Steps to take when you have a leaking tap

Picture this scene – You’re relaxing on the couch, watching your favourite TV show after a long, hard day at work, you’ve just put your feet up and then it starts …

Drip, drip, drip …

Annoying isn’t it?

We’ve all been there at some stage, when that annoying leaking tap is all you can hear, to the point where you can’t focus on anything else because it’s getting to you so much.

It’s time to take action and sort the damn thing out, but how?

It’s nothing you’ve done wrong, and this annoying phenomenon is basically caused by a faulty or old washer in your tap. What you need to do is find it, change it, and simply put it back together.

What is this washer thing I hear you say? It’s basically a tiny round part to your tap, which puts that pesky dripping to bed, and the good news is that they’re easy to buy, and also very cheap.

So, we’ve identified that you need to find the washer and change it, and that should sort the problem out in theory. Sounds simple, right?

Here are the steps you need to take when you have a leaking tap:

• Turn the water supply off at the main – You don’t want a shower whilst you’re sorting this out because it will soon turn into a deluge. Find the stopcock and turn off the water supply in its entirety. This could be under the sink, in a cupboard, on the outside of your home or it might be in the basement. Every house is different!
• Make sure the water is turned off – Once you’ve turned off the water supply, turn the tap on to make sure no water comes out;
• Turn your attention to your leaking tap – Using a spanner, remove the tap head. When you’ve done this, you’ll see the washer that is no doubt causing you that dripping problem;
• Remove that pesky washer and replace it with the new one. Now, these washers are cheap enough but make sure you get one that is the correct size for your tap. They do come in different sizes, so check this out before you attempt this DIY job;
• With your correct sized, new washer, replace the old one, and throw the old one away. Don’t get them muddled up!
• Take the tap head and reinsert it, making sure it is tightly assembled to avoid any problem once you turn the supply back on;
• Go back to the water main and turn the water supply back on. Turn the tap on and check that the water is running ok;
• Now for the test. Turn the tap off and wait for the drip. If there is no drip, well done, you have successfully fixed your leaking tap!

This should be enough to fix your leaking tap, and that dreadful drip, drip, dripping should be no more. However, if this isn’t the case, give the professionals a call at Oceanside Services on 07 5520 7100 and we’ll fix it for you!