filters

Water filters are becoming more popular these days as people realise, they can get bottled water at home. If you’ve decided you want a water filter installed, contact Proximity Plumbing, and we will be able to get the right person around to you. We have training and experience installing most types of water filters and can also source our recommended model for you if you don’t know which one you want.

Other Useful Information Related To Blocked Drains Sydney 

• How To Choose The Best Taps: Bathroom And Kitchen Tap Wrap!
• Seven Ways To Save Money On Your Water Bill This Year!
• The Insider’s Tips On How To Choose A Great Plumber