IMPORTANT NOTICE

Do you always have issues with leaky taps in your home? Have you always wanted to learn how to repair leaky taps? Then read on because this article has been put together specially for you. Problems with taps are a relatively common occurrence as water coming into a building is under pressure, and any failure in the tap will allow water to leak. Undertaking simple plumbing repairs as they occur avoids the risk of more expensive work later. It makes sense to repair leaking taps and overflows as soon as possible as they are only wasting a valuable resource. This article can be useful as a supervisory guide to double check what your plumber is doing. It will also be useful for people who are tired of having the same issue fixed over and over again with no results. Most importantly, as a self-managing landlord/tenant, it is certainly worth polishing your tap fixing skills so roll up your sleeves and prepare to get wet  but hopefully not too wet!

Before you can repair a sink tap, you need to know what type of tap you are dealing with. There are three types of sink taps commonly found in an average home: compression, ball and cartridge. Compression taps use a screw to press a washer against a metal ring, stopping the flow of water. Ball taps use a hollow ball made of plastic or stainless steel. When the ball is turned at a specific angle, water flows through the ball and out of the tap. Cartridge taps use a specially designed unit to control the flow of water. Once you have figured out what type of tap you have, the steps below can then be followed: 

Step 1:
Turn off the water supply to the tap. If you are repairing a bathroom or kitchen sink tap, the water cut-off is usually located under the sink as opposed to bath and shower taps where you will be required to turn off the water supply for entire the entire building.

Step 2:
Once the water is turned off, you will need to remove the tap and decorative cover. Unscrew off the cover to expose the retaining screw and remove the head of the tap. Often you can remove the cover using a flat-bladed screwdriver, but you should cover the tip of the screwdriver to avoid damaging the finish on the tap. Once the tap has been removed, it should be easy to establish where the leakage is coming from. Sometimes, if the leak is at the base of the tap, you can often fix it by tightening the handle. If the leak is from the spout, you will need to fix the valve that controls the flow of water. Taking pictures with a digital camera can help when it comes to the time to reassemble the tap.

Step 3:
Undo the larger headgear nut with a spanner. If the nut is stiff, do not force it; instead brace the tap body by hand or with a pipe wrench wrapped in a cloth to prevent the tap from turning and fracturing or damaging the pipe-work attached to it. If you damage the pipe at this point, it could cause a more severe leakage. If the nut is still difficult, you should apply penetrating oil round the joint and wait for about 10 minutes to give it time to soak in, and then try again.

Step 4:
Prise off the washer with a screwdriver. If there is a small nut holding it in place, unscrew it with a spanner and if it is difficult to undo, put penetrating oil round it and try again when it is soaked in. Then price off the washer. Alternatively, if the nut proves too difficult to remove, then you can replace both the jumper valve and washer in one unit.

Step 5:
Fix the new washer. It may be a tight fit to get the washer over the pin. If so, apply some petroleum jelly and use the side of your pliers or a spanner to push it down.

Step 6:
After fitting a new washer or washer and jumper valve, grease the threads on the base of the tap before reassembling it. It is possible to get a special silicone gel from a store that sells plumbing materials but sometimes petroleum jelly would do. Take care to hold the tap securely when tightening the nut.

Step 7:
Turn the water supply back on and check that the tap is working properly again.

The tips given above cover most of the common fittings and appliances used in the average home. If you find that your situation is different, get the advice of a plumber before you start work, and always remember to turn off the water supply before making repairs!

AMFacilities offers a Total Facilities Management service for both home and offices and we'd be glad to work with you to address any issues you may have in maintaining your electrical systems. At AMFacilities we engage the right PEOPLE using the right PROCESSES to provide the right PLACE for our customers to live, work and play. Feel free to contact us for necessary advice in providing efficient facility management services for your home and office.

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