How to Fix a Leaky Tap Yourself

PLYMOUTH, U.K. - March 12, 2013 - PRLog -- As yesterday was World Plumbing Day (http://www.worldplumbingday.org/), we thought we'd create a post that shows you how to do a bit of DIY plumbing - who knows, you might be a dab hand at it!

A leaky tap is not only horribly irritating (drip, drip, drip...) but will also waste water, which means wasting your money too. Luckily, fixing this problem is a relatively quick and easy task that will pay off in the long run.

Before you go ahead with repairing your leaky faucet, you will need to do two things.

1) Get replacement parts
If your tap is dripping it usually means that the washers will need replacing, in which case you'll need to invest in some! They only cost a couple of quid, which when you consider how much money you'll be saving in return seems like almost nothing. Bear in mind that if you have a mixer tap then you will need to replace both washers.

2) Turn off the water supply
You will need to locate the stopcock and turn off the water before you start dismantling the taps, otherwise you're going to end up with much more than just a leaky tap on your hands!

Fixing the taps

1) Remove the handle and the cover from the tap, or the combined handle and cover depending on what type of taps you have. Unscrew the tap headgear nut in order to remove the tap body.

Tip: Put something over the plughole whilst fixing your taps to avoid losing small parts down it!

2)After removing the body, you can take out the old washer from the pin at the bottom. it may come off easily with pliers or you may need to remove a small screw or nut.

3) Put the new washer in place!

Tip: If it's being difficult to get the new washer over the pin, try applying some Vaseline to the area and pushing down.

4) Replace the headgear, holding the tap securely when tightening the nut., put the water supply back on and check it's working!

In theory, simple! Discounted Heating supply a range of tap washers (http://www.discountedheating.co.uk/shop/acatalog/discount...) and also this handy Tap Washer Repair Kit (http://www.discountedheating.co.uk/shop/acatalog/new-plum...) - great if you're a plumber or general handy man!

Remember, never carry out any work on your plumbing or heating unless you are 100% sure on what you are doing. If you're not, there are plenty of professionals willing to do the job for you!

For more interesting and helpful articles, visit the Discounted Heating blog:
www.discountedheating.co.uk/blog